Thursday, May 22 - Rouen, Honfleur, D-day landing Beach - Normandy region

We took a two day bus tour so we were off line for a couple of days but now we are back

We got on the early bus around 6:30 am from central Paris and traveled approx an hour and a half to our first stop Rouen.

Rouen, the historic capital of Normandy, was the scene of the martyrdom of Joan of Arc, convicted and then burnt at the stake in 1431 on the Place du Vieux Marché. Rouen is also the "Town with a Thousand Spires", and over the centuries different parts of the town blossomed with jewels of religious architecture.

 

 

The clock tower face was installed 1409; on the archway over a gate in the ancient Roman walls. The current archway and clock faces, were rebuilt between 1527-1529. On the two Renaissance clock faces, a single hand indicates the hour. Under the number VI, a divinity associated with the day of the week appears at noon on a chariot. Above the clock face, a globe indicates the phase of the moon. Many depictions of sheep show the importance of the wool trade in Rouen and the Paschal Lamb, which has been part of Rouen's coat of arms since the 14th century, is represented on the underside of the arch.

 

The specialty brew of Rouen is their famous cider. needless to say Gary and I forced ourselves to sample some .

Spring time is the blooming time of my favourite flower the peonies. The varity of colours offered in the shops and markets here is a dream come true. Too bad our bus is too packed to ship some back to our little apartment in Paris.

 

 

The back on the bus for lunch in Honfleur. A scenic fishing village and a favourite painting spot for Monet. Colourful painted buildings surrounds the harbour front and painters setup easels around the walk ways capturing the daylight and water reflections just like mastered did many years ago.

 

The picturistic and serenity of this villages makes a wonder lunch stop.

 

Back on the bus we then drove further towards the coast, thunder clouds formed and pretty soon there was flash lighting and pouring rain coming down in sheets. No need to worry about Gary. He's still photographing the British clouds coming across the English Channel .

 

 

I'll let Gary lead u through Omaha beach and d-day landing.

Here are some facts on the area...

The Normandy landings, codenamed Operation Neptune, were the landing operations on 6 June 1944 (termed D-Day) of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. The largest seaborne invasion in history, the operation began the invasion of German-occupied western Europe and contributed to an Allied victory in the war

 

The amphibious landings were preceded by extensive aerial and naval bombardment and an airborne assault—the landing of 24,000 British, US, and Canadian airborne troops shortly after midnight. Allied infantry and armoured divisions began landing on the coast of France starting at 06:30. The target 50-mile (80 km) stretch of the Normandy coast was divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword Beach.

 

The cemetery is located on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach (one of the landing beaches of the Normandy Invasion) and the English Channel. It covers 172 acres (70 ha), and contains the remains of 9,387 American military dead, most of whom were killed during the invasion of Normandy and ensuing military operations in World War II. Included are graves of Army Air Corps crews shot down over France as early as 1942.

 

The Normandy landings were the largest seaborne invasion in history, with nearly 5,000 landing and assault craft, 289 escort vessels, and 277 minesweepers participating. Nearly 160,000 troops crossed the English Channel on D-Day, with 875,000 men disembarking by the end of June.Allied casualties on the first day were at least 12,000, with 4,414 confirmed dead.The Germans lost 1,000 men

Just a final pit stop before stopping for the night in Caen.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy