Our first stop in France is Bayeux, a medieval town in Normandy, remarkably untouched by WWII.

It’s most famous for the Bayeux Tapestry, a 226 feet long  propaganda piece depicting William the Conqueror’s 1066 English invasion of France.  It was created shortly after the successful invasion to justify William’s actions. Charming and full of details that may or may not be true.

A more recent invasion – the June 6, 1944 D Day Invasion of Normandy,  extensively scripted and horrible beyond imagination….

Today the beaches are beautiful vacation destinations bearing no resemblance to how they looked on June 6, 1944.

The horrors of 1944 stand in breathtaking contrast to the respectful beauty of the American Cemetery overlooking the miles of Omaha & Gold Beaches the American forces fiercely stormed.  The cemetery contains the remains of nearly 10,000 Americans and lists nearly 2000 Americans missing.  The toll was far more as many were returned to the US.

We learned so much (and yet so little of the whole story) from the WWII expert hired to spend the day showing us German bunkers, command posts and explaining D-day history.

Jerry and 3 others participated in a moving ceremony laying a wreath at the memorial. His uncle was a pilot shot down over Brittany, nearby, whom he never knew except through loving stories shared by his mom.  Chimes played our national anthem and then taps.  Ironically this was the very Sunday the NFL linked arms protesting racial discrimination.

On to Mont St. Michel, the beautiful abbey on the island, started in 708, the site of pilgrimages, monks and prisons.  It has been changed and added to and is hauntingly beautiful even in the rain as we saw it.

The many steps to the Abbey  are daunting and challenging and only the beginning of the long walk up and down through the cloister, ossuary and many halls and reception areas.  

The village  at the base of the island is now very commercial w/ restaurants and shops. Sitting down for lunch felt like a true reward.

Lunch on Mont St. Michael…so good to be traveling again w/ Yona and Ed.