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| A Quick Trip to Paris and Normandy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| May 28 - May 31, 2003 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| On Saturday morning we headed toward Mont St. Michel. But first we made a stop at the World War II Brittany American Cemetary and Memorial, located near St. James. Here rest 4,410 American soldiers most of whom gave their lives during the Allied campaign in Brittany and Normandy. On a wall bordering the cemetary are inscribed the names of another 498 Americans whose graves in the area are unknown. Of course, this was a sobering and powerful experience. It was especially moving to see French parents standing with their children at gravesites and in the chapel, teaching them about the war. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Kevin and Will took a walk together through the cemetary, while I took photos. Ellen insisted that I take this posed, but contemplative photo of her with the graves in the background (below). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| After our visit to the cemetary, we stopped for lunch in a cute town and then went to Mont St. Michel. This is an abbey and very small town set on a rock, that was once an island, but the causeway has caused such siltation that it is no longer really an island. Apparently there are plans to remove the causeway and replace it with a bridge. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Luckily it was cloudy and cool at Mont St. Michel, and it was fairly uncrowded. We had a great time climbing to the top of the mont and touring the Abbey. We all really enjoyed our time there. Below is a photo of Will in the cloisters. We found the hoisting mechanism that pulled supplies up to the abbey very interesting. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| After our visit at Mont St. Michel, we stopped at the German crypt, Mont-de-Huisines, which holds the remains of 11,956 soldiers. Their remains were moved here from many areas of Normandy and Brittany. This is a very somber place. There are walls of tombs, some of which have flowers placed at them. It is a good reminder that enemy soldiers are someone's sons and fathers too. The feel and theme of the German mausoleum is quite different from the American cemetary. The German emphasis is on peace, hope, reconciliation, and understanding the consequences of war. The American emphasis is more on heroism, sacrifice, fighting for freedom, and gratitude. Both sites provided worthy and noble messages and lessons. |
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| After a long and emotional day, we made the seven-hour drive home. All in all, it was quite a memorable trip. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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