June 2010: An Adventure Through France

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Portsmouth and English Channel:



It was a bright sunny evening when I arrived at Portsmouth to board the ferry. It was not due to dock in Le Harve until the following morning.

I was to travel across the channel to land in Normandy on the 4^th of June, following the journey taken almost sixty-six years earlier by the allied forces of Operation Overlord. Only my journey was on a modern ferry with a bar.

As I looked out towards the channel from the deck, my contemplation of what to do on landing was more of, 'I have no accommodation or transport, a loose plan of touring Normandy for a few days and terrible French.' Rather than 'Will I survive to see my family again?' or 'What will be the fate of the man next to me?'

I Shook those thoughts out of my mind and went straight to the bar. Within minutes of departing, whilst back to contemplating the journey ahead, I was approached by an American Korean. He asked if he could join me at the table I was occupying, without hesitation I gestured towards the vacant seat opposite. We talked for hours both of us explaining our backgrounds and what our plans were. He was around my age, a Cadet in the U.S. Army currently on vacation from academy, he lived in Anaheim California. He too was also spending the next few days in Normandy. He too had no solid plan. Though he had a card up his sleeve I did not expect, he had a hire car waiting for him at Le Harve! I had explained how getting around Normandy was my biggest concern and he answered that with an invitation to join him on his travels. I agreed.

I hardly slept that night, I was awake to watch the sun rise over the channel capturing some beautiful pictures as I did.

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