July 23rd - Normandy, France

Normandy Bay is a very historical area to visit and we became very emotional while we were there.

A little background history for my Grandkids:

On June 6, 1944 a successful invasion took place there that was the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany. It was commanded by American General Dwight D. Eisenhower (later became President) and the invasion was called “Operation Overlord,” or as we know it as “D-Day.”

Over 100,000 Allied troops, made up by American, British, and Canadian troops, landed along Normandy bay at five different beaches on that June 6th day.

Now a few questions for my Grandkids to look up (go to http://www.enotes.com/topics/d-day for some answers.
1.How many ships carrying men and vehicles were there?
2.How many planes were there that carried men to parachute in?
3.How many men jumped out of those planes in parachutes?
4.How many planes dropped bombs on the Nazi German troops defending the beaches?
5.Who was the Nazi German leader the Allies were fighting against?










We walked along the shore where all of this took place. It was really hard to visualize all those troops invading on that single day but how important that was for the freedom of France.








As we walked up from the shore, we saw many of the bunkers that the Nazi Germans had made to fight from. We could still walk in some of them.









Some were very large rooms that lots of items (guns, ammunition, etc) could be stored.













There also stood two monuments in a small park area that overlooks Utah Beach. It honors the achievements of U.S. Corps that fought there.






A little further up the hill from the beach, the USA have built a very, nice building called the “Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.” With artifacts, videos, etc., it depicts the significance and meaning of “Operation Overlord” and honors the values and sacrifices that took place there.





The grounds around the visitor center were beautifully maintained along with the cemetery of the fallen servicemen and women. It was an emotional area to visit but it reminded us of how important freedom is to us all.

July 23rd Mont-St-Michel, France

Today we had a full day of visiting some historical and amazing sights. I am going to blog them in 3 different blogs because of the significance of each and my lack of free time to blog all three at one time.



Mont-St-Michel is one of the most enchanting sights in France. This is the island of Mont-Tombe where an abbey was built on top, which almost doubles the island in height. This island is now linked by a causeway so we can walk right up to it without waiting for the tide to go out.




Mont Saint Michel was built as a medieval castle. It has two large towers to defend the entrance to the castle.




It was also a monastery that had its greatest influence in the 12th and 13th centuries and was a renowned center of medieval learning.




The buildings of Mont St. Michel are constructed of granite and the crown of the abbey is 240 ft. above sea level. There are small homes and shops around the lower level. The population of the island is 41.

July 22nd - Travel France

Today was a travel day from Belgium to France. We have now visited 8 different Countries and we are returning back to France.






We took more of a coastal route along the North West part of France and ended in Caen, France. These are just a few pictures I took as we passed through Boulogne and surrounding area.








This city was built on the hillside with streets leading down toward the ocean. It reminded me of San Francisco, CA.









I really liked the flower boxes on each corner in Boulogne, France.

July 21st - Bruges, Belgium

We drove to Belgium today and when we arrived we learned it was “Belgium Day” (something like our 4th of July) and it was a big celebration all over Belgium. Instead of going to Brussels we headed toward the coast to the city of Bruges.








Bruges is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Belgium with its canals and winding lanes lined with medieval buildings.









In the 13th to 15th century, Bruges was the center of the international cloth trade, specializing in lace. In those golden years, they built lavished mansions, churches, and civic buildings which made Bruges the wonder of northern Europe.











We enjoyed walking around and taking pictures of every interesting building we could see. It was very clean and lots of people out in the open areas celebrating “Belgium Day”.










They had lots of entertainment going on in the open gathering areas and wonderful shops to walk in and out of.











They also had lots of outside cafes where people were sitting, enjoying the entertainment and one another.

J

July 20th – Amsterdam, Netherlands

We arrived in Amsterdam in the early afternoon and enjoyed walking around the old city area. It is the capital of the Netherlands and has over a million people.




It is very low land which is covered with lovely canals that criss cross the city.








The streets are narrow and are lined with an impressive architecture of buildings.










Some of these buildings look like they are shifting forward but they are a delight to view. Look at the 3rd one from the left.











Everyone ride bikes, boats or walk and cars are not very welcomed. There are large open areas in which people gather and many outdoor Cafes.





















With all the canals and waterway, it reminded us of Venice. We even saw one gondolier and she was a woman. This is the only one we say but there are a lot of boats.



















We took a tour of the house Anne Frank and 7 other people hid out in until they were found. It was a sad but an in-lighting tour, viewing pages from her diary and other artifacts. The outside of the house has been changed some but they have tried to maintain the walls, floor, etc. as it was. I really enjoyed the tour.










Before we left Amsterdam the next morning, we had to drive out into the countryside to view the windmills. They were impressive but we didn't see as many as I thought we would see. I guess modern technology has taken over.

July 20th - Leaving Germany

We are now leaving Germany, probably never to return, but I have one question to ask my Grandkids.

As we traveled on the Autobabns (freeways), we kept seeing these signs.

How would you pronounce it? (don't laugh) and what does it mean?








(If it was up to me, I think I would change the name)

July 19th - Koln (Cologne), Germany

July 19th – We have now traveled back to West Germany to the city on Koln (Cologne). It was originally founded by the Romans and is one of the oldest settlements in Germany. It has 12 Romanesque churches and also the Koln Cathedral, the greatest Gothic cathedral in Germany and the 3rd tallest in Germany.










We arrived in the early evening and we stayed in a hotel in walking distance of the large Koln Cathedral. The first picture of the Koln Cathedral is with the setting sun shining on it. The rest of the pictures were taken the next morning.

(The Cathedral was standing very straight but my camera shot makes it look like it is leaning. Sorry)


















The outside detail was magnificent, from the steeples to the entrance.

























The inside was also very ornate with lots to see. There were also lots of tall, stain glass windows, that were beautifully done, and told the story of Christ.















As we drove away, you can see how close it stands by the Rhine River.