Monday 3/10/14: The Beaches of Normandy

Today was a beautiful day. The skies were clear and the sun was shining. The group started off by heading to a museum at The Memorial of Caen in Caen, France. The museum was dedicated to the time of WWII and the many European, American, and Canadian lives that were lost because of the battle of Normandy and the war as a whole.

Afterwards, the group headed to Arromanches on the beach. It was the perfect day to spend in the beautiful town surrounded by cobblestone houses, buildings and other historic monuments. This  beach was where the equipment was left for the soldiers who were storming the beach for Normandy. We ate an authentic French lunch and then spent the rest of the time strolling the beach and enjoying the weather.

The next stop was the American cemetery that was located on 172 acres that was given to the US after the Normandy invasion for the US to be able to bury our soldiers. It was beautiful and it looked over the Colleville Sur Mer beach, what we call Omaha Beach, where the US soldiers stormed the beach on D-Day. It was breathtaking to see all of the crosses that marked all the men who gave their lives for the freedom of so many. After the memorial, we went to the Omaha beach to pay respects and see where our soldiers fought.

We ended the day by traveling to our hotel in Dinan, France. The drive was amazing. The countryside of France is incredible and every house we passed was so wonderful. When we got to our hotel, we ate a meal in the hotel and all dispersed to our rooms. The day was a beautiful and fulfilling day and one that I and the rest of the group will never forget.

– Casey Schneider