I have to admit to being a bit of a Francophile. When given another opportunity to visit France, I jumped at it. A few months ago, when the country first opened to tourists after the Covid-19 travel ban, we went to visit our daughter’s family in Paris. In the US, we used to live very close to them and we would see the grandchildren almost every day. When my son-in-law took a temporary post in Paris we envisioned visiting them regularly. It didn’t happen quite like we thought, but thankfully things are improving because of the worldwide effort to stop the spread of the virus.
The grandchildren have a school break called the Toussaint break, so we used the break as a good excuse to cross the Atlantic and start our visit. We have loosely planned a six week trip; part of the time traveling with the other grandparents, who have more extensive travel experience in Europe and are a blast to be around. The other grandparents are not able to take as much time for an extended trip, but we hope to stay through what would be Thanksgiving in the US.
We booked tickets starting our travel a few days before the grandchildren’s school break to see parts of Normandy we had not previously visited. It happened to coincide roughly with the first anniversary of our youngest son, Jonathan’s, death, so it seemed fitting to visit the site where many young men lost their lives in the D-day Invasion. We rented a car at the airport and drove roughly three hours directly to Omaha Beach. The photo above is of the American Cemetery not far from the beach. It was a moving experience. As an American, I am very appreciative of the care given by the local people to the memory of all who gave their lives in the liberation of France in World War II. It was one of those things I had to try to see for myself. Later that day we were told moving stories by a woman named Marie-Christine, who owns the Bed and Breakfast, Chambres d’Hôtes Côté Campagne, where we stayed for the first two nights. Her mother and uncle had lived through the occupation and the stories she told were very personal. One story was about her uncle as a child who was riding a bicycle in an area adults were not allowed to travel in because of the German military presence along the coast. He is said to have been the first to bring the news back to the village that the Allied invasion force was nearing the shore. Making connections like this helps bring perspective to life. Additionally, Marie-Christine and my wife were able to share the experience of grief for the recent loss of a son to illness. Shared experiences like this, though extremely difficult, can help to bring healing. Thank you to Marie-Christine for your kindness.
It was not all sadness on the first few days in France. We also got to see some beautiful places and eat delicious food. To see some photos from this part of the trip click here. As well as the Normandy beaches, we went to Mont Saint-Michel (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Bayeux, and Étretat.
Hopefully, I will be able to post soon about the next part of the trip with the other grandparents and the rest of the family.