Normandie

Since I first learned about it, I have been fascinated by WWII. More specifically, the war in Europe and the Holocaust. I don't know why, maybe I'm morbid. But I have. I have read books, seen movies/TV miniseries, even took a history course in college about this time period, so when I was planning this trip Normandy was a must. I had never been to Normandy and have been curious to see the D-Day sites. Well, my curiosity got the best of me.

Travel tip! If visiting D-Day sites (or really any war/atrocity related site), don't do it when you're on your own. It was an emotional and psychological beating which is hard to describe. I had allotted 3 full days to explore the sites so I wouldn't have to race through them. By the end of day 2 I was an emotional wreck and could not do more.

I visited the typical sites: Port Winston at Arromanches, the German battery at Longues-sur-mer, the American Cemetery, Omaha beach and Pont-du-Hoc, Ste-Mère-Eglise and Utah beach. As I was driving from site to site, it was hard for me to picture was the massive amount of troop movement and carnage that ravaged this now idyllic countryside. Everything was so peaceful when I was there, it was hard to comprehend the fear, courage, bravery and death that had taken place 71 years prior. Actually standing on the cliffs at the site of the German artillery/battery stations, gazing down onto the long expanses of beach that had to be traversed, I am in awe that the Allies succeeded in taking the beaches. No easy task.

Each day emotions would build as I went from site to site, usually seeing no more than 3 in one day. They would reach a breaking point and I would have to stop. For the sake of my mental health, I could not see more that day. I would return to peaceful, lovely Bayeux, my home base, decompress (which can be difficult to do alone when you have no one to share your emotions and thoughts with), eat well and prepare for the next day. On day 3, I promised myself no more D-Day sites, but another couple at the B&B said I should definitely see the Commonwealth cemetery, in Bayeux proper, so that I would have some comparison to the American Cemetery. So, motivated by curiosity once again, I went.

First, let's discuss the American cemetery. It is massive. Close to 10,000 graves with simple, white crosses or stars of David, stating name, regiment and date of death. No epitaphs, no dates of birth or age at time of death. The cemetery sits atop a bluff near Omaha

Beach, overlooking the English Channel. I remember thinking how oddly peaceful it felt, and how "nice" a final resting place for these men and women. But at the same time, it is overwhelming. I have heard that many people become quit emotional, and rightly so. For me, however, it was the Commonwealth cemetery that got me.

The Commonwealth cemetery is significantly smaller, about half the size as the American cemetery. It is the final resting place for British, Australian, New Zealand and even some German soldiers. Unlike the American version, flowers are grown between the headstones and the dates of birth and ages of the deceased were given. Furthermore, families and friends were asked if they would like to write something on the grave stones. You can only see so many graves with the ages 18-22 written on them and epitaphs stating "love Mum and Dad" before you start to lose it. My breaking point, and I don't know why it was this particular grave, was for a young man, aged 22, whose

epitaph read: "Peace lad, you played the game." Enter a flood work of tears. Maybe it was 2.5 days worth of emotion. Maybe it was the setting of that particular cemetery. Maybe I just hadn't cried in awhile and needed to. Either way, I sat myself on the nearest bench and just let loose.

The immense sacrifice that had me in tears has not been forgotten by the locals, either. Towns large and small throughout Normandy have signs welcoming their liberators - i.e. those persons from Allied nations. It is one of the few places in the world where being an American doesn't carry quite the negative connotation that it does elsewhere. It was a powerful thing to come across - these signs - 71 years after the fact. They certainly have not forgotten.

Even though Normandy was an emotional roller coaster, it was lovely and I am glad I visited. I will simply bring along a friend the next go-around.