A humble bonjour de France...

We’d finally made it across the English Channel, and only two months late – not bad by our usual standards! With all the delays and frustration prior to leaving, we’d not given much thought to how close we were to the Normandy landing sites. But once we realised, we couldn’t drive by without paying a visit and immersing ourselves in D-Day’s local and world history.

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Omaha beach seemed so peaceful and tranquil. We walked across the same grains of sand, washed clean of all the blood spilt, trying to immerse our thoughts in what it must have been like on the morning of that historic, heroic day. But of course, we couldn’t even begin to imagine. Long and flat, the gradual sandy incline rose gracefully to higher ground. On the grassy crest, the 1st US Infantry Division Memorial pointed to the grey sky. Dedicated to "The officers and men of the first United States Infantry Division who were killed fighting for the liberation of the world", the obelisk stands in the middle of one of the strongest defended positions in the area. This was to trigger the first of the day's many misty-eyed, tingly skin and clenched-jaw-swallowing moments as the enormity of almost 10,000 lives lost during the landings began to sink in.

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We followed the path along the grassy ridge, heading for the American Cemetery. Hovering by the entrance, we took a deep steadying breath. Seeing the pristine white headstones, all immaculately regimented in their layout, row by seemingly endless row was truly humbling. We wandered the paths in silence, noting several groups of French schoolchildren on a field trip, all baring flowers. Shepherded by their teachers, they were dignified and respectful, which prompted yet another lump-in-the-throat moment. Later, sat in the sunshine beside the van, we were both in a reflective mood. “They must have fought their way right through here,” said Nicky, glancing around the field. It was a sobering thought.

The next morning we visited the Overlord Museum and spent a couple of hours expanding our newly acquired knowledge. An exhibition detailing an hour by hour build up to the allied landings was particularly interesting.

Extensive planning, deception and luck also played a role in the success of the invasion. Two weeks after the 6th June 1944, (the next date where the moon and tide were advantageous) The English Channel was hit with the worst storms for 40 years, which would have seriously jeopardised the success of the operation. Suitably humbled and thankful to all those courageous young service personnel, we left the museum vowing to return to Normandy at the end of our trip to visit the other beaches and exhibits.