{"id":7485,"date":"2026-07-16T22:24:25","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T04:24:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/?p=7485"},"modified":"2026-07-16T22:24:31","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T04:24:31","slug":"normandy-trip-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/2026\/07\/normandy-trip-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Normandy Trip 3"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tuesday, June 30<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This morning, we piled into our tour bus at 8:00 and headed to the D-Day beaches. We had looked at the weather report and decided we&#8217;d be comfortable in shorts and wouldn&#8217;t need our jackets. Although Paris had been suffering through a heat wave, here on the Normandy coast, it was a different world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We picked up our tour guide on the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our first stop would be Pegasus Bridge, about 3 or 3.5 miles inland from the easternmost landing beach, Sword. This bridge over the Caen Canal was an important target in the D-Day invasion. If captured successfully, it would limit the effectiveness of any German counterattack. British glider-borne forces made the attack, and this was the location of the first combat casualties of Operation Overlord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As we drove east, it started to sprinkle, and the skies ahead grew darker. The bus has an LED display that alternates between the current time and the outside temperature. The temperature was slowly going down as we drove. By the time we got to Pegasus Bridge, the weather was fairly nasty. On the &#8220;good&#8221; side, we didn&#8217;t even get off the bus there: we parked on the side of the road while our guide told us the story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There&#8217;s a museum there inside the bunker the Germans made to defend the bridge. The 1944 bridge no longer carries the road &#8211; it has been moved and is now a museum piece. Around the old bridge are other war machines &#8211; a Horsa glider, a tank, a truck, an artillery piece. Although I&#8217;m personally more interested in the American landing beaches than the sites of British and Canadian battles, it would have been nice to get a closer look at the old bunker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter\" data-effect=\"slide\" style=\"--aspect-ratio:calc(1546 \/ 1024)\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"584\" height=\"387\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-7486\" data-id=\"7486\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1546 \/ 1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-30-09.10.55s.jpg?resize=584%2C387\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Pegasus Bridge<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"584\" height=\"438\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-7487\" data-id=\"7487\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1365 \/ 1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-30-09.57.04s.jpg?resize=584%2C438\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">A British Cromwell tank<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"584\" height=\"357\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-7488\" data-id=\"7488\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1675 \/ 1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-30-10.31.18s.jpg?resize=584%2C357\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">British Churchill tank through rainy window<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After a few minutes, we were on the road to Arromanches. This little town sits right on the water in a crease between the bluffs that run along the shore here. To get here, we drove through the little tourist beach villages that have been built up along Sword and Juno beaches. Arromanches is in the Gold Beach sector. On our drive, we saw quite a few memorials, statues, and war machines, but we didn&#8217;t stop. No doubt, British or Canadian tourists on similar tours would get to stop at some of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I&#8217;ve read quite a bit about D-Day and knew the name Arromanches, but I couldn&#8217;t have told you what happened there. The town was spared bombardment and survived the war almost untouched, still featuring 18th- and 19th-century houses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Arromanches is significant because it is where one of the Mulberrys was built. When the invasion was planned, the Allies knew that it would be an extended period of time before any port city could be captured, and that it might take weeks to get any captured port into working condition. The answer, then, was for the Allies to bring their own port. That&#8217;s what the Mulberrys were. We toured a nice museum devoted to the one that was constructed here, the remains of which are still not far offshore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the museum, we had lunch at a restaurant next door: cod with rice and a nice sauce. Dessert was two scoops of sherbet &#8211; one mango and one raspberry. I enjoyed the meal, but Genae found it less than satisfying. By the time we finished lunch, the weather had changed &#8211; it was now sunny and warmer, with a few high clouds. This change raised our spirits considerably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter\" data-effect=\"slide\" style=\"--aspect-ratio:calc(1796 \/ 950)\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"584\" height=\"309\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-7490\" data-id=\"7490\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1796 \/ 950\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-30-12.51.32s.jpg?resize=584%2C309\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Mulberry remains<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"584\" height=\"334\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-7489\" data-id=\"7489\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1789 \/ 1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-30-12.51.17s.jpg?resize=584%2C334\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Restaurant view with unassailable cliffs<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From Arromanches, we proceeded to Pointe du Hoc. This is a militarily significant promontory between Omaha and Utah Beaches. Omaha Beach is 7km long, and at the western end, there&#8217;s a 16km stretch of cliffs that cannot be assaulted. Pointe du Hoc is on one of these cliffs and has a commanding view. It&#8217;s an ideal spot for big guns. Any German guns here needed to be put out of action, or casualties would be punishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This was a job for the Rangers. They scaled the cliffs using rocket-powered grappling hooks and ladders borrowed from the London Fire Department. When they gained the top, they discovered that the German artillery had been moved. All that was there were some telephone poles masquerading as guns, and some concrete emplacements that were still under construction. The Rangers held the high ground against repeated German counterattacks, suffering heavy losses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The entire area is cratered by enormous shell holes. Paths for visitors wind between the craters. The concrete casemates are partially destroyed, but visitors can go down into the most intact one. I got a bit behind the group because of my compulsion to visit all these bunkers. Trying to catch back up, I passed other tour groups and caught snippets of their spiels. Each was telling a different story. There are many ways to tell the story of the combat here, and all can be true, but none can be complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter\" data-effect=\"slide\" style=\"--aspect-ratio:calc(1365 \/ 1024)\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"584\" height=\"438\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-7499\" data-id=\"7499\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1365 \/ 1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-30-14.20.51s.jpg?resize=584%2C438\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Pointe du Hoc bunker<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"584\" height=\"438\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-7491\" data-id=\"7491\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1365 \/ 1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-30-14.21.25s.jpg?resize=584%2C438\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Shell crater. People for size.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"584\" height=\"438\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-7492\" data-id=\"7492\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1365 \/ 1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-30-14.26.51s.jpg?resize=584%2C438\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Gun casemate exterior<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"584\" height=\"438\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-7493\" data-id=\"7493\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1365 \/ 1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-30-14.32.47s.jpg?resize=584%2C438\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Gun Casemate, German view<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our last destination for the day was the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach. We timed it so that we&#8217;d get to see the flag-lowering ceremony. On the way there, we drove on the road right along a section of Omaha Beach, where we made a quick stop. I ran out toward the water. The tide was out &#8211; but I don&#8217;t know how low low tide is. The tide on D-Day would have been farther out than low tide today, and hours earlier. I tried to imagine how I&#8217;d have felt had I been part of it. My imagination failed completely. I regularly hike with a 35-pound pack, but I don&#8217;t run with it. Soldiers getting off the Higgins boats carried three times that weight and were running into Hell. The road that exits the beach and leads to the top of the bluffs looked like it was a mile away, surrounded by the remains of bunkers on the beach. If I had been here, would fear have paralyzed me, or driven me toward the exit road? The thought boggles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We arrived at the cemetery a few minutes before the flag-lowering. I&#8217;d always believed that the cemetery was American land. It is not. We are in France, and this is French land. The cemetery, though, is administered by Americans. It was moving to be here for the flag-lowering, but that also meant our time was quite limited. After checking out the monument here, reminiscent of the one at the Punch Bowl in Hawai&#8217;i with its mosaic campaign maps and rosters of the fallen, we visited the museum there. Genae and I were the last visitors allowed in, and we went through the exhibits too quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter\" data-effect=\"slide\" style=\"--aspect-ratio:calc(1747 \/ 975)\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"584\" height=\"326\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-7494\" data-id=\"7494\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1747 \/ 975\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-30-15.12.50s.jpg?resize=584%2C326\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Omaha Beach, D-1 exit road in center<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"584\" height=\"326\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-7495\" data-id=\"7495\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1789 \/ 1000\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-30-15.14.16s.jpg?resize=584%2C326\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Bunker with restaurant seating<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"584\" height=\"418\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-7496\" data-id=\"7496\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1432 \/ 1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-30-15.18.27s.jpg?resize=584%2C418\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Wounded Soldier Memorial<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"584\" height=\"438\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-7497\" data-id=\"7497\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1365 \/ 1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-30-16.08.01s.jpg?resize=584%2C438\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">American Cemetery Memorial at Omaha Beach<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"584\" height=\"438\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-7498\" data-id=\"7498\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1365 \/ 1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-30-16.22.28s.jpg?resize=584%2C438\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Memorial, reverse of previous shot. Better shows The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves by Donald De Lue.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our activities for the day complete, we returned to the hotel just before 7 after sitting a while in Caen&#8217;s rush hour traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For dinner, we went back to the pizza place where we had lunch yesterday. &#8220;Pizza place&#8221; doesn&#8217;t do it justice &#8211; it&#8217;s a nice, little Italian restaurant with much more than pizza. After being disappointed with today&#8217;s lunch, Genae wanted to get some comfort food. I had the carbonara and a beer. We had recommended the place to a couple of other tour members, and when we got there, we were the fifth couple from the group to arrive. Rainer would have been so disappointed in us! For dessert, we split a chocolate mousse. Again, it was all very tasty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overall, I thought the day was a mixed bag. Aside from issues with the weather, we felt rushed. We drove past several places I&#8217;d have liked to investigate, and the places we did visit, we&#8217;d have liked to have had more time. I guess this is just how some of these sorts of group trips are.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tuesday, June 30 This morning, we piled into our tour bus at 8:00 and headed to the D-Day beaches. We had looked at the weather report and decided we&#8217;d be comfortable in shorts and wouldn&#8217;t need our jackets. Although Paris &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/2026\/07\/normandy-trip-3\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-travel"],"featured_image_src":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Dave","author_link":"http:\/\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/author\/dhill\/"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Normandy Trip 3 - Nobody is Listening<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/grunschev.com\/wordpress\/2026\/07\/normandy-trip-3\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Normandy Trip 3 - Nobody is Listening\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Tuesday, June 30 This morning, we piled into our tour bus at 8:00 and headed to the D-Day beaches. 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