Bayeux, Normandie

War is real. Real bad. And the effects were ever present throughout Bayeux [By-you].

We took the 6:00AM train from Paris to this northern city. The air was salty and warm, and the smell was pleasant. We came here for Ty, as he has taken a recent interest in WWII. Bayuex was square in the middle of the D-Day invasion, and was the first town liberated by the Allies in France. You wouldn’t know it by being in the town though. It has a charming main street, a massive museum, a tapestry museum that the locals were very proud of (though we did not attend), and a small town charm.

Our exploration started with the town cathedral. Its impression on the skyline is apparent from far out of town. We enjoyed this cathedral more than the Parisian ones. I think that’s cause it felt grand, without being crowded. We eve got to go into the crypt! It was quite moldy down there, so we didn’t stay long. It was clear that the church was built over centuries, as half of it was built with a Norman style, and the ‘front’ was much more gothic, built over two centuries later (yet still 800 years old).

Afterwards we got to the reason we were in town, and checked out the Normandy Battle museum in town. This museum explains the whole D-Day campaign and the subsequent liberation of France through the end of WWII. It came with a 25 minute video detailing the history of the invasion. There were a few artifacts, and an exhibit on the journalism, and that was it.

We then hired François to be a tour guide for the area for the afternoon, and he was wonderful. He took us to five places. A D-Day museum in Arromanches, some old German bunkers, the American Normandy cemetery, Omaha beach, and Point Du Hoc, the site of a battle. The D-Day museum had an audio guide which was helpful. It focused on the artificial harbors created for the effort. Those were a masterful feat of engineering. You could still see the ruins of them in the ocean in Arromanches as well.

The bunkers were cool. The massuve (150mm?) guns are still there, though some are blown up. Craters from battleships litter the landscape as well. You had a beautiful view of the ocean.

Then we hit the American Normandy cemetary, where 9000+ bodies are lain to rest in neatly manicured rows. The sight was overwhelming, as the gravitas of the battles dawned on us. Tears were shed in the area. It was a somber and grateful moment, with more appreciation for the solders gained. It was here that WWII came off of the history textbooks and into real life.

Omaha beach is a lovely beach. Soft waves lapping up onto sandy shores. There are families having a beach day, teens taking a stroll in the water. Boats are in the distance making their way to various out of sight harbors. Limestone cliffs on either side a few miles away. A large monument to soldiers precipices above the surroundings, reminding everyone of the importance of the beach. It was here we came to realize that the biggest form of respect to the soldiers was the families enjoying the beach. What had they stormed for if not for the freedom to enjoy a sunny day in the sand.

The final stop was Point du Hoc. This is a precipice peninsula sticking out of the landscape, with sheer 90 degree drops on every side. During the invasion, a super tactical squad climbed up these cliffs, and took out the remaining unshelled bunkers with dynamite. The landscape here was again covered with large shell pasta shaped holes, and a fenced path weaved between the two to a monument. An influencer of some sort was giving their camera a monologue when we arrived to the monument. The views here were insanity though. To the east, five miles of sandy beachfront and seaside towns. To the west, more cliffs protruding out into the ocean, with faint outlines of cathedrals and towns along the top. We could have spent a couple more hours here, but François needed to get home.

We had a lovely dinner along the main strip when we got back to Bayeux. Graham had escargo! It was quite good. But we were tired, and retired quickly to our hotel.

A new coastal town tomorrow! We will see you there!