Normandy, France

July 02, 2021

Hello from Normandy, France! I say hello because we heard more English in this region than we have heard in most of Europe. This was the third stop on our tour of France this summer and it was probably one of my (mom) favorite times with the family. We stayed at a quaint little air bnb right on Sword Beach, which was the beach that the British invaded on D-Day. On our last day there, we could even see England in the distance! The arrow in the next picture narrates that.

We spent a lot of time prior to this trip preparing for what we were going to see and experience. This allowed our kids (especially the older ones) to really appreciate and sense the deep meaning behind the beaches and cemetery they would be spending time at.

One thing that really struck us was how normal the town was. As American's, I think we expected that, somehow, time would have stood still and we'd step back into history and experience a Normandy of the past. But when you are in Normandy, it feels like any beach town would feel. In fact, it reminded us quite a bit of towns we had visited in the Outer Banks.

The people of Normandy are so welcoming and so friendly. You can really sense that they know what things would look like had the war gone differently and they walk around with a humble and thankful attitude toward life in general.

House from the 1800's a few blocks from where we stayed.

So, here is the breakdown of our time in Noramndy. Day 1 we spent in Sainte Mere Eglise. This was the number one priority for our paratrooper and so we made sure to hit it right away. Here we toured the airborne museum. The museum was interactive and highlighted the history of this small town. All of the kids were able to glean something from the museum, it was very, very well done.

From the museum, we walked around and through the airborne chapel. This is the chapel is where paratrooper John Steele got caught in the spire and hung, pretending to be dead, for two hours before Germans captured him and he became a prisoner. You'll find at least one of our children references this in their "what did I learn" question.

Day 2 we toured the beaches. We had our own vehicle and drove up the coast. Started at Utah, then stopped at the U.S. cemetery, and finished off at Omaha. While at Utah we stopped at a little Le Roosevelt Cafe, which was an old bunker during the war that's been converted. The kids enjoyed hot chocolate and fries and Mike and I enjoyed some cappuccinos to warm us up, because, despite our early July trip, it was quite chilly.

Utah Beach

Le Roosevelt Cafe. Wall signed by soldiers.

Normandy American Cemetary

Enough from me, let me let the kids tell you about the trip through their eyes.

Logan (12 years old)

What was your favorite part of our trip? Walking the beaches and reliving the history.

Favorite thing we ate in Normandy? Fresh eclairs from the bakery.

What was one thing you learned while we were in Normandy? The cemetery in Normandy has over 9,000 soldiers buried in it. Those soldiers left home not knowing they'd never return.

Brody (Age 10)

What was your favorite part of our trip to Normandy? Seeing and experiencing all of the history we had learned about. Looking at the beaches and knowing how many people had been on them during D-Day.

What was your favorite food? The fish we got and made at the apartment.

What was one thing you learned in Normandy? Some of the paratroopers who died did so because planes hit them.

Lincoln (Age 7)

What was your favorite thing about our trip to Normandy? Putting coins on the graves. (Mom note: pictured above are the kids placing coins on the graves. It's a sign of respect to the families of fallen soldiers, shows them people are visiting their loved ones, and helps with the upkeep of the grounds)

Favorite food in Normandy? Eclairs!

What was one thing you learned in Normandy? About the paratrooper who was stuck on the church spire for so many hours one night hoping to be rescued.

Mollie (Age 5)

What was your favorite part about our trip to Normandy? Walking to the water and seeing sea shells.

What was your favorite food? Fresh baguettes! (Mom note: we were just about a block from a local bakery and we grabbed a baguette every morning and every evening)