Hello! I just got back from a long weekend in Normandy (Normandie) and Brittany (Bretagne). Lots of pictures!!!
Let's start with Bretagne! Brittany en Bretagne...awesome! These are from St. Malo :) It is right on the coast and absolutely beautiful! The north of France is so different from the south!
The tide was out so you could walk on the beach and explore the natural pool!
St. Malo is a very old town...it is surrounded by a wall that not only used to protect the city but is also used to keep the tide from flooding the city streets.
Beautiful!
Next...La Normandie!
SO much history!! I loved it!
This is the flag and the cross of the Resistance en France during the war (WWII).
This is Juno beach...
and just past the beach up on the ridge, you could see the bunkers built by Germany to protect the coastline.
Ok now I'm going to be a little nationalistic...The following pictures are of Omaha beach and the American cemetery.
Merci de la France...
Can you picture what happened here on the 6th of June, 1944? The very small pieces of "rock" you see in the water is actually pieces of the landing vessels that still remain.
The beach is massive...try to imagine 43,000 infantry landing here. Operation Overlord was designed to literally over-run the German occupation and liberate France. It was well executed but the casualties were in the thousands. Difficult day for all but in the end it was worth it. Paris, and therefore France, was liberated by the 25th of August, 1944.
So many American men were lost that day. To the American military, this was one of the "longest days." The cemetery may be in France but the French government "gave it" to the United States to honor the fallen men.
This is at Point d'Hoc. American Rangers scaled these cliffs during the bombardment of the French coastline to destroy the German artillery. Yes during...the bombardments would occur and the Rangers would go in trying to reclaim as much ground as they could. The Germans never expected men to climb the cliffs! As I said...a little nationalism: there was a family that questioned why everything was in english at these sites...it is because without the help of the United States, France would be Germany right now! I am so glad the US helped...now I get to study in France and learn French ;)
Absolutely stunning!
This part of the coastline is riddled with "holes." As you can see, they are literally all over the place as a result of the bombardment. This hillside held German anti-aircraft artillery...
...in bunkers such as this one. Many still stand but others lay in complete ruin.
Ok...I can discuss the historical happenings for forever but here are a few pictures of Le Mont St. Michel...
Sunset after walking around St. Michel :) It was beautiful! I love France!
Le Mont Saint Michel...so bizarre! Literally is in the middle of nothing but a bay. The entire top half is a cathedral and around the bottom are various hotels and shops. Very cool to see! It is also the number 1 most visited site in France by the French...lots of people all the time!
It was a cloudy and rainy day but you can see the Bay...it just goes on and on and on and Saint Michel is right in the middle of it.
I really enjoyed my visit to the north! I spent the weekend seeing and exploring history and speaking nothing but French...just the way I like it!
:)
Bises de la France!
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