Wars

Maddy:

Today we went to Omaha Beach landing sites,  the American Cemetery and the Bayeux Tapestry. Mom sniffled and coughed all the way through the Omaha Beach memorials and Bayeux Tapestry. Also, we ate lunch at an unbelievably delicious crepe restaurant. Me and my brother ordered ham and cheese crepes and mom ordered a   salad and omelet. To top it off, we enjoyed a caramel crepe for desert. The tapestry was long and beautiful, almost 70 meters and made a thousand years ago to tell the story of the Saxons and Normans' war. It was I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E. We arrived home at 8:00 and ready to take a nap.

Chris:

Today we went to the American Memorial at Omaha beach, and it was very saddening. We also saw the exhibits of world war two and who died in it, they were so courageous. But before that we read of the war of 1066 between england (King Harold) and france (William the Conquerer) on the Bayuex Tapestry, plus watched it on imax. Then for lunch we went to a Creperie. We had picnic dinner of chicken, eggs, apples, and bread on the way home.

AdventureMom:
The kids summed it up pretty well. The day was fairly intense and full of emotion.  The Cimetiere Americaine is incredibly well done with tasteful exhibits, access to the landing sites, German fortifications, excellent short films at different points and thoughtful information throughout.   Maddy is right, I cried through a lot of it.  I cannot get my mind around those men, some just boys, saving the free world.  They KNEW the enemy was ready and waiting for them but they still got on those little boats and stormed that beach.  If they had failed, the planet would be so different and I am overwhelmed with gratitude.

But no crying at the Tapestry, I was just having cold/flu symptoms.  Moving as it was, 1000 years is a bit too  long ago.  The woven history lesson is as much art as it is a record of significant events and I hope the kids remember it always.    We wouldn't have gotten so far today if we hadn't taken advantage of the wonderful French health system yesterday.  The pharmacies here are staffed with the equivalent of a physician's assistant.  We were seen instantly, diagnosed quickly and accurately, charged nothing (!) and bought the right medications on the spot for $4 each.