Meandering Through the Cotentin Peninsula

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Saturday 23 May 2015

After fours days of exploring Normandy it was time to repack the car and head for our next destination, Granville, on the south west coast of the Cotentin Peninsula. From Bayeux it only takes about two hours by the direct route. We had all day to complete the journey.

Our first port of call was Sainte Mere Eglise. As we got near we detoured off the highway to visit a German Military Cemetery. The setting was just as picturesque as the Allied cemeteries and on this day with low fog it made for grim viewing with so many buried here. Sainte Mere Eglise became famous during World War 2 when American Airborne divisions landed in and around the town. Again there is an opportunity to visit a museum but this touring party visited a local market instead.

This countryside is undulating and the narrow roads bordered by high hedgerows. The fog cleared and the sun came out making driving quite a pleasant experience. At Bricquebec we stopped for a walk about. In the centre of town is an old castle, part of which is a hotel. We reached the west coast at Carteret. On a fine sunny summer's day the local beach would be crowded. Not sure what the water was like but the sandy beach certainly looked inviting.

The rest of the journey followed the coastline through small villages before we reached our destination, Granville. Our hotel was on the outskirts of the town so an exploration will have to wait until the morning.

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Photos

Bayeux
Taking baby for a walk!

La Cambe
German Military Cemetery

Sainte-Mere-Eglise
Local church with replica of paratrooper caught on the roof.

Bricquebec
Inside the castle ruins

Carteret
Not quite a day for a swim.

Comments

[Whiskers]

German cemeteries on 'foreign soil'
The photo you took at La Cambe looks hauntingly like ones we have taken at German cemeteries in northern France and Crete.To us they have a more foreboding appearance than where the Allies are buried.

[Miltonrabbit]

German cemeteries
Perhaps the organization that administers the cemeteries is quite differently funded to that of the Allies. I would imagine the US contributes vast sums as does the Commonwealth. We think the German organization is privately funded. The dark crosses and plaques are quite different to the white crosses and headstones. On this day the mist had just lifted so the atmosphere was even more foreboding.