Normandy D-Day weekend

A four day weekend coming up??  Husband going back to the states for a job possibility??  I smell an impromptu weekend trip with a co-worker :-)

Normandy, France has been on my "must see" list since we arrived in Europe and with less than two months left here I had yet to visit it.

We decided to drive to Normandy as the train would have cost quite a bit and then we would have had to purchase a tour to drive us to all the sites . . . oh! did I mention we also took the dogs??  Yes, Mika and Milo went on a road trip to France . . . I wasn't too thrilled after the last road trip (see previous post) but I also had no dog sitter for them.  The drive was a good 8.5 hours getting there as my lovely GPS routed us through downtown Paris to escape from the traffic.  Instead of traffic we were stuck in a horrible nightmare of one lane roads, cars that drive way to close to one another and white knuckles.  At long last we arrive at our destination in time for a late meal (they allowed the pups to join us inside the restaurant . . under the table . . inside!!!) and then hit the hay.

The next day was jam packed with monuments, history and beautiful scenery!  The Normandy region is absolutely beautiful!  I was extremely surprised by the peacefulness that I found . . . I guess I expected such a war ravaged part of the country to be a little less appealing . . . it was lovely!  Our fist stop took us to the Overlord museum on the way to the American Cemetery.  The museum was packed full of helpful information as well as just about every type of tank, vehicle and war machine used during WWII by both the Allies and the Germans alike.  We then continued on to the
American cemetery which I found was much like the American cemetery in Luxembourg only with more monuments and a peaceful ocean breeze.  It was arranged in much the same way with the white stone crosses marking each burial site and a wall full of names for the lost soldiers.  We took a path straight from the cemetery down to Omaha Beach were most of the fighting took place on D-Day.  It was, again, very peaceful.  Nothing remained that would hint to the devastation that took place on this beach where over 2,400 American soldiers met their death. 


Mika and Milo had a hay day on the beach as we set them free of their leashes . . . the joy was written all over their cute and fuzzy faces.  Oh, the jumping!  Oh, the barking! Such pure bliss!

We then continued down the road to Pointe Du Hoc, a place I had only heard about from a previous co-worker and WWII history buff.  Honestly, I wasn't really expecting much but boy was I surprised!  It turned out to be my favorite stop during the trip! Pointe Du Hoc is a promontory with a 100 foot cliff that stood in between Omaha and Utah beaches.  The area was fortified by the German gun pits and concrete casements and was an important stronghold as they could threaten the Allied landings on both beaches.  On D-Day the American Rangers scaled the cliffs on rope ladders to overtake the Germans and destroy the guns.  The area was peppered with large craters from the repeated bombings, some 30 feet deep by 30 feet wide!  Several of the heavy gun housings were still intact and the bunker was surprisingly large.  To add to all of the fantastic remains of a not so distant war, the area was stunning in beauty!  The turquoise water against the steep cliff face took my breath away . . . if it had not been for the gusts of wind paired with a short, light weight skirt I could have stayed there for hours.

  

Our next stops took us to Utah Beach, Sainte-Mere-Eglise and a short drive through Caratan.  At Utah Beach the pups once again enjoyed their freedom!  They even took a picture with one of the memorials set up to honor the US Navy.  The beach had quite a bit more seashells than Omaha and the sand wasn't quite so soft. Sainte-Mere-Eglise was a small town near Utah beach which was famous as the landing spot of many of the paratroopers on D-Day and resulted in heavy casualties.  Many were caught up in utility poles and shot before they could cut themselves down.  A well known incident involved a paratrooper named John Steele who was caught up on the steeple of the town church.  Unable to do little else he hung from the spire for two hours pretending to be dead before the Germans took him prisoner.  He later escaped from the German camp and rejoined his division.  In memory of the event there is a paratrooper hanging from the spire to this day . . . of course this one is not real.

 

We stayed overnight two nights in Bayeux, France and I wish we had some more time to enjoy this quaint little town.  We were able to enjoy a traditional French dinner and visit the wonderful cathedral in town.  Bayeux is most famous for the Bayeux Tapestry made to commemorate the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.  Unfortunately we ran out of time and did not get a chance to see the tapestry.  I could have spent two days wandering the cobble stone streets, nibbling on eclairs and visiting the local boutiques that town had to offer . . . but alas . . . maybe next time?? Who knows . . if you are going on a Normandy trip, Bayeux is definitely worth the visit.

Le Mont St. Michel ~ France

The main attraction of our stop in France, Cherbourg Port, was Le Mont St. Michel . . . we tried to find a cheaper way of getting to it rather than paying the overpriced cruise excursion, but failed.  We attempted renting a car (unfortunately the day we were to be there was a holiday and most of the rental offices were closed), a train (the schedules were not working out to give us enough time at St. Michel and then get us back to the ship in time) and a private tour (was even more expensive).  We ended up booking the ship excursion just like 99% of our fellow cruisers . . . sigh . . .

Le Mont St. Michel is an island commune in France and is named after the monastery of St. Michel that sits atop of the island. It is constructed as a feudal society where the top of the island, the monastery, exemplifies God followed by the great halls, stores and at last the housing.  Outside of the walls were the fishermen and farmer's housing.  This, I believe, was my first encounter first hand with a feudal society.  As we entered the citadel we noted how narrow the store lined streets were.  It made the society seem quaint . . . a true step back into medieval times.  The streets seemed to wrap around the island in an assent to the top where the monastery of St. Michel was located.

The island held strategic fortifications since ancient times and the location of the island made these fortifications key.  During low tide the island was easily accessible to many of the pilgrims which would visit it's abbey, but during high tide any would-be assailants would be stranded or drowned.  The Mont if famous for being unconquered during the Hundred Years' War because of this key location.



Le Mont St. Michel is one of France's most recognizable landmarks and is part of UNESCO World Heritage Sites with more than 3 million visitors each year . . . it felt as if most of these 3 million visited on the same day we did  . . . .

After visiting the monastery we spent the rest of our time meandering about the shops, buying crepes, a croque monsieur (basically a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with cheese on the outside of the bread as well), cookies, cakes and other French goodies.  By the end of the day the rain had started . . . hard, pelting rain.  Despite our umbrellas we were soaked.  Due to the increased gale force winds (felt like) many of the umbrellas were discarded along the road back to the buses.  Yes, mine indeed broke as well and had to be discarded in the proper receptacle.  I had just bought it the day before in Amsterdam . . . good thing it was cheap.

My day in Metz: The story of a rainy saturday in France

Today I traveled to a different country . . . why not?  Clayton is still in the states visiting family and I didn't want to get stuck home alone on another rainy day in Germany, so I wen to France.  I joined a group going from the base so I wasn't completely alone for most of the time.  We started off with the Metz antique/flea market . . it was fun but it was also a wake up call.  I was definitely not in California!  The prices were off the charts!  Some cute, red, little, metal chairs caught my attention and after figuring out how to ask how much they were I found out they were 80 euro for the set . . I only wanted one! . . and I only wanted it for 5-10 dollars!  LOL! (mom raised me right)  The flea market was an inside one (thank goodness!) and it was massive!!  When I first walked in I thought "how in the world and I going to get through all of this goodness in 2.5 hours??" but I sure nuff did!!  I was excited!  I was smiling!  I was wishing mom was there with me! . . . after asking "how much" for the first several items, however, my enthusiasm waned.  I was striking out big time!  I ended up meandering around the whole place a few times over just to waste the time . . . and then I saw him!! 

OH! It was love at first site!  I just had to have him!  He was about 1 foot tall, grey hair and beard, clad in red and blue and playing the accordion . . . Jacques!! Unfortunately his price tag was not so attractive and I quickly replaced him onto his mat . . . but I kept thinking about him.  I passed by another few times to see if he was still there . . he was . . . about 15 minutes before we had to board the bus I had to walk by again just to check.  There he was.  I couldn't decide . . . the cuteness (I have also wanted one of these little guys since moving to Europe . . and original, antique one) or the ridiculous price tag??  which would win??  I finally decided that I would offer 20 euro less than the asking price (we were told the French do not haggle) and if he accepted I would take him home . . if not he would be lost to me forever.  I left carrying little Jacques in my arms :-)  He would make the perfect "traveling gnome" if not for his 14 pounds of cast iron . . . but I did manage to get a few pics out and about in Metz before leaving for the day. 

We then continued on into the city center of Metz for a walking tour and then some free time.  About half was through our walking tour the rain started in.  It was still an enjoyable day, even if I was all alone and soaked.  The city has some pretty ancient history dating back some 3,000 years! Metz has always been a strategic city and a historic garrison town.  The city has been sacked numerous times throughout the years as far back as Julius Cesar to Attila the Hun to the German occupation during
WW2.  We were able to see three of the hundreds of Asian statues left behind by Attila the Hun that had once surrounded the city.  All but three had been destroyed by the citizens of Metz when they had regained their city and the three and now on display 20 feet below ground level with a grate covering them allowing them to bee viewed from above.

We also visited the magnificent cathedral of Saint-Étienne de Metz completed in 1520 ad.  The cathedral is nicknamed Good Lord's Lantern as it displays the largest expanse of stained glass in the world.  We were told that at night the windows light up just like a lantern of many beautiful colors and shapes.  Some of the stained glass that is found within the cathedral is the original from the 13th century!  It was beautiful indeed and I ended up spending a good 30 minutes at the end of the day sitting inside the cathedral and enjoying the beauty surrounding me.

Most of my free time was spent browsing through the shopping district and creating blisters on my pinkie toes.  For all the shopping that I did I was able to make it through the day with only one purchase . . a couple pairs of tights from Bonnie Doon Sockery . . they were too cute to pass up!

After living in Germany for over a year going to France for the day sure messed up my vocabulary!  I don't know much German but I do know how to get along in a store, say hi, bye, etc.  The French must have thought I was extra special . . . I was saying hello when leaving the stores, goodbye when entering . . and then giving the ol'blank stare routine.  I just want to communicate with people!

Cruising Costa . . . ummm, quite a different experience . . . .

This last September (yes, I know . . I am extremely late on this post and the ones to follow) my brother and his wife came out to Europe for a little visit with us.  We all decided that since our last cruise was so fabulous another cruise would be the best way to see a good amount of Europe in small amount of time.  Our grave mistake??  We booked a European owned cruise line (Italy specifically) instead of a cruise line based out of the United States.  We set sail on the Costa Pacifica bound for France, United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain and Italy . . . the stops were fabulous but the cruise itself, not so much.

The first thing I noticed about the ship was that the interior was not quite as roomy.  It seems as if the walls were a little closer to one another, the ceilings a little lower and the furniture a little more cluttered.  The great promenade of the Royal Caribbean ship was long gone and replaced with a small piano, stairs, and a bar.  The outdoor activities were limited to several pools and hot tubs . . no mini golf, ping pong, basketball, etc. The food was decent . . . we ate when we were hungry . . not really something I looked forward to each night.  I have the say the cruise director was pretty amazing . . . she spoke at least 5 languages fluently and would have to say the same announcement five times in five different languages!  She didn't miss a beat!  The biggest disappointment of the ship, however, was the entertainment!  It consisted of the same group of thong-clad dancers and two singers every single night!!  We kept trying . . and kept being disappointed.  Night after night we left from the shows early . . . they were terrible!

Overall we were happy to spend quality time with family even if it wasn't on the best ship in the seas.  We were also able to meet a pretty cool couple from Austria as they sat at our table every night.  We enjoyed Santiago de Compostela with Biannca and Klaus as well as some intense matches of table tennis, aggravation and foosball. I can say that I will never again cruise with Costa . . . and it makes me a little nervous to cruise with other European companies as well.

European Christmas Markets, how I will miss you!

One of my absolute favorite things about living in Germany is the Christmas season . . . boy do they know how to celebrate properly!  The fall season may be skipped completely (no thanksgiving, no apple cider stands, no decorations) and other well know US holidays may be M.I.A . . but not Christmas!!  It is definitely a wonderful time of the year here in Europe!

Almost every "large" village hosts a Christmas Market every year.  Some of them are certain weekends only, some start at the end of November and continue through January, and others are only for two or three weeks before Christmas . . . but they are lovely indeed!

We have been to multiple markets in the last two Christmas' here spanning Germany, France, Czech Republic and Austria.  Most of them are comprised of multiple "booths" set up displaying everything from handmade scarves and mittens to Christmas ornaments and art pieces.  They also have some of the best, if not very healthy, food items around.  Both years we have traveled down to Rothenburg O.d.T. to enjoy the "half-meter" hot dogs.  There is also Gluhwein a'plenty (a hot mulled wine drink) and an alcohol-free cider for kids (as well as those that do not drink alcohol . . ahem).  Clayton enjoyed the Nutella crepes a little too much (at least one or two a market).  There were pretzels, cookies and candies galore! Potato spirals and a cinnamon/sugar bread roasted over a fire that was almost to die for! Needless to say, we did not go hungry.

 

 

The "all too famous" Nutella crepe

 

 

 

 

 

Kinder-Punsch (our substitute for Gluhwein)

 

 

Candies!! 

 

 

 

 

Delicious "half-meter" hot dogs

 

 

The atmosphere of the Christmas Markets is one of holiday cheer and warmth.  Many have Christmas music playing softly or the occasional live musician playing a universally recognized Christmas song.  Some have outdoor ice skating rinks while others have live nativity scenes.  All have a beauty that can only be captured by attending one in person. 

Here is a small re-cap of some of the Markets we attended this year:

Bernkastel-Kues ~ a small medieval city located on the Moselle River in Germany.  At first we thought the market was rather "small" and even asked a shop owner, "is this it??" . . . we then felt a little stupid as we started exploring the small alleys and cobblestone pathways.  The market kept going and going!  

 





 

Castle lit up on the hill above the city . . beautiful!

 

 

Eguisheim, France ~ Located in the Alsace region in north-eastern France.  In May of 2013 this little village was voted the "Favorite French Village."  It was not as highly populated as other markets we had attended (of course we also were there during the day and not at night) but it was so quaint and beautiful! 

 

Frankfurt Germany ~ one of the oldest Christmas Markets in Germany!  There has been a Christmas Market in Frankfurt for over 600 years!  It was huge!  We went on a Sunday and there were thousands of people attending!  It was definitely an experience!

 

Prague, Czech Republic ~ We visited the Christmas Market in Old Town Square on Christmas Day . . . it was stunning! St. Nicholas Church was absolutely wonderful! Live music greeted us as we entered and the enormous crystal chandelier in the center caught the attention of everyone present. The Church of Our Lady before Tyn is the main attraction in the square and it hard to ignore.  Unfortunately the 14th century Gothic church was closed and we were not able to enter at the time.  The Astronomical Clock was also a focal point and we watch as it came alive at the strike of one o'clock.

 

 

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany ~ Home to one of the most romantic Christmas Markets in Germany and known for it's medieval setting.  The cobblestone streets, half timbered houses and stone walls securing the city take you back to another place in time.

 

 

(half-meter hot dogs)

 

So in conclusion, I would just like to say that I will miss these dear Christmas Markets and the joy and warmth they bring when I return to the states this next November.  This is one part of "European Living" I will miss the most . . . there are many parts I will not miss . . ie the trash system, the speed cameras, the gas prices, all stores closed on Sundays, no good Chinese food, the conversion rate of the dollar to the euro . . I digress . . this is another post entirely . . .