Caen. We spent the first night in Paris, in the Opera District, and then took a train the next morning up to Caen.
Caen was totally destroyed in 1944 and it took some twenty years for things to return to normal.
Hotel Moderne, Caen, 1944
Hotel Moderne
Norman castle, Caen. The most famous Norman was William The Conquerer who became King of England in 1066. This was his home castle.
Norman castle, Caen
Museum, Norman Castle, Caen
River Orne, Caen
The region of the first three days
Backroads group assembling at the Caen railroad station
Jump off at Manoir de la Drome, Balleroy
Lunch at Manoir de la Drome, Balleroy
We started at the bottom at Balleroy and rode through the countryside to Port-en-Bessin
Balleroy, the first view of Normandy from a bicycle
Chateau Balleroy. Malcom Forbes saw this place while he was in the Army in 1944. He later came back and bought it.
Chateau Balleroy
First Hill in Normandy
Moulin Marcy
Musee Moulin Marcy
Invasion beaches from Omaha. Pointe du Hoc in distance.
Our tour guide walked us through the fierce battle at Omaha Beach in 1944.
German bunkers overlooking Omaha
American Cemetery at Verville sur Mer
Grave of paratrooper from 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Our family friend Dick Patton knew this man.
This was a typical picnic lunch by Backroads, plenty of food and wine.
One of the memorials along the invasion beaches.
Pointe du Hoc. American Rangers scaled steep cliffs under fire to knock out artillery pieces here on the morning of June 6. When they got up they found the guns gone, but then the Rangers had to fight fiercely to keep the strategic point of land in Allied hands.
Monuments to the dead of World War I appear in almost every small town in France.
Port en Bissen
Hotel La Cheneviere
Along this road I gave a Frenchman directions, in French.
Arromanches
Tour leader Denis Houle of Ste.-Foy, Quebec
M. Heintz, World War II Resistance worker
Chateau d'Audrieu
Staging area at Coutils, Brittany
Mont St. Michele
Gite de Groupe La Croix Morel, Brittany
Chateau Richeux
Cancale le Port
Pointe de Grouin
Anse de Guesclin
St. Malo
Farewell photo
Train to Rennes with Backroads friends
Rennes
Opera House, Rennes
Hotel de Ville, Rennes
Saturday market, Rennes
Aurevoir, Rennes
