Day 12. A millenium of military history.

Next year is the sixtieth anniversary of the D-Day landings on the Normandy coast. After much debate the Allied Forces decided on a section of the coast from Cherbourg to Le Havre to invade Europe.  The landings were the largest amphibious operation in history. The initial landing on 6 June 1944 included 45000 troops landing with the help of 6000 sea craft while 13000 planes offered air support. Most tourists get a bus tour to explore this area, or hire a car. We do our best by public transport, which is particularly difficult as poor transport connections cause significant delay.

The nearest town to the beaches is Bayeux, which was the first town to be liberated following the D Day landings. At Bayeux we visit an excellent museum The Musee Memorial de la Bataille de Normandie. Hitler was determined to repel the invasion, which he was expecting and the museum reminds us of the incredible challenges faced by this operation.

Our own challenge is to get to Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery, which we finally achieve on a rather slow, local bus. The cemetery is a visual reminder of the enormous human toll of this campaign. Thousand of white marble crosses (and many Stars of David) are laid out symmetrically across a lawn that covers 75 acres. . Today the beach below is tranquil and peaceful. From the hill above the beach we try to imagine the sight of this massive invasion, sixty years ago.

Our final train delay on our return to Paris proves to be an unexpected blessing.  We have some time to fill, so we decide to visit what is described in the tour guide as ‘Bayeux’s famous tapestry’. This tapestry is worth a visit to the town itself. A 70 metre tapestry, created in the 11^th century depicts the Battle of Hastings in which the local hero William the Bastard (later known as William the Conqueror) crosses the English Channel to take the English crown in 1066.  The tapestry is almost 1000 years old and is fascinating, informative, beautiful but also brutally graphic in its depiction of war.

With the help of an audio guide we walk the length of this tapestry, which is beautifully displayed behind glass, and follow the pictorial story of another amphibious military operation which took place almost millenium before D- Day.