"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." Winston Churchill

The Normandie American Cemetery and Memorial...

Miles Glidden was the brother of a very dear friend of ours....my hubby went to Manila a few years ago and went to the American Cemetery where Miles is buried. He was able to take a picture of the actual grave marker after the attendant had darkened the name with sand so that it could be read. Here at the Normandie Memorial they had this computerized data base that showed the location of any soldier buried in any of the American Cemeteries throughout the world.

Omaha Beach...the code name for one of the landing sites of the Allied invasion of German occupied France, June 6, 1944...

The American Cemetery...

A powerfully moving experience...

The final resting place for 9,387 soldiers and personnel involved in D-Day and the ensuing operations which began the march to victory in the European stage of World War II....

Utah Beach...the code name for the westernmost flank of the Allied invasion...

I'm sure you have noticed the deep rolling pits in the ground...these pits are from the bombs that landed here during the invasion...

If you've seen Saving Private Ryan...imagine the invasion scene on this and Omaha beach...

St. Mere Eglise was the first town to be liberated.

The parachute and mannequin represent paratrooper John Steele who parachuted during the invasion and was caught on this church's steeple where he hung for over 2 hours. He was later captured and taken prisoner in a German camp, from which he eventually escaped. Some of you may remember the movie The Longest Day in which Red Buttons played the part of the paratrooper...

The paratroopers are commemorated in the beautiful window of this small and unassuming church...

Approximately 30 years ago I visited Dachau in Munich...I will never forget the impact of that experience. There were probably about 25 people total in the camp during the time that I was there, yet everyone walked alone while experiencing the horrific setting. It was a very sobering and painful experience. I say painful, because I could literally feel the pain emanating from the soil and walls of the camp. My experience at Omaha and Utah beaches was very different. While it was also very sobering, there was a tremendous sense of victory and gratitude for the sacrifice that each individual made for our country and for peace in our world.

Our next stop...Vigo Spain...

Merry Christmas!

May you all have a wonderful holiday season...

Merry Christmas to you and yours!!!

Our stroll through Paris...

Here we are in Virginia's beloved Paris!!! And of course, what better place to start than at the Eiffel Tower...

Gustave Eiffel's truly "world famous" structure was originally built for the 1889 World's Fair...Did you know that he originally submitted the plans to Barcelona for the 1888 World's Fair, but was rejected as it was so out of the ordinary??? Also, did you know that he only had a permit for it to stand for 20 years...ownership then transferred to the city of Paris...it was slated to be demolished, but was found to be too valuable as a means of supporting communication...(Wikepedia)

On to Notre Dame...

I preferred the beauty of the cathedral's interior...

Construction of the cathedral is thought to have begun in 1163 and completed some time in the 1240's...

Between 1210 and 1220 the 4th architect to work on the cathedral was responsible for the addition of this famed rose window (I couldn't find the name of the architect)

I find it fascinating that in these wondrous cathedrals with their myriads of tourists walking through, I still find a tremendous sense of peace and tranquility. I felt honored, and albeit, a bit voyeuristic taking photos while a service was going on...

Onward on our journey...we walk a bit along the Seine...

And on to the Louvre...

I certainly can't compare my shot to Virginia's magical shot of the Louvre and pyramid at night...

http://birminghamalabamadailyphoto.blogspot.com/2009/08/au-revoir-paris.html

Now it appears that this next fellow was as perplexed as I as to why the Parisians felt the need to put this ferris wheel in the middle of the Champs Elysees...

Isn't Paris where outdoor dining started???

As it was getting dark, and we were nearing the meeting place for our return to the ship, we saw this lovely display of veggies...One of my fondest memories of my first trip to Paris many years ago...was shopping in these little corner markets for fresh fruit, cheese and pate...my basic traveling diet!!! I remember leaving California for Europe and thinking that I'd better eat a bunch of fresh fruit before I left as there wouldn't be good fruit in Europe...What was I thinking??? I remember eating an Anjou pear with the juice absolutely dripping down my arm...California fruit was never the same after that!!!

Next stop...Normandy!!!

Winchester Cathedral...

On our second day in England, we visited the Winchester Cathedral, about 45 minutes outside of Southampton...The cathedral was magnificent!!!

The original Saxon church was built on this spot in 648 but was demolished which ultimately left room to build the "new" cathedral. The "new" cathedral was founded in 1079...

Winchester Cathedral is not only one of the largest cathedrals in England, it is also the only cathedral featured in a popular pop song..."Winchester Cathedral", a UK top ten hit and US number one song for the New Vaudeville Band in 1966...

(Try as I might...I just don't remember the New Vaudeville Band...I remember the song, but not the band...) (I'm sure we weren't the only American tourists trying to remember and sing snippets of the song )

In the early 1900's William Walker restored the water logged foundations of the cathedral which saved it from certain collapse...he was a diver and "dove" at least six feet beneath the structure to shore it up...

The nave of the cathedral was remodeled in the 14th century...

The sweetest little Christmas cherub lighting a prayer candle...

Of course, we had to take a walk around the charming village of Winchester...

And, did I mention...our last stop...the Wykeham Arms pub, of course!!!

No children allowed but dogs are welcome!!!

Next stop...Paris!!!

First Stop...Southampton, England!!!

Did you know that Southampton is the port from which the Titanic embarked on it's fateful journey??? Made me a little nervous to know we were going to be sailing from the very same port....but I digress...our first stop on our journey was Southampton...it was both the home port for the Independence of the Seas and the home of our new, dear friends, Anthony and Ann. Anthony and Ann are close friends of a couple in the group we were traveling with. Anthony helped us with our travel arrangements from Heathrow to Southampton, got us a great rate at the local hotel, and was an absolutely warm and gracious host to our traveling troup!!! Anthony warned us before we got to England that the weather had turned and was quite cold and wet...good "pub weather"!!! Hence our first group stop...

I'll bet you thought that the Duke of Wellington was a person...

We spent our first wet and cold afternoon snug in this pub getting acquainted while enjoying a pint or two!!!

With the weather as wet and windy as it was, there was limited opportunity for photography...but I managed to catch a shot of this clock tower that was near our hotel...

Rainy and windy again...we happened on this fab pub...the Red Lion is the oldest pub in England...or so the barkeep told us...according to our friend Anthony...every city in England claims the oldest pub in England!!!

I took a quick break from the pub to catch the last light for some photos...Just down the street from the Red Lion was this bombed out church...Southampton was heavily bombed during WWII...

Back to the pub!!! The barkeep also told us that King James held court in this very room...with the highest ceilings of any pub in England....

Awww, c'mon Anthony...you mean King James held court in pubs in every city too????

Next stop...Winchester England...see you soon!!!