Bayeux

Some of you know that Bayeux was not the first choice for the first stop. Originally that was Caen but there is a major international horse show in that city this week which meant there were no downtown hotels to be found. So, with some rearranging, the trip started in Bayeux. Bayeux correctly credits the British with their liberation so as an American this is an interesting introduction to WWII history. We learn the names Utah and Omaha and not Juno, Gold and Sword where the Brits and the Canadians came ashore so to be in a part of the world Americans so associate with our history and to see the French have the story with three major and many minor players is quite interesting.

The town is covered in flags, most are French, English or American but there are are Polish, Australian, Belgian and even Luxembourg.

The last nation was represented with the British forces on D-day+5 when their hereditary grand duke joined his British colleagues on the beaches. The other big surprise is how many German tourists you see. I guess I should not find that surprising having spent the Spring at 150th anniversary of the American Civil War and there were lots of representatives of that losing side! The town is full of tourists with British and US accents.

Today's travels included touring the Cathedral. The church is a huge Norman Roman cathedral with monuments to Thomas Beckett, the French soldiers who died in WWI and the British soldiers who died in WWII.

There is a new peace bell that rings out the hours especially set up for the 70th anniversary. Poppy wreaths are all over the church, many with notes honoring long fallen ancestors.

Interestingly, there is a major exhibit, all in German as the primary language, honoring a German priest who ministered to the French Resistance fighters captured by the Nazis.

After a takeaway sandwich which was completely awesome, the next stop was the British cemetery. It is on the edge of town and very quiet and peaceful. 4144 soldiers are buried here from those who perished on the beaches and were required here to those who perished in the hospital set up in Bayeux after they were freed. Flowers are growing on all the graves and walking through the cemetery you see the unknown soldiers, as there are 338 without names buried there, some listed only with a rank. 500 non Brits are buried there as well and a brief walk takes you past graves with Aussie and New Zealand flags and even some of Polish soldiers as the Poles, like lots of smaller occupied nations, served with the British units.
Across the street from the cemetery is a monument that captures lots of Bayeux. It says "we, once conquered by William, have now set the Conqueror's land free."