The Allies landed in Normandy on 6-Jun-1944, in the largest naval and airborne battle, that helped to end WWII. Wanting to be a part of the remembrance of this day, we drove to Normandy from Stuttgart, as did many other Americans living in the area. Commemorations for the 80th Anniversary of D-Day were planned from 1-16 June, and the events on 6-June had restricted attendance, so we planned to arrive on the 8th.
Dijon
We planned our first stop about half-way to Normandy, in Dijon. Of course, we wanted to eat Dijon mustard in Dijon, and we also found a pint at Flannery’s Irish Pub.
The Owl is the symbol of Dijon, and an “Owl Trail” guides visitors all around the UNESCO city center to see the main sights. You must touch the Owl perched on Notre Dame Cathedral with your left hand for good luck!
Normandy
Mont St Michel
Our first stop in Normandy was to the Mont-St-Michel Abbey. The Abbey sits on a small island, and is one of the most fabulous sights in all of Europe. Surrounded by marshlands and tidal flats, it rises up from this flat ground like an illusion. We visited the fortress-island, and then watched the evening high tide swirling in fast and strong.
Both sunset and sunrise photo opportunities are excellent.
Bayeux
A few hours drive further into Normandy, Bayeux welcomed us with thousands of flags of France, USA, Canada, and Britain flying from homes, barns, hedges, and main streets. We stayed at Aggarthi Bed and Breakfast – highly recommend! – in a 17th century former stable. It is an amazingly beautiful property, and our hosts treated us as if we were family during our stay.
There is a lot to see and do in Bayeux, with a Cathedral, museums, and many shops and restaurants. It is a beautiful medieval town, and the perfect central location for exploring around the D-Day sites.
Omaha Beach
The Normandy region has small villages, smaller roads, beautiful farmlands, and beaches. We are grateful that it remains much unchanged from 80 years ago, and available for all of its visitors to see, and to imagine, the bravery and hardships of this time.
Thank you @diane_po
The small roads to Saint-Mere-Eglise were jam-packed, as a hundred thousand people turned out to watch the parachute jumps, an incredible sight.
With one highlight after another, we headed to the Overlord Museum for our Omaha Beach Tour in a WW2 truck, a Dodge WC51. This is a very entertaining and adventurous tour, we highly recommend it!
Port-en-Bessin
Another site of D-Day festivities is the seaside town of Port-en-Bessin. It is so picturesque, with shops and restaurants lining the harbor. Historic D-Day Jeeps and a landing craft were on display. We enjoyed the regional specialty of salted caramel ice cream while listening to the Scottish pipes.
See more about the 80th Anniversary of D-Day in Normandy here:
Verdun
On our way back to Stuttgart, we stopped for the night in Verdun. The Battle of Verdun was the longest in WWI, lasting 302 days, with hundreds of thousands of deaths, but ultimately a victory for the French Army. We found, set in the hills above the city, battlefields, trenches, bunkers, and forts. You can even walk through “preserved” villages that were totally destroyed.
Verdun has an “American food” restaurant, the Buffalo Grill. It promises the feel of an American Road Trip, and that sounded right for our dinner. It gave us a great laugh, and we enjoyed our meals of iceberg lettuce salad with ranch dressing, beef kabobs, and chicken wings.
This trip is altogether one of our top trips of all time, an incredible experience. From the overwhelming kindness of the people of Normandy, their welcoming smiles and “bonjours,” to hearing the stories from locals and visitors, we were overwhelmed by emotions. It felt both humbling and wonderful to be included in this very special group.
Lest we forget
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