From War to Beauty

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Before leaving the Normandy Beach area, we made a stop at Pointe du Hoch/Ranger Memorial. On June 6, 1944, 225 Rangers scaled the 90 foot cliffs at Pointe du Hoc to neutralize German guns. With grappling hooks and rope ladders the Rangers forged upward even as enemy troops above unleashed a blizzard of fire and grenades upon them. Within a hour 150 survivors of the climb seized their objective. As we walked, the entire area is punctured with deep bomb craters and the remains of the cement German casemates, it created a surreal moonscape experience.
Mont St. Michele is our next objective for today; it is a few hours of driving. Driving in France is interesting, the highways are scattered with round-abouts. The traffic in the circle has the right-of-way and without our GPS we would still be going in circles.
The silhouette of Mont St. Michele is one of the most enchanting spots on the sea in France. The long history is thought to date back to 708. Mont St Michele grew to become a Benedictine monastery that had its greatest influence in the 12th and 13th centuries. Pilgrims journeyed to honor St. Michael, and the monastery was renowned center of medieval learning. Visiting the Abbey and the cloisters, etc. was a climbing experience...up and up and up! One can almost hear the hooves of the horses on the cobble stone. The manuscripts of the monks is a work of art and history. Would you believe after the monks, this place was a prison?
Our camping spot tonight is on the causeway looking at Mont-St.-Michele.

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Comments

[Gabrielle/Max]

Normandie/Bretagne
We did this trip with our motorhome "Adria"last year in June to mid July. Don't miss the south of Bretagne,for exemple Vannes (Golf du Morbihan).Its lovely and the climate is warmer. Gabrielle-French,Max-Swiss.