Our ship docks in Honfleur, France at 7:30am. We have already eaten breakfast at Waves Grill, and headed to Sirena Lounge because our 9 1/2-hour excursion to visit the D-Day landing beaches and U.S. cemetery begins at the same time. This is going to be a special day for us. We feel honored to have the opportunity to pay our respects to all the phenomenally brave American, Canadian and British soldiers who landed here on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
We board our bus for the almost-two-hour ride to the D-Day landing area and meet our guide Mark and our driver Nichola. We learn that Honfleur means estuary, which is the geographical feature of the area. But the word derives from Old Norse, not French. Our guide points out the enormous Normandy Bridge over the River Seine that opened in 1959. The architect designed the two-kilometer-long bridge in the shape of an upside-down airplane wing in order to withstand the high winds to which it would be subjected.
Mark is a veritable encyclopedia on the subject of the D-Day invasion. He even passes out a map of the battlefield as part of his introduction. We appreciate his thorough explanation, because it sets the scene for what we are about to see. Fortunately, there are dozens of fine books on the subject as well as some excellent, unforgettable movies as well, but there is nothing like seeing it in person.
We are traveling along an excellent interstate-style highway through beautiful farmland. Mark tells us that Normandy has 2 million cows and only 1.5 million people. Obviously, it is huge dairy country, and he names the three Normandy cheeses produced in the area: livarot, camembert and pont l’eveque. He also jokes that you can tell a Normandy cow because they wear sunglasses.
We exit the expressway, and are only half an hour from our first Omaha Beach location. We learn that before the invasion, the beach was known as the Beach of the Golden Sand. Mark points out the hedgerows lining the roads. It was said by one commander that they were “better defense than Rommel could ever have thought up.” We can see why he said that and can imagine the frustration the Allies had when they encountered them.
We arrive at 10am at Pointe du Hoc, and suddenly we are in awe of the hallowed ground we are standing on. It is a beautiful sunny day, but breezy and chilly. This spot overlooks part of Omaha Beach, and is the site of where some of the most casualties were suffered. Here, we overlook the spot where Army Rangers scaled a 100-foot cliff by rope ladder to disarm German artillery positions aimed at the Omaha Beach operation. All of us are quiet, as we contemplate the bravery and sacrifices made there. The area is oddly pastoral now, and we can but imagine the scene the morning of June 6th. The fighting lasted for 72 hours, and approximately 2,000 American soldiers died in the battle. This is hallowed ground indeed.
We walk around the area, stopping at gun emplacements, some built in WWI. We tour a concrete German barracks and marvel at what a miserable place to live it must have been. The terrain is rugged, and here the beach seems narrow. So many thoughts are running through the minds of all of us are we look out over the English Channel. Mark tells us something we never knew – there is a German cemetery here as well. 21,000 soldiers are buried there, making it the largest cemetery in the area.
Back on the bus for a short ride to what must be the highlight for any American. We arrive at the Normandy American Cemetery in the village of Colleville-sur-Mer. This was formerly the American Saint Laurent cemetery opened by the U.S. Army on June 8, 1944. Almost all of the 9,386 soldiers buried there were killed in the D-Day and ensuing operations, but a few others met their death in other European WWII battles. It occupies 172 ½ acres, and is considered United States territory. It is run by the American Battle Monuments Commission, but is staffed by local people. It is located on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach, but access to the beach itself is blocked for security reasons.
We start at the Visitor Center, but unfortunately it is closed to visitors for some reason, so we enter the cemetery, and the first place we stop at is the Wall of the Missing. Here is a Wikipedia description: “The semi-circular gardens bear the 1,557 engraved names of service members declared missing in action in Normandy. Most of them were lost at sea, including over 489 in the sinking of the SS Léopoldville.” There is a ceremony going on there, and we feel awkward about staying, so in a few minutes, we move on.
Our guide next takes us to several of the gravesite areas, highlighting certain graves. One is for Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. Next to his grave is that of Quentin Roosevelt, his brother who was an aviator killed in WWI. The grave was moved so he could be buried by his brother.
Our guide is anxious to show as much as possible during our one-hour stay, but Cathy and I feel a bit rushed. After about twenty minutes, the formal part of the visit ends, and we quietly take our own tour.
As we’ve said, this is hallowed ground, and after quiet walks past more graves, we briefly visit the Chapel, located in the center of the cemetery. Wikipedia does a wonderful job describing what we see: “At the center of the cemetery lies a multi-confessional chapel. Its altar, in black and gold Pyrenean marble, reads ‘I GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE AND THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH’. The stained glass behind it bears a Latin cross and present a star of David, as well as an alpha and an omega symbol, meant to represent all other religions.
“On its ceiling lies a spectacular mosaic by Leon Kroll. Completed in 1953, it comprises 500,000 tiles and tells a full round story “of war and peace.” One side depicts Columbia (Goddess of Liberty) allegorically representing America blessing “her rifle-bearing son before he departs to fight overseas. Above him, a warship and a bomber push through sea and air toward land on the opposite side of the dome. There, a red-capped Marianne figure personifying France bestows a laurel wreath upon the same young man. His now lifeless body leans against her as she cradles his head in her lap. Above them, the return of peace is illustrated with an angel, a dove and a homeward-bound troop ship.” These two figures can be seen again as statues, guarding the end of the cemetery.
“Outside is engraved on its wall, both in English and French, ‘THIS CHAPEL HAS BEEN ERECTED BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF HER SONS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE LANDINGS ON THE NORMANDY BEACHES AND THE LIBERATION OF NORTHERN FRANCE ★ THEIR GRAVES ARE THE PERMANENT AND VISIBLE SYMBOL OF THEIR HEROIC DEVOTION AND THEIR SACRIFICE IN THE COMMON CAUSE OF HUMANITY’.
“On its roof is engraved ‘THESE ENDURED ALL AND GAVE ALL THAT JUSTICE AMONG NATIONS MIGHT PREVAIL AND THAT MANKIND MIGHT ENJOY FREEDOM AND INHERIT PEACE’.”
We move on toward the Memorial, but take about fifteen minutes to sit and soak in the peace that surrounds us and the significance of where we are. The feelings we have are identical to those we had when we visited – inadvertently, it happens – the enormous American cemetery in Manila, Philippines. To see the thousands and thousands of white crosses (and Stars of David) in long rows on pristine green lawns is humbling, to say the least.
We finally make our way to the Memorial itself. Again we turn to Wikipedia for a description: “The Memorial consists of a semicircular colonnade with a loggia at each end containing maps and narratives of the military operations. It is built in medium-hard limestone from upper Burgundy. Two of the maps, designed by Robert Foster, are 32 feet long and 20 feet high.
“At the center is a 22-foot bronze statue entitled The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves by Donald De Lue.
“Over the arches of the Memorial is engraved ‘THIS EMBATTLED SHORE, PORTAL OF FREEDOM, IS FOREVER HALLOWED BY THE IDEALS, THE VALOR AND THE SACRIFICES OF OUR FELLOW COUNTRYMEN’.
“At the feet of the Memorial is engraved both in English and French ‘IN PROUD REMEMBRANCE OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF HER SONS AND IN HUMBLE TRIBUTE TO THEIR SACRIFICES THIS MEMORIAL HAS BEEN ERECTED BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA’.”
Unfortunately, our time is up, and we head back to where the bus is parked. We board the bus again, and in about twenty minutes, we arrive right at sea level at more of Omaha Beach. It is here where we learn that Omaha Beach is, of course, but one of five landing locations, and Omaha is three kilometers long. We are struck by the fact that the D-Day invasion took place along 18 kilometers of beach (almost 12 miles). This gives us a new perspective of the sheer enormity of the military operations that took place.
We disembark, and have an opportunity to actually walk on Omaha Beach. There are several monuments commemorating D-Day there, and many signs with photographs and descriptions of what took place there, both in English and French. These are written from the point of view of French citizens, and we are taken by the heartfelt expressions of thanks and excitement of the prospect of liberation, and the admiration for such bravery and heroism. The relations between the people of France and the people of America have been a bit strained in recent years, so it is gratifying to read such sentiments.
Our time there comes to an end, and there is no time to visit the small museum we see. Mark had told us in his presentation on the bus that there are 52 D-Day museums in Normandy, so we aren’t surprised. Out itinerary today does list one, so we look forward to it later in the tour.
It is now almost 1:00pm, and is definitely time for lunch. We travel through a couple of adorable Normandy villages and arrive at our last stop, the village of Arromanches.
Our bus drops us off at the Musee’ du Debarquement, the D-Day museum we are to visit. We have about fifteen minutes to wander around the picturesque village until the Hotel de Normandie is ready for us, right across the street from the museum.
Lunch is delicious, as we expected. Service is excellent and, to our surprise, bottles of red wine are on the table. We sit at tables of eight, and quickly make friends (Steve thinks the wine might have helped him in this regard). We are there for an hour. First course: salade niçoise and bread and butter. Second course: roast chicken and potatoes. Dessert: apple tart with local apples, so thinly sliced! Everything was delicious.
We enter the museum, and quickly begin to grasp the significance of the name of the museum and the important part that the village played in the D-Day invasion. To the west of the village were the two American beaches, Omaha and Utah. To the east was Juno, in the Canadian sector, and Sword, where the British landed (along with 177 French commandos). Arromanches was part of Gold beach, where more British troops landed.
Arromanches was liberated on D-Day as planned, and this was key. The Allies knew that the German defenses were too good for them to capture a working port. So the plan came together to build two Mulberry Harbours in secret in Britain. These were prefabricated harbors built in sections that were then towed across the English channel as part of the invasion. Unfortunately, Mulberry A at Omaha Beach was destroyed in a violent storm on June 19th – 21st and had to be abandoned. Mulberry B at Arromanches, nicknamed Port Winston (obviously after Prime Minister Winston Churchill), then played a pivotal role in the advance of Allied troops in Normandy. [In the interest of full transparency, this information was largely cribbed from the museum brochure we received when we entered]. The museum has a website with much more information (arromanche-museum.com).
We saw some very excellent models of harbor sections in display cases, and wonderful explanations of how the harbor was constructed and how it was used.
We only had an hour there, and could have stayed there for three – one of the disadvantages of being on a tour instead of being on your own.
We motor along on one of the two-lane roads as our guide describes which landing beach we are near, and it gives us a sense of the size of the military force applied to establishing a beachhead in Europe, and an appreciation for the planning and complexity of such an operation. Just the mere fact that the Third Reich never became aware of the building of the Mulberry Harbours speaks to the singlemindedness of the Allies and the patriotism of their citizenry.
By now it is well after 4pm, and even our guide Mark is tired. We sit quietly and enjoy the Normandy countryside gliding by for the long drive back. It is truly beautiful country. We arrive at the ship around 5pm. This is by far the longest excursion on this cruise, and also by far the most meaningful. We wish every American could have this experience so they too could appreciate the thousands and thousands of heroes who fought so valiantly to free the world from tyranny.
Sirena departs Honfleur right on time at 6:15 for Portsmouth, UK, a quick 86 nautical-mile journey across the English Channel. We will disembark there at 8am tomorrow morning, be bussed to Heathrow airport and fly British Airways to JFK.
The Viking Views & Vistas segment covered 3,728 nautical miles in 15 days. Sirena called on nine ports in Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, the Shetland Islands, Norway and Denmark. The North Cape segment covered 3,886 nautical miles in 18 days. We stopped at fifteen ports in Norway, the Faroe Islands, the Orkney Islands, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium and France, and included five days above the Arctic Circle.
In all of that time, we acquired a wealth of information about many fascinating places and were present in the United Kingdom during one of that country’s most historic events of the past 75 years, the passing of their beloved Queen Elizabeth II and the installation of both a new prime minister and king.
This is why we travel, and we thank you for joining us on our journey. On November 15th, we will begin another one. We can’t wait!
