THE THOMS SUNDAY TRAVEL SECTION
Why Explore Normandy?
Normandy is in the news every June as we commemorate D-Day. The June 6, 1944 arrival of Allied forces on the European continent.
Most of us know of Omaha Beach. A few of us may know about Utah and Juno Beach. Did you know there were five beaches in operation? Gold and Sword beach were also crucial in the plan.
Many people believe the invasion was over at the end of the day. It was only the beginning.
Many people are not aware that before boats began unloading, the airforces of the Allies were bombing the German strongholds. At the same time, 24,000 air troops were parachuting behind the German lines.
First, they did not capture all five beaches on the first day. Juno and Gold were the only ones under Allied control at the end of day one. It would be six more days of fighting until they can link all five beaches.
Plans were to capture the German-held towns of Carentan, St. Lô, and Bayeux on day one as well. This landing would end up taking a few days. The primary objective, the town of Caen, a German supply center, would not fall until 21 July.
Enough with the history. Why are you talking so much about history?
It’s important to know that there is more to the D-Day Invasion than just a few beaches.
Exploring Normandy Beaches Today.
If you are traveling to France to see this historic area, give it at least one full day. It deserves that. If you are an American, you want to visit Omaha and Utah Beaches. These were the two beaches the Americans were handling. Now the movies and the newsreels make a lot more sense. Stand at the water’s edge and look back at the land.
Picture German bunkers on the hillside shooting down at you. You are between 18 – 21 years old, and this may be your first time away from home. For the last three hours, you have been throwing up as the weather is not conducive to a crossing. You have 40 pounds of gear on your back. After jumping in the cold British Channel, it now feels like it weights 80. And all the time the Germans keep firing at you. If this does not affect you, you may want to seek medical help.
Before the end of the day, there will be more than 4000 U.S. casualties on the two beaches. More than 90 percent at Omaha. Of those, more than 2200 will not see the next day. Few remnants remain on the beaches. Just below the sand are still millions of shell casings and other small remains. They would scrap most of the ships, portable docks, and breakwaters after the war. However, the artificial harbor at Arromanches (Gold Beach) still has several parts remaining, painting a clearer picture of the operation.
Other Beaches
Gold and Sword Beach were under the British forces. Also visit Juno, to learn of the Canadian heroics.
There are several markers and small museums with a connection to the invasion and the following days and weeks. There are more than 40 museums, 16 sites, and eight monuments or places of remembrance. These alone could take several days. A myth we need to break: All the beaches are together. Unfortunately, the beaches are not next to one another. The drive from Omaha to Utah is 45-minutes (traffic dependent.) From Utah in the west, to Sword Beach in the east is 90-minutes by the highway. The beaches need at least one full day.
Cemeteries
Unfortunately, there are 26 cemeteries with links to WWII. The British have several, as do the Germans. There is a Polish one as well. The largest, and perhaps most emotional is the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. Sitting on a hillside above Omaha Beach, it covers more than 170 acres. It is the final resting place of 9,380 American soldiers. On the Walls of the Missing are 1,557 additional names. Luckily, rosettes mark some of these names, indicating the recovery and identification of their bodies.
Explore Normandy Towns
Then there are the towns with connections to the invasion. Carentan, St. Lô, and Bayeux were the scenes of house-to-house combat with the Germans. In Sainte-Mère-Église see the mannequin of a paratrooper hanging from the church spire, and learn why. These are great locations to learn about the local people and their role in the invasion. Nearly 3,000 French civilians gave their lives on D-Day trying to help the Allies land. To leave them out of the equation would be a colossal error.
The Battle for Caen will go on into August. As a town with numerous roads and railway lines, it was an important supply center for either side. The Memorial of Caen is a museum and war memorial.
Is That All There Is?
Exploring Normandy is more than just the D-Day invasion. They were fighting in France long before WWII.
Normandy, the land of William the Conqueror. William I, the son of the unmarried Duke of Normandy, would take over for dad upon his death in 1035. In He launches the 1066 Norman Conquest of England which ends with him the first Norman king of England. He then returns to Normandy to rule. You can visit his Château Guillaume-le-Conquérant in Falaise France, 45 minutes drive south of Caen.
Another must-see for William fans is The Bayeux Tapestry Museum in the town of the same name. It is not a tapestry but an embroidery telling the story of the Norman invasion into England. Seventy scenes are stretching across 224 feet of material. There may be additional scenes missing. The history of the tapestry and it is still intact is almost as incredible as the material itself. They do not allow the taking of photos. Click on the orange link above to see the museum.
And then there is the story of the 17-year-old girl from Arc. She was responsible for turning the 100-year war around. Visit the town of Rouen for more history on Jeanne d’Arc. Explore Normandy and its several thousand years of history.
Is There Anything Non-History to Explore?
How about French Impressionistic art? The Impressionist movement begins in Le Havre in 1872. A painter by the name of Claude Monet, finishes his canvas, the Impression, Soleil Levant, (Impression, sunrise.) Within two years, his style of painting is Impressionism. Besides his home town of Le Havre, he will capture Rouen and many other Normandy scenes. He then retires to his home in Giverny, an hours drive southeast of Rouen. Here he will paint his gardens and lilypond.
The coast of the Cotentin Peninsula and many of its villages, such as La Hague and Cherbourg, also become subjects. Monet, Renoir, and Delacroix are just some of the artists with paintings along the seashore.
An art lover cannot stroll into medieval Honfleur and not have an immediate sense of Deja Vue. Its magical inner harbor has been the subject of more than just Impressionistic artists. Explore Normandy and its art. Take a walk in a painting.
Do You Like Architecture?
We could go into a thousand years of architecture in Normandy. You could spend weeks to explore Normandy architecture. When you consider Normandy was the front line of WWII, it is incredible anything remains. Let’s hit on just a few to give you an idea.
Mont Saint-Michel and its bay are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This Gothic-style Benedictine abbey dates from between the 11th and 16th centuries. It is stunning for its architecture, but the technical aspects of building this over 900 years ago are unbelievable.
The oldest buildings in the main cities are of half-timber construction. Rouen and Honfleur have some excellent examples. Amazing considering their wood content and the fires from bombing.
South of Cherbourg is the town of Valognes. It was once the Versailles of Normandy, and home to more than a hundred of Frances affluent families. It found itself in the middle of the Battle of Normandy. Allied bombing destroys most of the city. The City Hall give you a glimpse into what it once was.
And there are castles and forts and many other incredible structures. Explore Normandy for its architecture.
Explore Normandy for Crustaceans, Cheese, Cider, and Calvados.
Is the cuisine of Normandy any good? Well, if Julia McWilliams from Pasadena did not explore Normandy cooking, you might not know what a pommes frites was. Soon after her wedding, she and her husband Paul Childs, a food-lover, found themselves relocating to France. Paul is eager to introduce his non-cooking wife to French Cuisine. Soon after disembarking the S.S. America in La Havre, Paul was driving her to a favorite restaurant in Rouen.
Julia Child’s first taste of French food, at the Restaurant La Couronne in Rouen, is historic. It is instant love. The French preparation, the flavors, and drinking wine with lunch were almost too much to absorb. Upon reaching their new Paris home, she applies to Le Cordon Bleu, learning everything she could about French Cuisine.
Along with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, she helps write a French cooking book for Americans. In 1961, Mastering the Art of French Cooking hits book stores. While promoting the book in Boston, the National Educational Television (NET) offers her a cooking show. In 1963, The French Chef premieres. The rest is history. Merci Julia.
Fresh seafood from the English Channel, rolling hills of dairy and livestock farms. REAL milk, cream, butter and oh the cheeses. Guess what they make around the village of Camembert? To taste it fresh, less than 100 miles from the farm, is an experience. Explore Normandy further, and you will find other A.O.C. cheeses to sample.
If You Can’t Grow Grapes…
The cooler weather of Northern France is not ideal for grape growing, although in Medieval times they did. Today, Normandy is not a wine region, although it has some micro-pockets turning out delicious wines. What it lacks in grape growing it more than makes up for in apples.
Normandy grows more than 800 varieties of apples. Some go into tarts, candies, and to simmer with pork or other meats. There are others so tart you can’t eat them. But ohh what they can do with the juice. Cider in France is different than what you may remember from your childhood around Halloween. It has a low alcohol content and comes in sweet, semi-sweet, and dry. With some local cheese, it is a treat you will not find anywhere else.
Calvados is apple brandy. It may include some pear juice as well. Calvados is a region in Normandy where they produce some of the best apple brandies. With the different mixing and the aging, it is similar to a Cognac or other French brandies. And the better ones have prices that are also similar.
There are cider, cheese, and even Calvados trails you can follow. The food and drink are excellent, and you need to explore Normandy cuisine.
To read more on Normandy Cuisine, click on this Orange Link.
Explore Normandy.
Did you have any idea there was so much more to Normandy?
Caen is an excellent base for exploring western Normandy while Rouen is perfect for the east.
See the incredible architecture. Smell the salt air, the apple blossoms, or the flowers in a Giverny garden. Feel all the different emotions as you stand on Omaha Beach and try to imagine that day. Taste the seafood, dairy, cheese, apples, and all the other Normandy cuisine. What a beautiful corner of France.
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