Our first beach was Gouville sur Mer, where we managed to park next to the beach.
After a lazy couple of hours swimming and snoozing, we retired to the shade under our awning and watched the tide retreat. Being only an hour away from Le Mont, meant when the tide goes out, it’s out, out! As more sand was exposed, out came the fisherman’s tractors to bring in the catches from fishing boats and tend to the mussel rafts that were now visible.
We walked out to the mussel rafts, the beach was alive with hermit crabs, people digging for bait, horses enjoying a gallop on the sands and everyone enjoying the warmer pools of water left behind.
We decided not to spend the night at this spot as it was a narrow verge on a road, so we drove in the direction of the Normandy Beaches.
Passing through Carentan, famous for the Battle of Carentan between US 101st Airborne and the 2nd Armoured Division and German Parachute and Infantry Divisions between 10th & 14th June 1944, just after D-Day.
The part Easy Company played in this battle, led by 1st Lt Richard Winter, is portrayed in the TV series ‘Band Of Brothers’ which follows Easy Company from the preparations to D-Day to the war’s end.
Our overnight stop was on the cliffs above Arromanche, next to the D-Day 75 Garden and with a great view of the remains of the Mulberry Harbour.
In the morning we walked into the town and onto the beach where one of the concrete caissons is now stranded on the beach.
We then drove onto Ver-Sur-Mer to spend time at the British Normandy Memorial, where the names of British service personnel, who were killed between 6 June and 31 August, are listed in chronological order according to their date of death and by Armed Service; Royal Navy, Army, RAF, Merchant Navy and others such as members of SOE & war correspondents.
A very moving and reflective visit to see column after column inscribed with the names, rank and age of the dead.
We were meant to be back at Calais for a mid-afternoon tunnel crossing but moved our booking to early Tuesday morning, so we could be back at work by mid-morning.
The hottest day was spent driving from Arromanche to Boulogne, where we are again parked on the cliffs above the town. A late afternoon swim and BBQ, has rounded off Le Weekend, early night tonight as we have a train to catch!
RoundandAbout 