tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62967599141831774752024-02-19T08:50:34.058-06:00Have Books :: Will TravelI haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list. ~ Susan SontagUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-91913816568888896712014-07-04T23:10:00.003-05:002014-07-04T23:10:42.294-05:00'Have Books, Will Travel' is moving!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIKgFpFQaPxGV59bmndzfb99dfcbf9ZIDoyUqJbBjNK8MDfElZfjHObzIhSIGEKSqsdg_bvsYSVfc2RGxf3ajIJsQhy5_0ucxELfEjGTkj3Gp5ooV3CPO-Oud9_gkNRnNHmU29e11ahLA/s1600/movingblog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIKgFpFQaPxGV59bmndzfb99dfcbf9ZIDoyUqJbBjNK8MDfElZfjHObzIhSIGEKSqsdg_bvsYSVfc2RGxf3ajIJsQhy5_0ucxELfEjGTkj3Gp5ooV3CPO-Oud9_gkNRnNHmU29e11ahLA/s1600/movingblog.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That's right! Movin' and groovin' and a New Name-</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.onetripatatime.com/" target="_blank"><b>One Trip at a Time</b></a>! </span></i></span></div>
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After some debate with myself I decided to take the plunge and move to WordPress sooner than later and with that have come a few changes. <br />
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The most noticeable changes are the design {I love my new blog theme!} and, of course, the name. Why the change? Well a few reasons but mainly <b><a href="http://www.onetripatatime.com/" target="_blank">One Trip at a Time</a></b> does a much better job of summing up what I blog about. While I still love reading {and will continue to <a href="http://www.onetripatatime.com/read-around-the-world/" target="_blank">read my way around the world</a>} it certainly isn't prominent enough to get essentially half the name. L suggested 'why not go with the second half of your tag line?' and you know what? It works brilliantly! <br />
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So <a href="http://www.onetripatatime.com/" target="_blank"><b>One Trip at a Time</b></a> it is! I'll still be posting about all my travels as I've done so far on here, along with some travel tips, and lots and lots of photos.<br />
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If you follow me on Bloglovin I've set up <b><a href="http://www.onetripatatime.com/" target="_blank">One Trip at a Time</a></b> on there and would love for you to continue following me at my new blog. If you follow me by email you can still do that too- just visit any post on my new blog (<i>or click on that link</i> ---> ) and you'll find the '<b><a href="http://www.onetripatatime.com/welcome-to-one-trip-at-a-time/" target="_blank">Subscribe by Email'</a> </b>option on the sidebar. <br />
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I can't wait for you to visit my new blog where I'll continue to explore the world, one trip at a time. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New look for my header. Please visit my blog to see the other changes I've made. </td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-8006245338694832292014-06-26T22:42:00.001-05:002014-06-26T22:42:24.687-05:00Exploring Normandy and Ypres: Battle Plan Day 3 {Part 3} <span style="font-size: x-small;">Actual Date of Event: March 12, 2014</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">After spending our early afternoon in <a href="http://www.havebookswilltravel2014.blogspot.com/2014/06/exploring-normandy-and-ypres-battle.html" target="_blank">Arromanches and the Musée du Débarquement</a> we were off to the remaining two beaches, the Juno Beach Centre, and the Canadian Military cemetery. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Juno Beach Centre</span></b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqLa46krgqiqznn8-jIortcbHb4F1N9DGOuJHx4Xc1pb_N5TJJ8soYNqpCtXspKikVtHHRWuVMDSXQTLr3pFHlScWbkFZ2Wx6sCdcVbUbWpskgpwGhgjDnlkr1QjvGH-9v0XvsBQkh5eYQ/s1600/junobeach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqLa46krgqiqznn8-jIortcbHb4F1N9DGOuJHx4Xc1pb_N5TJJ8soYNqpCtXspKikVtHHRWuVMDSXQTLr3pFHlScWbkFZ2Wx6sCdcVbUbWpskgpwGhgjDnlkr1QjvGH-9v0XvsBQkh5eYQ/s1600/junobeach.jpg" height="548" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Juno Beach is the beach the Canadians landed on that proved a military success but costly in terms of men lost. The main task of the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division upon landing was to move inland to cut the Caen-Bayeux road and form a connection between the British beaches, Gold and Sword. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The plan was to land at low tide so the German defensive obstacles would be exposed but low tide was three hours prior to their landing so they were partially submerged. The mines took a toll on the landing craft and destroyed or damaged 30% of them. The men, after wading ashore, were then met with heavy firepower with an estimated 50/50 chance of surviving the gunfire. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">After fighting hard for Juno Beach they reached the German positions behind the beach and were able to move inland with some speed to reach their target by the end of the day. The price they paid was 1,200 casualties of the 21,400 men that landed on the beach. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exhibits at the Juno Beach Centre</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">In September 1939, Canada declared the state of war and joined its allies by mobilizing the mightiest military force in its history at sea, on land, and in the air. The Juno Beach Centre tells the story of the Canadians who fought in the military, as well as those the waited at home for their return. In the first room we stood in a simulated landing craft to watch a film projected around us showing images of the war, D-Day, as well as families back home describing what they were thinking and feeling at the time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The permanent exhibits have lots of photographs and other artifacts to tell the story but my favourites are always the more personal documents like letters to home, even the letters sent home with the sad news that a loved one wouldn't be returning. The batteries, bunkers, and guns can tell part of the story but those artifacts are always what gets me. One word. Heartbreaking. </span><br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">For the Fallen</span></b></i></div>
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by Laurence Binyon</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">They shall grow not old</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">As we that are left grow old;</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Age shall not weary them</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Nor the years condemn;</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">At the going down of the sun</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">And in the morning</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">We will remember them. </span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Sword Beach</span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vDRrXvbmZ55u-XruH3vnB48JUlavL1Ap4Fu02Az6yH33dtkXAfz1_p6ivooRc0kRu2ZCh-3wJhBnHC9goenL0-lSjUVjqqd1hqhhWJjZOCKFxYQ7Z8o7VmeTDctyKa20vsOWPJ3Aktml/s1600/swordbeach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vDRrXvbmZ55u-XruH3vnB48JUlavL1Ap4Fu02Az6yH33dtkXAfz1_p6ivooRc0kRu2ZCh-3wJhBnHC9goenL0-lSjUVjqqd1hqhhWJjZOCKFxYQ7Z8o7VmeTDctyKa20vsOWPJ3Aktml/s1600/swordbeach.jpg" height="334" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sword Beach</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Sword Beach was the furthest east of the five beaches used on D-Day that was assigned to units of the British 2nd Army. The area around the beach was lightly defended by the Germans, but only as compared to some of the other beaches, and doesn't mean that the British troops didn't lose soldiers too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The landings started at 7:25 am and by 8:00 am most of the fighting around the beach was over. By 1:00 pm that day the soldiers had met up with the paratroopers at the bridges over the Orne waterways, but on the right were unable to link up with the Canadian troops from Juno Beach. At 4:00 pm the 21st Panzer Division (German) launched an attack but it wasn't to last long. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">By the end of D-Day the British had 29,000 men landed with 630 casualties. German casualties were much higher and many German soldiers had been taken prisoner, but the Caen objective was still several kilometers away. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Musée Radar</span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmDTGiiglOWA0jV45vPI0pHjLbO6AYOGC01ljdCi7bnm9D-Ikd_Dfk5QSN4P30lHDPLqcA_s6_s6W-Hqoukyyz9xLqFMqlUaxPZMl6mfpwgnD1KWQaTWkszs49NC9gdq3ZUWJkuYG-gnJ/s1600/museederadar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmDTGiiglOWA0jV45vPI0pHjLbO6AYOGC01ljdCi7bnm9D-Ikd_Dfk5QSN4P30lHDPLqcA_s6_s6W-Hqoukyyz9xLqFMqlUaxPZMl6mfpwgnD1KWQaTWkszs49NC9gdq3ZUWJkuYG-gnJ/s1600/museederadar.jpg" height="568" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Musée Radar de Douvres</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">After our short visit to Sword Beach the sun was starting to set so it was time to make our way to the Canadian War Cemetery which was our last planned stop of the day. On the way though we realized we had come upon the Musée Radar (which was on our list for the morning) so we decided to make our stop then.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">This is the site of a former German radar station that was one of the most important radar detection links in the Atlantic Wall defenses with a unique example of the Wurzburg Riese radar.<i> </i>The site was closed so we took in the views through the fence and therefore didn't stay very long. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Canadian War Cemetery</span></b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Before the sun did set on us it was time to make our way to the <a href="http://www.havebookswilltravel2014.blogspot.com/2014/04/wwii-commonwealth-war-cemeteries.html" target="_blank">Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery </a>which is the very peaceful resting place of 2,048 soldiers. A large number of these soldiers were killed in early July 1944 in the Battle of Caen and the also those soldiers that fell during the D-Day assault on Juno Beach. Canadian prisoners of war, that were illegally executed at the Ardenne Abbey, are also interred here. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">After quiet wander it was time for another wonderful day out to wind down. Time to head back for a delicious {and romantic} dinner and our last night at our<a href="http://www.ranconniere.fr/?lang=en" target="_blank"> rustic and charming hotel</a> in Crépon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">In my next post I'll finish off our time in France as we spend the morning at Pegasus Bridge {with a guest post about this by L!} and at our last WWII cemetery in Ranville. The it is off to Belgium!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-17718444066221488482014-06-23T04:00:00.000-05:002014-06-23T04:00:02.307-05:00Postcard from...Brier Island, Canada<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AEduC4M9oi8/U6csPF3jEJI/AAAAAAAAHdI/V0vuJzZ25XU/s1600/PostcardBrierIsland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AEduC4M9oi8/U6csPF3jEJI/AAAAAAAAHdI/V0vuJzZ25XU/s1600/PostcardBrierIsland.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Shame on me. Ten postcards done and none of them have been from my own home country yet! Well I best change that immediately eh?<br />
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<b>Brier Island</b> is a small island {7.5 km by 2.5 km} on the westernmost part of <b>Nova Scotia</b> that makes up the <b>Digby Neck</b> along with Long Island. It is driven by the fishing industry year-round and a seasonal tourism industry that is mainly focused on whale watching tours. In fact this photo was taken upon our return from one of those tours where we had spent the better part of the day looking for humpback whales. Unfortunately for us most of the day was much, much foggier than this photo suggests it could have been and we didn't see {but did hear} very many whales. The few we did see were amazing. They are so much bigger than you can imagine, especially when they surface by the boat and just lay there peacefully.<br />
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As <b>Brier Island </b>is frequently blanketed in fog it has a "lighthouse per mile" with Northern, Western, and Peter Island lighthouses all automated and operated by the Canadian Coast Guard. The island has seen 57 shipwrecks with the wreck of the "<i>Aurora</i>" in 1908 providing the lumber for the Westport Community Hall on the island. <br />
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This tiny island, in addition to being surrounded by whales, is also home to seals, many types of coastal plants and plays host to many birds during their migration. The beaches are also great for exploring tide pools and rock hounding...just be sure to keep an eye on the incoming tide!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo taken August 10, 2008</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-77460110278835228942014-06-21T23:31:00.000-05:002014-06-21T23:31:39.661-05:00Day Trips: Beautiful Bodiam Castle<span style="font-size: x-small;">Actual Date of Event: August 1, 2013</span><br />
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Medieval. Dreamy. Romantic. Moated like the sandcastles we used to build at the beach...and you can even arrive by steam engine which only helps transport you back a little further in time, closer to the year 1388 when <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/bodiam-castle/" target="_blank"><b>Bodiam Castle</b></a> was completed. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many beautiful views of Bodiam Castle {Photo by L}</td></tr>
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Our day out in East Sussex, England to visit <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/bodiam-castle/" target="_blank"><b>Bodiam Castle</b></a> last August actually began with us boarding a restored steam engine in <a href="http://www.tenterdentown.co.uk/" target="_blank"><b>Tenterden</b></a> for the picturesque ten mile journey through the Rother Valley. The coaches and locomotives, dating back from Victorian times, are operated by the <a href="http://www.kesr.org.uk/" target="_blank"><b>Kent & East Sussex Railway</b></a> and chug along past little towns, farms, and just generally lots of scenic views.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A step back in time at Tenterden Station</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinR9LXjTh9CT5nTKDEcb1VgH4VKOnUQh52CQywhteuc5Be6Z1URuFXmfPplQMvh15cesvwoSjkSta4he-BLkUNXnxM5ORy9EmIv6iv3nnmTtLcVEE_MQAF1h6CTXcAAxVQ9tVjQUrZEYCE/s1600/bodiamcountryside.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinR9LXjTh9CT5nTKDEcb1VgH4VKOnUQh52CQywhteuc5Be6Z1URuFXmfPplQMvh15cesvwoSjkSta4he-BLkUNXnxM5ORy9EmIv6iv3nnmTtLcVEE_MQAF1h6CTXcAAxVQ9tVjQUrZEYCE/s1600/bodiamcountryside.png" height="348" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quiet, picturesque countryside along the rail line {Photo by L}</td></tr>
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Upon arrival at the station in<b> Bodiam</b> be sure to allow some time to get up close to the engines especially if you're with a male of <b>any</b> age...they'll need a few minutes to check out all the parts and pieces and see how it all works. You'll definitely have a smiling guy on your hands if you take my advice. :-)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjUVC553zCs9zGJcNi3o71haMB_qm64cm6TOGYEoyuqVsopHnCeQy3-nPWocaCl9y_EHGyY8uA_sQE7HAlZkYYNih53TcoA8jJeZ2NGosi_0NkvOn8RiSakaWuzI6ClXd2WMQZg2YizJz/s1600/bodiamtrain.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjUVC553zCs9zGJcNi3o71haMB_qm64cm6TOGYEoyuqVsopHnCeQy3-nPWocaCl9y_EHGyY8uA_sQE7HAlZkYYNih53TcoA8jJeZ2NGosi_0NkvOn8RiSakaWuzI6ClXd2WMQZg2YizJz/s1600/bodiamtrain.png" height="576" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonderfully restored steam engine {Photo by L}</td></tr>
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From the rail station it's only a few minutes walk to the castle with great views of it through the trees as you get closer and closer. Keep your camera handy as this castle is one photo op after another.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQo6hRMRif_op7CflEL1nrxodV3EDnNAHv0Vh5O-5ip57n6Mcan_T0F0U91qdMt5ZqpZxW0Sz8zYCwHZKW_Atet3Csna-3BgQiYlIR3uwSFWaNoqc5RnStAoEV0QLK7LIGVk6TdQAFxyx/s1600/bodiamcastle3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQo6hRMRif_op7CflEL1nrxodV3EDnNAHv0Vh5O-5ip57n6Mcan_T0F0U91qdMt5ZqpZxW0Sz8zYCwHZKW_Atet3Csna-3BgQiYlIR3uwSFWaNoqc5RnStAoEV0QLK7LIGVk6TdQAFxyx/s1600/bodiamcastle3.png" height="278" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bodiam Castle coming into view through the trees {Photo by L}</td></tr>
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The castle was built from 1385 to 1388 by <b>Sir Edward Dalyngrigge</b> with the permission of Richard II presumably to defend the area against a French invasion during the <b>Hundred Years' War</b>. Looking at it further though historians think it is unusually far from a coastline for this to have really been the reason to build it. Despite this it was built with many defensive features like the crenels (gaps in the stones) at the tops of the towers on each corner and at the entrance that could have been used to shoot arrows through. It is also moated and that would have helped keep attackers from gaining access to the base of the castle's walls. If they did manage to get up to the castle and get to the gatehouse they then had to contend with the 'murder-holes' where guards would drop all sorts of things on them to get them to turn back- like boiling water, hot sand, and even rats!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7ZaNsBQTasUcEYhGgmComDRMaeSLlGZkjm-tW1YTNPoOc1elmfN0tUWRnSU7bEezucU2ydpdLV2E129y3Q7sZ1uK9RCnTry65vE5S7nU8toKj1LrB34CSdCJjt2UCp2Sz_S6cF0Ihdds/s1600/bodiamcastle5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7ZaNsBQTasUcEYhGgmComDRMaeSLlGZkjm-tW1YTNPoOc1elmfN0tUWRnSU7bEezucU2ydpdLV2E129y3Q7sZ1uK9RCnTry65vE5S7nU8toKj1LrB34CSdCJjt2UCp2Sz_S6cF0Ihdds/s1600/bodiamcastle5.png" height="498" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Be careful! There are murder-holes behind them gates {Photo by L}</td></tr>
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These days, instead of being greeted with rats dropped on your head at the gate, visitors are welcome to stroll the grounds and encouraged to explore the remains of the castle. There are lots of neat little nooks and crannies among the chambers, a water well, and then stairs to allow you to climb the towers for wonderful views of the surrounding countryside from the roof.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLP7m7rz3LYFAYVYiBPffViZuTZF1HU4Z29aKXiSJsZZUg9GQkF9UkqdFTqdBnnjYFomL-RdbJLPx2frE4tzMzkkhyhcCETr0A5-y4zPP04iouLJ-njkkbcHT_Ey9Q89gQB7OacYk75bP/s1600/bodiamcastle7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLP7m7rz3LYFAYVYiBPffViZuTZF1HU4Z29aKXiSJsZZUg9GQkF9UkqdFTqdBnnjYFomL-RdbJLPx2frE4tzMzkkhyhcCETr0A5-y4zPP04iouLJ-njkkbcHT_Ey9Q89gQB7OacYk75bP/s1600/bodiamcastle7.png" height="484" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of chambers to explore {Photo by L}</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm7M95kjGipDJFdzx4aA75rPMbAGQZtvirYzTQZ_Z5F8zgMJhi7Wa65QgvlI9xUK-kH8GJK6lKqu48ngZrPY_pTxM5n7h52Q6fOhYMQtIgfNhMtsSDb3KZ50k6MzrJhg8mdhP8I6N9kK7R/s1600/bodiamcastle8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm7M95kjGipDJFdzx4aA75rPMbAGQZtvirYzTQZ_Z5F8zgMJhi7Wa65QgvlI9xUK-kH8GJK6lKqu48ngZrPY_pTxM5n7h52Q6fOhYMQtIgfNhMtsSDb3KZ50k6MzrJhg8mdhP8I6N9kK7R/s1600/bodiamcastle8.png" height="490" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can't beat a view like this {Photo by L}</td></tr>
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After exploring I highly recommend finding a spot in the shade under one of the great trees to enjoy an ice cream and maybe even a little afternoon cat nap <b>especially</b> if it is as hot as the day we were there... like 34°C (or 93°F)! My goodness that wasn't the English weather I was hoping for to escape the Houston heat! Oh well it might have been hot but the view way more than made up for it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFQHpE493clHfzE0XiMnX5JdivABQtFyWyHd-RXphJlNRbpkzdbrZSrhNiJqQGrcEfDAlfG5iMEjEXDZN12OWT1rkFNa3Y7guZ4uwnPGDcArWhk5UGRjhEppEakzYGHtY2uGBa58dk1mm/s1600/bodiamcastle4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFQHpE493clHfzE0XiMnX5JdivABQtFyWyHd-RXphJlNRbpkzdbrZSrhNiJqQGrcEfDAlfG5iMEjEXDZN12OWT1rkFNa3Y7guZ4uwnPGDcArWhk5UGRjhEppEakzYGHtY2uGBa58dk1mm/s1600/bodiamcastle4.png" height="408" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our view of the castle from our resting spot under the tree {Photo by L}</td></tr>
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For schedules and fares for the train from Tenterden to Bodiam please visit the <a href="http://www.kesr.org.uk/" target="_blank">Kent & East Sussex Railway site.</a><br />
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For more information about Bodiam Castle like operating hours and rates, please visit the <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/bodiam-castle/" target="_blank">National Trust Collection site. </a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-59856385957895255112014-06-18T22:12:00.001-05:002014-06-18T22:15:59.728-05:00Exploring Normandy and Ypres: Battle Plan Day 3 {Part 2} <span style="font-size: x-small;">Actual Date of Event: March 12, 2014 </span><br />
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Phew! It's been a quite awhile since we were last in Normandy visiting the <a href="http://www.havebookswilltravel2014.blogspot.com/2014/05/exploring-normandy-and-ypres-battle_13.html" target="_blank">Bayeux Cathedral and Tapestry</a> but I'm back today to share more of our memories and photos from this great trip.<br />
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In today's post we're far from the Mayan ruins, that we were actually in just a couple of weeks ago, and off to visit my favourite battery of our Normandy trip- the <b>Longues Battery</b>. It was here I did my best impression of a celebrity trying not to be recognized {this wasn't the reason this was my favourite one- I just thought it was neat}. I had a scarf around my neck and up over my head, then the hood from my sweater pulled up, and sunglasses on...it was SO windy and chilly! Thankfully L does not sneak pics of me in ridiculous get-ups like this so there is no photographic evidence of what a goof I am. But hey, I was warm!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlar1WfrStkA7JxycesKyIqw8OLKuwDcPTdkG8-_23JtaHXAcZukHCgyODUbKyOfItNb7AoeP3eanAcWVuQOWbSzY96wwEMt99WIrdK2DVcSyoSeREDoZHGkdWqV4OL1DUKKEcrakVr0D/s1600/longuesbattery1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlar1WfrStkA7JxycesKyIqw8OLKuwDcPTdkG8-_23JtaHXAcZukHCgyODUbKyOfItNb7AoeP3eanAcWVuQOWbSzY96wwEMt99WIrdK2DVcSyoSeREDoZHGkdWqV4OL1DUKKEcrakVr0D/s1600/longuesbattery1.jpg" height="258" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three of the guns as viewed from the top of the fourth gun {Photo by L}</td></tr>
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Built in 1944 by the Kriegsmarine, the battery was later transferred over the German army. It consisted of four 152-mm navy guns that had a range of over 12 miles- able to fire upon the Omaha and Gold beaches and the landing fleet coming ashore there. The concrete casemates protecting the guns were themselves protected by piles of earth built up along their sides. This helped to cushion the blow, prevent them from tipping over if bombs fell nearby, and also to help conceal them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVAUFwopsKO4tg8ZPeceIKaRRaWz8UsNs-K-BH6Nj9oPAJsUrrQRk4iic6VR8h6Lj6dOWOnEXSeWpM0fqk2L8HA5E7NGTldKyBC3mVrx-77xhA4I3a3aJtsd0yOeZI4vhbzuVOyU5CutM/s1600/longuesbattery2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVAUFwopsKO4tg8ZPeceIKaRRaWz8UsNs-K-BH6Nj9oPAJsUrrQRk4iic6VR8h6Lj6dOWOnEXSeWpM0fqk2L8HA5E7NGTldKyBC3mVrx-77xhA4I3a3aJtsd0yOeZI4vhbzuVOyU5CutM/s1600/longuesbattery2.jpg" height="546" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the four 152-mm guns- they just look so ominous to me.</td></tr>
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Three hundred yards ahead, on the edge of the cliff, was the range-finding post. It was fitted with a telemetric aiming device and defended by machine-gun nests, barbed wire, and mines. It was so foggy over the water the day we were there that even though we could look down the cliff's edge and very clearly hear the water beating against the rocks below we couldn't really see anything. I wondered how scared I would have been if I had been a soldier in that post not knowing what could be so close, hiding in all that fog, and getting ready to fire upon me. <br />
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During the night of June 5th to 6th the Allies dropped over a thousand pounds of bombs onto the battery but it didn't have a great effect. At dawn on the 6th the battery engaged in an artillery battle with several ships and by evening three of the four guns had been disabled by British cruisers. The crew of the battery (184 men) surrendered to British soldiers the following day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXuXsENAVgSQl7mwAk1MBIivM-9fpg3T9adzCI8Ww7Re32snJrxM-L5lbDJp9_h6hnw5TMqcBPe4ipNPkmgpj4nbkdZWTumcflkZZ-k3pxNUaGm_hX8R75umTnPuNY1lOef3_JZlrnMn8/s1600/longuesbattery3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXuXsENAVgSQl7mwAk1MBIivM-9fpg3T9adzCI8Ww7Re32snJrxM-L5lbDJp9_h6hnw5TMqcBPe4ipNPkmgpj4nbkdZWTumcflkZZ-k3pxNUaGm_hX8R75umTnPuNY1lOef3_JZlrnMn8/s1600/longuesbattery3.jpg" height="449" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from behind the range-finding post as it looks out to sea</td></tr>
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After our visit to Longues Battery it was time to make our way to the town I remembered so well from my trip over in 2011- <b>Arromanches-les-Bains</b>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwb8s_pFdZ1YdZXJAft6uzFVzGK8tXiWBfCNRoy5IVNQ93MWVrj86QoiXUnbgneAyfxQK_hrtG7huczAP_kXybovA79PDK5aOVmRK9qNS9s7lDCsbnWg5n2NO6mD29iBb3b-5mQMLQMT7/s1600/arromanches1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwb8s_pFdZ1YdZXJAft6uzFVzGK8tXiWBfCNRoy5IVNQ93MWVrj86QoiXUnbgneAyfxQK_hrtG7huczAP_kXybovA79PDK5aOVmRK9qNS9s7lDCsbnWg5n2NO6mD29iBb3b-5mQMLQMT7/s1600/arromanches1.jpg" height="226" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remnants of the Mulberry Harbour {Photo by L}</td></tr>
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It was on the beaches of <b>Arromanches</b> that the Allies established an artificial temporary harbour that allowed them to unload heavy equipment before the deep ports of Le Havre and Cherbourg could be captured. Arromanches is in the center of the Gold Beach {British} landing zone but it was spared as much fighting as possible on D-Day so the harbour could be installed as quickly as possible.<br />
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We purposely planned our visit for low tide otherwise I knew from my previous visit that most of the remnants would be under water. It was just good fortune on my visit in 2011 that I was there at low tide because it is so interesting to walk among the pontoons that once held up the floating roadway. <br />
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During 100 days of operation this "temporary" port allowed 2.5 million
men, 500,000 vehicles, and 4 million tons of material to come ashore. To
say this was an amazing engineering feat is an understatement.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj150HUSHrSi7sqyce4XRVRJlJMNqthk8bvGVvInlmO7hEPQuje9C5VYTHOnbzP4d0oQyCsabdFbN_5cGJqCTARDm_VZR0SXDwShWfDDHYSXyoKd-lpESAV9-kRC6JymMnihemyhbiqzeWQ/s1600/arromanches2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj150HUSHrSi7sqyce4XRVRJlJMNqthk8bvGVvInlmO7hEPQuje9C5VYTHOnbzP4d0oQyCsabdFbN_5cGJqCTARDm_VZR0SXDwShWfDDHYSXyoKd-lpESAV9-kRC6JymMnihemyhbiqzeWQ/s1600/arromanches2.jpg" height="412" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was still foggy when we arrived but to me that just made it seem all the more sombre. Standing along the boardwalk at the edge of the beach we couldn't see some of the pontoons and then walking out toward the sea they would start to appear before us out of the white blanket, which then cut us off from the town behind us. Not sure if L felt the same but it was a little eerie to me, especially when we couldn't see anyone else around us.<br />
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After wandering around for a bit we made our way into the <b>Musée du Débarquement</b> which had a great model of the artificial port with explanations of how it all worked. I highly recommend this for anyone, like me, that just can not visualize how the remnants on the beach fit together and the whole thing worked.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJB3W7ZnBEbj3Ufuh7or9vdvW44IdpgrygeqBwOIfFpe9IBDEwn_vWC4oTfReCJuxiCEvDW8RXM72T7Fu1uj58osOTqyfzknEZE68KE9KyUH7QJ3V1XZN-MzqtraYffnWC8l-4-A9hs9n/s1600/arromanches3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJB3W7ZnBEbj3Ufuh7or9vdvW44IdpgrygeqBwOIfFpe9IBDEwn_vWC4oTfReCJuxiCEvDW8RXM72T7Fu1uj58osOTqyfzknEZE68KE9KyUH7QJ3V1XZN-MzqtraYffnWC8l-4-A9hs9n/s1600/arromanches3.jpg" height="404" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Depiction of the trucks coming ashore on the floating roadways {Photo by L}</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmrAnZ6mVnXarUQYyHGs50PrcJV78sbnzEcowpdAaqsZS1Fbajw5dW7sgJ7xUK94Ucn1wJDEd9Om5rrfwh9znjR5y9xO9Ey8bKleGrDILT0pBfrhHcnHNtxZfx-dld3jqPWFz6QtwV_w6/s1600/arromanches4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmrAnZ6mVnXarUQYyHGs50PrcJV78sbnzEcowpdAaqsZS1Fbajw5dW7sgJ7xUK94Ucn1wJDEd9Om5rrfwh9znjR5y9xO9Ey8bKleGrDILT0pBfrhHcnHNtxZfx-dld3jqPWFz6QtwV_w6/s1600/arromanches4.jpg" height="484" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Further out in the harbour big ships were able to unload their cargo</td></tr>
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The museum had many other exhibits and we wandered through to see them but for me the model of the harbour was worth the price of admission. This museum was something I hadn't had time for when I visited previously so I was happy we had it on the Battle Plan for this trip.<br />
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After our visit to Arromanches it was time to make our way to the last two landing beaches- Sword Beach {British} and Juno Beach {Canadian}- and to pay our respects at the Canadian cemetery. In my next post about our Normandy trip I'll finish off our third day in Normandy and show you some photos from these places. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-58029288212655409182014-06-16T04:00:00.000-05:002014-06-16T04:00:01.577-05:00Postcard from...Fredericksburg, USA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFjCIYWanKHgSI0tu_5-CHio82irWE1Xrf4J2Nmmr2Obf9HGLcBVIpYVNDR86RKJllacVPTx5-pRyN8p9bFPFPxL5-MVwgnPxSEiymM0tdOKnJoeTSurbPM72_OTUd4krkUKKN0uCX-d3/s1600/PostcardFredericksburg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFjCIYWanKHgSI0tu_5-CHio82irWE1Xrf4J2Nmmr2Obf9HGLcBVIpYVNDR86RKJllacVPTx5-pRyN8p9bFPFPxL5-MVwgnPxSEiymM0tdOKnJoeTSurbPM72_OTUd4krkUKKN0uCX-d3/s1600/PostcardFredericksburg.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hands down my favourite building along Main Street in Fredericksburg was the <b>Pioneer Memorial Library.</b> I'm a sucker for a library on any day but when it is an old stone building surrounded by big oak trees I'm really drawn to it. Unfortunately it was already closed for the evening when we found it or I would have gone in and wandered through the stacks that are located on the first floor. The second floor functions as a community hall. <br />
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The Pioneer Memorial Library is also known as the Fredericksburg Memorial Library or the Old Courthouse and is hard to miss right in the center of town on Main Street. It was designed by Alfred Giles and was built out of limestone in a Romanesque Revival style in 1882 to replace the original 1855 courthouse. In 1967 it was designated a <a href="http://www.thc.state.tx.us/" target="_blank">Recorded Texas Historic Landmark</a> and in 1971 it was added to the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/nr/" target="_blank">National Register of Historic Places.</a> <br />
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When the new courthouse was built in Fredericksburg in 1939 this building served other uses until it fell into a state of disrepair and was condemned in 1963. Thankfully Mr. and Mrs. Eugene McDermott {the founders of Texas Instruments} saw to it that it was restored in 1967 as a home for the town's library. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo taken May 25, 2014</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-12963076132221096992014-06-15T14:21:00.000-05:002014-06-15T14:21:07.852-05:00Since you last heard from me...... I have been one busy bee! One day {sooner than later I hope} I'll have posts written in advance and won't fall off the map for a few weeks at a time when a big trip comes up or I have VIP company in town {miss you already L!}. But I'm back now and have all kinds of new experiences and places I've been to share before I head out on my next adventure that is in just ONE month. My goodness it will be here before I know it. I better get to packing soon! :-)<br />
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So since you last heard from me back in May...<br />
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I had a weekend get-away in <b>Fredericksburg, TX</b> with L. Just the two of us to catch up, see hundreds of thousands of bats emerge from their cave into the evening sky, do a little snuggling, learn more about WWII at the <b><i>Museum of the Pacific War</i></b>, eat some German food, and make an unplanned stop to visit the <b><i>Texas State Capitol</i></b> in <b>Austin, TX</b> {instead of Enchanted Rock when the rain just would not let up}.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Tunnel State Park for the evening bat emergence</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, TX</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Texas State Capitol in Austin, TX</td></tr>
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I let the kiddo play hooky from school one afternoon as he, L, and I played tourist in <b>Houston</b> and visited the <b><i>Museum of Natural Science</i>.</b> We went for the 3D movie called "<a href="http://www.hmns.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=675&Itemid=711" target="_blank">D-Day:Normandy 1944</a>" but also spent a few hours wandering through to see dinosaur bones, the Hall of Ancient Egypt, and some Mayan artifacts {to get us pumped for our upcoming cruise...well MORE pumped up really. We were already pretty excited by this point}.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mummies at the Museum </td></tr>
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L, the kiddo and I also played umpteen games of cards over the past few weeks and would you believe it... I won them all! Or at least I can say I won them all since neither of them are here to say otherwise. Guess you'll just have to take my word for it eh? :-)<br />
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AND if all of that wasn't fun and exciting enough {which it was!} L, the kiddo, and I got to visit THREE new countries and go on our first ever cruise with <b>Royal Caribbean's <a href="http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/ships/class/ship/home.do?shipClassCode=VY&shipCode=NV&br=R" target="_blank"><i>Navigator of the Seas</i></a></b>! It was a ton of fun and I'll be sharing lots of pictures, stories, and cruising tips in upcoming posts after I'm finished sharing the rest of our trip to Normandy and Ypres. For today though I'll leave you with a photo from each of three countries we visited- <b>Honduras, Belize</b>, and <b>Mexico</b>.<br />
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So tomorrow I'll have another postcard and I will pick back up this week where I left off on our trip to Normandy and Ypres. Coming soon I'll also be featuring a special guest post from L as he writes about our visit to Pegasus Bridge. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-55797342059261096642014-05-19T22:36:00.000-05:002014-05-19T22:36:07.114-05:00Postcard from...Canterbury, England<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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To me there is just something so pretty about vines and trees against a backdrop of stones, especially old irregular shaped stones like most of the ones in this photo so when we found these stone walls behind Canterbury Cathedral I just had to stop and take pictures from all angles.<br />
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Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city and <a href="http://www.havebookswilltravel2014.blogspot.com/p/unesco-world-heritage.html" target="_blank">UNESCO World Heritage site </a>that is consistently one of the most visited towns in the United Kingdom. At the heart of the city is Canterbury Cathedral that is well known for several reasons especially as the site of Thomas Becket's murder in 1170 right in the cathedral by the followers of King Henry II. Since then the cathedral has become a place of pilgrimage for Christians all over the world. This pilgrimage is the theme for the classic <i>The Canterbury Tales</i> by Geoffrey Chaucer from the 14th century.<br />
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There is just so much history in this little town that it is definitely worth a visit and you have to leave yourself plenty of time to just stroll through the narrow little streets, have lunch in a local pub (bangers and mash...yum!), and browse the little shops.<br />
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<i>For those of you that visit regularly I just wanted to let you know that I'll be taking a break for a few weeks. I've got some traveling coming up and will be getting ready for both of those trips in the next week or so. When I return I'll pick back up with the next part of our wonderful trip to Normandy and Ypres and after that I'll be blogging about a completely different part of the globe as we take a cruise to the Caribbean. </i><br />
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<i>Until then, happy travels and I'll be back in a few weeks!</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo taken August 2, 2013</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-6607491221383048122014-05-13T22:17:00.000-05:002014-05-13T22:17:02.834-05:00Exploring Normandy and Ypres: Battle Plan Day 3 {Part 1} <span style="font-size: x-small;">Actual Date of Event: March 12, 2014</span><br />
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In my post from Thursday we left off with a wonderful little picnic to end our day after visiting <a href="http://www.havebookswilltravel2014.blogspot.com/2014/05/exploring-normandy-and-ypres-battle_8.html" target="_blank">Point du Hoc, Omaha Beach, and the Normandy American Military Cemetery.</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our foggy walk to breakfast at our hotel</td></tr>
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On the third day of our trip we awoke to another foggy morning and headed out to Bayeux to visit a few sites. The first stop on our itinerary was the Bayeux War Cemetery which is the resting place of over 4,000 fallen Commonwealth soldiers. To learn a little more about this cemetery and view my photos please visit my post from a few weeks ago about the <a href="http://www.havebookswilltravel2014.blogspot.com/2014/04/wwii-commonwealth-war-cemeteries.html" target="_blank">WWII Commonwealth War Cemeteries</a>. <br />
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After visiting the cemetery it was time for us to step waaaay back in time to see a cathedral that dates back to the 11th century- the<b> Bayeux Cathedral.</b><br />
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Before being able to wander off to the cathedral we had to first find some parking on the narrow little streets of Bayeux and this is where, once again (in my experience anyway), the stereotype that French people are rude was proven absolutely UNtrue. We figured we had to pay for the parking but couldn't find where to actually put our money in a meter so I popped into a little shop to ask for assistance. This very sweet lady came out from the back of her store and with a big friendly smile gave me all the information we needed to find the meter and what to do with the parking permit once we got it from the machine- and she did so without even raising an eyebrow or looking at me confused (at my far less than perfect French) when I spoke to her. And then she wished us a good day and off we went. I really can not say enough that every time I've needed help in France (and there have been a good many times I'm afraid) everyone has just been so helpful. I have had restaurants let me in early to feed me when they hadn't opened for their evening meal yet, a man who used his credit card to pay for gas for my car when the pump wouldn't accept my card (I did give him cash), and one guy that even moved the car for me when I couldn't get the darn thing out from between two boulders I had parked it between ...and he could have drove away with the car and stolen it if he'd wanted to! Yes kind French folks have certainly helped me out of some pickles. But I digress... back to Bayeux Cathedral.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to Bayeux Cathedral</td></tr>
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The Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Bayeux dates back to the days of William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings and it is stunning! It is a combination of a Romanesque style in the the 11th century crypt and Gothic style in the 13th century nave. It was consecrated in 1077 in the presence of William the Conqueror which when you stop and think about it is pretty awesome-we were actually walking in the footsteps of the man who was Duke of Normandy and King of England! So darn cool. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside is even more beautiful than outside, if that's possible</td></tr>
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The cathedral was also once the home, from the 11th to 18th centuries, of the Bayeux Tapestry which was probably displayed for the first time on the day the cathedral was consecrated. Also there are sculpted scenes here showing the life of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury who was assassinated in Canterbury by the order of King Henry II of England. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_dfUP3ZOBx8CknJ3n95vWVa4ndnReKbsCU0xpoDPuLQBnZAhJHh1T7rAT8K7F5dmfVbgeUAMUkILxeZs-gQUVng0o_ebBGMuX9N7nbyytzq4bEAKjmyWrosV8ninpiGBGAuPfaCh3LI2/s1600/bayeuxcathedral4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_dfUP3ZOBx8CknJ3n95vWVa4ndnReKbsCU0xpoDPuLQBnZAhJHh1T7rAT8K7F5dmfVbgeUAMUkILxeZs-gQUVng0o_ebBGMuX9N7nbyytzq4bEAKjmyWrosV8ninpiGBGAuPfaCh3LI2/s1600/bayeuxcathedral4.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Details from the front of the cathedral - some so intricate and all so much work</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBncyJm6qZRwxVCpRMCUvEmDYvj0MvvX2P7TOeVINDRAkfBpm353qrfR7L982X9A73RnZIiFFHT36MQzGO3GNhu_Lv9bNRiGmqDG5Qq7ykJCYyNnlYD25W10FLTr2yqViclbf2gMF5UPS/s1600/bayeuxcathedral6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBncyJm6qZRwxVCpRMCUvEmDYvj0MvvX2P7TOeVINDRAkfBpm353qrfR7L982X9A73RnZIiFFHT36MQzGO3GNhu_Lv9bNRiGmqDG5Qq7ykJCYyNnlYD25W10FLTr2yqViclbf2gMF5UPS/s1600/bayeuxcathedral6.jpg" height="606" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When you travel in Europe always look up....ceilings are works of art in themselves.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL47lcZWJrT1651UPENAaC66Ynd8CYDSmLEtOuqu0Y4NLX5Gc25pzpUhmxSXFfTmmych1am0U6Fz0U9Bauq132nEHjqYdb2cNIs95pz1GedJ3DRYLWkt62e9ZEP8pdurguKydV3SckP1tG/s1600/bayeuxcathedral5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL47lcZWJrT1651UPENAaC66Ynd8CYDSmLEtOuqu0Y4NLX5Gc25pzpUhmxSXFfTmmych1am0U6Fz0U9Bauq132nEHjqYdb2cNIs95pz1GedJ3DRYLWkt62e9ZEP8pdurguKydV3SckP1tG/s1600/bayeuxcathedral5.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More of the details inside the cathedral.</td></tr>
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After touring all around the Cathedral we made our way along the narrow pretty streets of the town until we heard rushing water and there, out of nowhere, was the little water wheel I had seen in pictures before visiting but didn't know if we'd find. What a treat!<br />
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I thought one of the nicest touches were the poppies in the window boxes. Aren't they pretty?<br />
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I probably could have stayed and taken photos of this building at every angle for the rest of the morning but we were also on our way to see the<b> Bayeux Tapestry</b> in the <i>Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux. </i>When we arrived they were going to close shortly (for lunch I think?) but fortunately for us they said we would have enough time to see the tapestry if that was good and since that's really what we came for we decided it would be all right to miss out on the rest of the museum. Maybe we'll be back another day to see the rest.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately you can't take pictures of the tapestry (which isn't really a tapestry but is really an embroidered cloth) but when you hear that it is long...it is LONG. As part of our entrance fee we were given a handset that told the story of the tapestry as you slowly made your way along the length of it. When we stepped in the room where it's kept we thought "wow!" it's really long but that was only half of it as it then went around the corner and kept right on going!<br />
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The Bayeux Tapestry tells the story in a series of about fifty scenes of the Norman conquest of England concerning William, Duke of Normandy, and Harold, Earl of Essex, and culminates in the Battle of Hastings. Miraculously this piece of history has survived over nine centuries and still retains the colours and exceptional needlework.<br />
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To view each scene of the tapestry, along with a brief description of that scene, please visit the <a href="http://bayeuxtapestry.org.uk/">bayeuxtapestry.org.uk</a> site. <br />
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In addition to this the Bayeux Tapestry is also on the <a href="http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/flagship-project-activities/memory-of-the-world/register/full-list-of-registered-heritage/registered-heritage-page-1/bayeux-tapestry/" target="_blank">UNESCO Memory of the World Register</a> which<b> </b>"<i> lists documentary heritage which has
been recommended by the International Advisory Committee, and endorsed
by the Director-General of UNESCO, as corresponding to the selection
criteria regarding world significance and outstanding universal value</i>." <br />
<br />
I didn't even realise this register existed alongside the list of World Heritage Sites! Don't worry though L, I'm not going to make it a goal to see everything on this list too. I think we have enough to see for one lifetime. :-) <br />
<br />
After this it was time to stop and have a bite to eat for lunch before we headed out of town and on to our next stop at the Longues Battery and then on to Arromanche. I was so looking forward to seeing Arromanche again, this time with L, as it was one of my favourite places when I visited Normandy a few years ago. In the next post I'll show you around those sites and the <i>Musée d'Embarquement.</i> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-47807367927919825692014-05-12T04:00:00.000-05:002014-05-12T04:00:01.989-05:00Postcard from...Paris, France<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="capital"><br />
I can't believe it took until my<u> fourth</u> visit to Paris to actually make it to Montmarte to see the breathtaking Basilique du Sacré Coeur. What was I waiting for?<br />
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It's not hard to find the basilica as it sits in the 18e <i>arrondissement</i> atop the the<i> butte </i>Montmarte,
which is the highest point in the city, and offers a great vantage
point to look down over the whole city and take some great photos or
just sit and people watch. It's also in a very vibrant part of town
(though really what part of Paris doesn't feel like that?) with street
artists and galleries to take in.<br />
<br />
Construction of the Basilica started in 1876 with Paul Abadie as the
lead architect. When he died in 1884, he was succeeded by Lucien Magne,
who added an 83 meter (272 ft) tall clock tower. The Savoyarde clock
installed here is one of the world's largest. Construction was completed
in 1914 and it was consecrated in 1919 after the end of WWI.<br />
<br />
How does Sacré-Coeur manage to stay such a beaming white colour amid the
air pollution of a big city like Paris? This can be attributed to the
Château-Landon stones that were used to build it. When it rains, the
stones react to the water and secrete calcite, which acts like a
bleacher. Ingenious!<br />
</span><br />
<span class="capital"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="capital"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo taken July 17, 2011</span><br />
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-39150432495292805922014-05-08T21:21:00.001-05:002014-05-08T21:41:41.483-05:00Exploring Normandy and Ypres: Battle Plan Day 2 {Part 3} <span style="font-size: x-small;">Actual Event Date: March 11, 2014 </span><br />
<br />
After visiting <a href="http://www.havebookswilltravel2014.blogspot.com/2014/05/exploring-normandy-and-ypres-battle.html" target="_blank">Utah Beach, the Utah Beach Museum and the German Military Cemetery</a> our next stop on the Battle Plan was Pointe du Hoc.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Pointe du Hoc </span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by L</td></tr>
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We had only allotted about 15 minutes for this site on the Battle Plan but after arriving we quickly realized we would be spending quite a bit more time here. There was quite a large area to roam around with gun placements, bunkers, and bomb craters to explore and then a beautiful view of the coast.<br />
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Pointe du Hoc is a 30 m (100 ft) cliff on a small rocky beach that offered no protection to the soldiers tasked with scaling it on their rope ladders. It is between Utah Beach and Omaha Beach and was a well fortified part of the Atlantic Wall that the Germans had created. <br />
<br />
On D-Day the US Army Rangers Assault Group were assigned to land there, scale the cliffs, and overtake the German defenses. While they were shelled upon by the nearby Maisy Battery and German soldiers firing at them from the cliff's edge with machine guns and grenades, they reached the top and soon discovered that the guns in the emplacements had been replaced with telephone poles. The German troops had moved the guns inland to an apple orchard to save them from bombing and then left them unguarded. Once found by the Rangers they were quickly destroyed.<br />
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Although the Rangers mission on D-Day was considered a success as they seized this land from the German soldiers the casualties were many. Two hundred and twenty-five men landed on the beaches but at the end of the two days of fighting only ninety remained.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Omaha Beach</b></span><br />
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Omaha Beach is a six mile stretch of beach overlooked by cliffs that made it very difficult to attack for the Americans on D-Day. In addition to the cliffs the Germans had built intimidating defenses around the the beach with things like 'dragon's teeth' which were designed to take out the bottoms of landing craft and in case they didn't work they were mined as well. Gun emplacements covered the beach and there was a system of trenches in places to allow the German troops to move about.<br />
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Tasked with attacking this beach were troops from the US 1st Army and their plan was to land infantry troops along with Sherman tanks to give them a lot of fire power against the Germans. However, these tanks never made it as they were released from their landing craft too far away from the beach and all but two of the 29 were swamped and sank. In addition to this, due to strong tides and winds, many of the American troops landed in the wrong place which caused confusion about which unit was where and what they were to do.<br />
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The only way off the beach and out of the line of fire from the German machine guns was to sprint across the beach and then scale the cliffs. Some small naval crafts got as close in to shore as they could and attacked the German gun emplacements in order to provide some protection to the soldiers on the beach. Despite the odds, by nightfall the Americans had gained a hold on the beach with 34,000 troops successfully landed. Sadly though it was at a high price as 2,400 soldiers died on Omaha Beach that day.<br />
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On the center of Omaha beach is the <i>'Les Braves</i>' monument for the American soldiers who helped to liberate France. The sculptor Anilore Banon said this:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>I created this scuplture to honour the courage of these men:<br />
Sons, husbands and fathers, who endangered and often sacrificed their lives in the hope of freeing the French people.</i></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Les Braves consists of three elements:</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The wings of Hope</i><br />
So that the spirit which carried these men on June 6th, 1944 continues
to inspire us, reminding us that together it is always possible to
changing the future.<br />
<i>Rise, Freedom!</i><br />
So that the example of those who rose against barbarity, helps us remain standing strong against all forms of inhumanity.<br />
<i>The Wings of Fraternity</i><br />
So that this surge of brotherhood always reminds us of our responsibility towards others as well as ourselves.<br />
On June 6th, 1944 these man were more than soldiers, they were our brothers.</blockquote>
</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Normandy American Military Cemetery and Memorial</span></b><br />
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Built on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach this cemetery is the resting place for 9,387 soldiers, 307 of whom are unknown. <br />
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On June 8, 1944 the US First Army established the first American cemetery on European soil in WWII. After the war the current cemetery was established just a short distance from the original one. Like all other military cemeteries France has granted the United States a special, perpetual concession to the land which means it's free of any charge or tax.<br />
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Only some of the US soldiers who died in France are buried here because when it came time for a permanent burial the soldier's next of kin were given the choice to have their loved ones repatriated for burial in the US, or to let them rest in France.<br />
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In addition to the cemetery there is a memorial at this site that commemorates the lives of 1,557 Americans who lost their lives in Normandy but could not be located or identified. At the center of a semicircle of columns is a 22 foot bronze statue called 'T<i>he Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves'</i>. In front of the memorial is a reflecting pool where visitors can watch the ceremony of the Lowering of the Colors that happens at the end of each afternoon to the sound of a military hymn. <br />
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After our very full day filled with history we decided that dinner that evening would be something we both enjoy- a picnic in our room. We stopped at a grocery store on the way back to the hotel, picked up some cheese, a baguette (<i>mais oui</i>...we were after all in France!), and some other treats and enjoyed our very casual and relaxing dinner.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8lLzojPteYVmATLioQjpo-V-ssiH-5e31LxtGCPfhM31HWKc6HDGXzbO522jNGSB9rr7cuNR0pZfQJZTC1dcrklsTvP3cBengJeA6tw0zf8_AeP9GVBvwC8jBYmBRL42A9VZzeSj_Icf/s1600/picnicdinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8lLzojPteYVmATLioQjpo-V-ssiH-5e31LxtGCPfhM31HWKc6HDGXzbO522jNGSB9rr7cuNR0pZfQJZTC1dcrklsTvP3cBengJeA6tw0zf8_AeP9GVBvwC8jBYmBRL42A9VZzeSj_Icf/s1600/picnicdinner.jpg" height="401" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bon appétit!</td></tr>
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In my next post about this trip we'll start in Bayeux where we visit the Bayeux British Cemetery but also took a little detour from WWII history and stepped further back in time to visit the Bayeux Cathedral and Tapestry. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-39783906427145433152014-05-05T04:00:00.000-05:002014-05-05T04:00:11.792-05:00Postcard from...Amsterdam, Netherlands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqnoeRWQBQnVIcpdfSKpxQpxKUH9QXXfzqoyMju0e5SQCLb5It_Vq8Ebc9MQlWMmN0D7xjobTd5tyHLlFkI3K-s78z8FjUQjQJddEjRfvo2xlkyIMTCmT18iZb4k5dQ35Fm93dpUbdcgv/s1600/PostcardAmsterdam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqnoeRWQBQnVIcpdfSKpxQpxKUH9QXXfzqoyMju0e5SQCLb5It_Vq8Ebc9MQlWMmN0D7xjobTd5tyHLlFkI3K-s78z8FjUQjQJddEjRfvo2xlkyIMTCmT18iZb4k5dQ35Fm93dpUbdcgv/s1600/PostcardAmsterdam.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands with a population of more than one million and a population of bicycles that surely must equal that. My goodness there are A LOT of bicycles here! If you arrive by train at the Amsterdam Central Station look to your right when you come out on to the street. I guarantee you have never seen so many bikes in one place in your life. How anyone can find their bike in the thousands that are there is beyond me but they must as you also see people riding them everywhere too. Really with streets along canals, like in this photo, how could you not get out and about and enjoy the sights by bike?<br />
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The canal system in Amsterdam was built during the 17th century when it became the wealthiest city in the world and immigration was at its peak. This was considered the city's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Golden_Age" target="_blank">Golden Age</a>. Amsterdam is now sometimes referred to as the <i>Venice of the North </i>because of all the wonderful canals that criss-cross their way through the city and the 1,500 bridges that cross those canals. These 17th century canals are also listed on the <a href="http://www.havebookswilltravel2014.blogspot.com/p/unesco-world-heritage.html" target="_blank">UNESCO World Heritage list</a>. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo taken July 23, 2011</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-75594727230467409822014-05-04T04:00:00.000-05:002014-05-04T04:00:00.366-05:00Day Trips: A Drizzly Day at Dover Castle {Part 2}<span style="font-size: x-small;">Actual Date of Event: October 13, 2013</span><br />
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Last Sunday was the <a href="http://www.havebookswilltravel2014.blogspot.com/2014/04/day-trips-drizzly-day-at-dover-castle.html" target="_blank">first part of our day in Dover </a>spent wandering through the great castle, church, and the grounds but today is something a little unexpected- the Secret Wartime Tunnels.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">* All of the photos in this post were taken by L...well except for the last one as he tends not to take pictures of his food, unlike me. :-) *</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-AHlsx9KYU38-2yI2_POkcoMCeB1MNDzcW-gJ0K8H6xtfmEGpUENivHQKVnryeu6Ni54zezX-0-5JW6QtspQ9JUrQMZlgPQmIAbPBlwAbXWddrX73UrGpUJAlzBgbLwi5NXB6o4nsBEP/s1600/dovertunnels1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-AHlsx9KYU38-2yI2_POkcoMCeB1MNDzcW-gJ0K8H6xtfmEGpUENivHQKVnryeu6Ni54zezX-0-5JW6QtspQ9JUrQMZlgPQmIAbPBlwAbXWddrX73UrGpUJAlzBgbLwi5NXB6o4nsBEP/s1600/dovertunnels1.jpg" height="500" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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In the Middle Ages tunnels were constructed under Dover Castle to be used as a protected line of communication for the soldiers stationed in the northern outposts and to allow for the garrison to gather before attacks without being seen. Later during the Napoleonic Wars the tunnels were expanded to prepare the castle for a French invasion. Seven tunnels were dug to serve as barracks for soldiers who had already filled up the castle and the town. These tunnels were capable of holding 2,000 troops and are the only underground barracks ever built in Britain. <br />
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In WWII the tunnels were used again as the center from which <a href="http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/About-the-Royal-Navy/Organisation/Life-in-the-Royal-Navy/History/Naval-Leaders/Admiral-Sir-Bertram-Ramsay" target="_blank">Admiral Ramsay </a>and his team worked around the clock for nine days on <a href="http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/dover-castle/wartime-tunnels/operation-dynamo/" target="_blank">Operation Dynamo</a>- the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force and French troops from the beaches of Dunkirk. It was estimated that 45,000 troops could be brought back to Britain but on May 26th there were about 400,000 troops awaiting rescue on the beaches. By June 4th, nearly all were evacuated with 338,000 men brought back. Admiral Ramsay used as many Royal Navy vessels as the could gather, along with a now famous flotilla of 'little ships'- the civilian and merchant boats. Churchill called it a '<i>miracle of deliverance</i>'. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5YNO2j8JFruKQiCgBnuofpspXpXSPc_JbvDHOeKzsk2h83XKi-JD104iEtdxsz6HxgMYLwI3I0DFwdsJqsC5VpQaRzWnaglnfAnpwEDxRxUdi_bljgmD7k5GuC7FBUEEZLikxW4JByYu/s1600/dovertunnels2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5YNO2j8JFruKQiCgBnuofpspXpXSPc_JbvDHOeKzsk2h83XKi-JD104iEtdxsz6HxgMYLwI3I0DFwdsJqsC5VpQaRzWnaglnfAnpwEDxRxUdi_bljgmD7k5GuC7FBUEEZLikxW4JByYu/s1600/dovertunnels2.jpg" height="520" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Communication Post inside the tunnels</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8Sfd0Inm0pss9oY5WJOiV0zkMrpdzMfCkH6DySxZe-zzr2s0G2-nYuJDgx6OwR3A2Gq6CcGSHsn7_xmGf940TIwSygm1SupoPtOT0UH_1psKGMy8MWtnP0VSBfzf-6ae4r1gmlcIqNVY/s1600/dovertunnelscollage1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8Sfd0Inm0pss9oY5WJOiV0zkMrpdzMfCkH6DySxZe-zzr2s0G2-nYuJDgx6OwR3A2Gq6CcGSHsn7_xmGf940TIwSygm1SupoPtOT0UH_1psKGMy8MWtnP0VSBfzf-6ae4r1gmlcIqNVY/s1600/dovertunnelscollage1.jpg" height="220" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Various rooms along the tour</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pyZmK_SFMUnB-iT4-VXFG4vIM7od2OQbuQdzUMNYp5c3CYfMEzQ3bWzJU7gX9Xp2b3G2jH_-hDP0Ewv9vE3fkUomZhsmOf_IQtwLa26KXqu0dhc9jwxcRDRKbKn3bv27SuE8Gi2Zn5Te/s1600/dovertunnelscollage2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pyZmK_SFMUnB-iT4-VXFG4vIM7od2OQbuQdzUMNYp5c3CYfMEzQ3bWzJU7gX9Xp2b3G2jH_-hDP0Ewv9vE3fkUomZhsmOf_IQtwLa26KXqu0dhc9jwxcRDRKbKn3bv27SuE8Gi2Zn5Te/s1600/dovertunnelscollage2.jpg" height="326" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some parts of the tunnels were dark and a little eery. </td></tr>
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During the Cold War the tunnels were expanded again to form a Regional Centre of Government in the event of nuclear war but with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 the need for this facility decreased. In the early 1990s it was decommissioned and areas of the tunnels were open to the public. </div>
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When visiting you have to take the guided tour as many parts of the tunnels are not open to the public. It was a really good tour though and we didn't feel rushed along as we visited communication centers, hospital bays and even dining areas that smelled like roast beef! There were also many places along the tour where they projected video along the walls of the tunnel sometimes making it seem like you were in the room as actual events played out as the shadows of the officers went about their duties.<br />
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This video does a much better job of showing you the tour than I can explain.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Please note that some scenes may be upsetting. </span><br />
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<br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/oMdqQ-DG6wY" width="480"></iframe>
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<br />After such an interesting tour of the tunnels and around the grounds and look out posts we had worked up an appetite! Well not really after such a good lunch but there was cream tea to be had so off we went back to the café for a spot of tea and that oh so delicious clotted cream with raspberry jam on a scone. Is there a better afternoon snack to have in this world? At this point I'm going to have to go with no and think I will be hard pressed to ever find anything that will make me change my mind.<br />
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For more information about Dover Castle and the other castles under the care of English Heritage you can visit their site <a href="http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/dover-castle/?gclid=CMqSj4mPkb4CFQET7AodoiYAjw" target="_blank">here</a>. I can't wait to move over and become a member- there are over 400 sites to visit. I'm going to be a busy bee!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-51407009459621056072014-05-02T22:04:00.000-05:002014-05-02T22:04:24.057-05:00Exploring Normandy and Ypres: Battle Plan Day 2 {Part 2} <span style="font-size: x-small;">Actual Date of Event: March 11, 2014</span><br />
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Last Friday we left off having just <a href="http://www.havebookswilltravel2014.blogspot.com/2014/04/exploring-normany-and-ypres-battle-plan.html" target="_blank">visited the Crisbecq and Azeville</a> batteries and now we were on the short drive to Utah Beach and the museum that has been built at this beach.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RrzbVKJzQGIoblST6mXfzInASdObb__OvWpzTDLEo6qHGZpGZCBINcCOcVrvZa8g4tnURrPsBTSM3uSyQuvtLAatUVRVRHjMezhHCMk_HGNpk-7qMRmY3an8FY9cbxrFq_iaIlg94XJA/s1600/utahbeach1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RrzbVKJzQGIoblST6mXfzInASdObb__OvWpzTDLEo6qHGZpGZCBINcCOcVrvZa8g4tnURrPsBTSM3uSyQuvtLAatUVRVRHjMezhHCMk_HGNpk-7qMRmY3an8FY9cbxrFq_iaIlg94XJA/s1600/utahbeach1.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The US Navy Monument which is the only monument dedicated to the US Navy outside of the US</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Utah Beach</span></b><br />
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Utah Beach was the code name for the westernmost of the Allied landing beaches during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, as part of Operation Overlord. The US 4th Infantry Division landed on this beach, a little off course, but with relatively little resistance as compared to Omaha Beach that suffered with fierce fighting.<br />
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The landing was a success due to several military divisions who played a part in the D-Day landings.<br />
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It started at 11:00 PM the night before with the first Allied bombs falling near the planned landing beach. Then at 1:15 AM, 13,000 paratroopers dropped behind the enemy lines with a mission to neutralize German defenses, secure the landing area, and prevent the arrival of German reinforcements.<br />
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<b>Naval Forces </b><br />
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At 5:36 AM the Allied fleet of battleships, cruisers, and destroyers launched an uninterrupted barrage of fire at the German defenses along the coast and even further inland to the Crisbecq and Azeville batteries. One German soldier noted upon seeing the armada as the sun rose that "The sea was black with ships."<br />
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<b>Air Forces </b><br />
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From 6:10 to 6:25 AM all along the coastline was pounded with the bombs from B26 bombers. The timing of this operation was critical because with only five minutes to spare the first landing craft were due to arrive at 6:30 AM and going off schedule at all would put those troops in danger of friendly fire.<br />
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One of the men, Major Dwight Dewhurst, led the final bombing run over Utah Beach. In the museum an original B-26 is painted in the colours of his plane called the "<i>Dinah Might</i>". Major Dewhurst was born in San Antonio, TX and enlisted in the Air Force six months before the attack on Pearl Harbour. Over the course of WWII he accomplished 85 combat missions against the Germans but sadly, shortly after returning home to Texas after the war he was killed in a car accident and left behind his wife and two young sons.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO54S9GW2GKl7RKPrwIDgqoEpDMzmBic1G0PD_lPTaemfEH5GNv77rG-bI6qcM-kTCfuURqsypd0UBoINpKRmNwY4pTRGKj6M3cCsjTWV3X1MPCO_8oXDmNWJc3ZG2WGx06udu90N94Z_F/s1600/utahbeach3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO54S9GW2GKl7RKPrwIDgqoEpDMzmBic1G0PD_lPTaemfEH5GNv77rG-bI6qcM-kTCfuURqsypd0UBoINpKRmNwY4pTRGKj6M3cCsjTWV3X1MPCO_8oXDmNWJc3ZG2WGx06udu90N94Z_F/s1600/utahbeach3.jpg" height="488" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">B26 Marauder in the hangar of the Utah Beach Museum</td></tr>
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<b>Land Forces</b><br />
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After spending a night at sea crammed into the landing barges the troops start landing on the beach at 6:30 AM. When they landed they needed to wade through 220 yards in the water, carrying 70 lbs of equipment, and then run another 550 yards under fire from the Germans. Fortunately due to the actions of the Naval and Air Forces the enemy lines were greatly weakened and they were able to reach the anti-tank wall in just 30 minutes.<br />
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By nightfall of June 6th, 23,000 men had landed on Utah Beach. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKXqCXpM5ixBkoPLkLEJ4Dh9geYZDiGkV0bdlrcSPzfxhqflAc8vtHxChzQ3uyb7sxlbxLHAACsGIJ3iRKdQjdvAjlOioB10gVIqgKWeNHxHwNYJtExAZHu1e1NAt0RwNSSt7KGwBqfoJ/s1600/utahbeach4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKXqCXpM5ixBkoPLkLEJ4Dh9geYZDiGkV0bdlrcSPzfxhqflAc8vtHxChzQ3uyb7sxlbxLHAACsGIJ3iRKdQjdvAjlOioB10gVIqgKWeNHxHwNYJtExAZHu1e1NAt0RwNSSt7KGwBqfoJ/s1600/utahbeach4.jpg" height="400" width="347" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Examples of obstacles on the beaches that the troops had to contend with</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7u8VO2JWEMpNSOk4vHr4ZHzZj_q31vKj8p2TsxzI_GP3QsBbZzsZVnu7SnpkauMjWPvx4xfBfi7ZuWK9aG2g_nWuwhpVGrjJJrDxYTKe30J8qxdDbUZkoD4_r70UNPxEv91rsTrJi6CvL/s1600/utahbeach2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7u8VO2JWEMpNSOk4vHr4ZHzZj_q31vKj8p2TsxzI_GP3QsBbZzsZVnu7SnpkauMjWPvx4xfBfi7ZuWK9aG2g_nWuwhpVGrjJJrDxYTKe30J8qxdDbUZkoD4_r70UNPxEv91rsTrJi6CvL/s1600/utahbeach2.jpg" height="167" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Utah Beach Museum - photo by L</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Utah Beach Museum</b></span><br />
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The museum stands on the actual site where the American troops landed and tells the story of the war through different sections set up in chronological order.<br />
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The story starts with the German defenses and Rommel's part in the building of the Atlantic Wall. It continues by telling visitors what life was like for the local people living under the German Occupation. And finally, visitors learn about D-Day through the preparation of the landings to the final outcome and success.<br />
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There were lots of artifacts, photos, letters, and machinery- the ones below are some that made me stop and linger on them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZ3FjFcDDbvHLJ3aCE0LoaN8vvPDxuQ09HHAmnq0mmV5xOVUKHpGZ15ICJO9HWTOaOjA_N1DHpgJx4_vNqeKJmaYFFCbN2EI2qOkcn5LjvuAX_e9pnd3Fg_0NFSrFm3E7p3gVrnVhYH_n/s1600/utahbeachmuseumcollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZ3FjFcDDbvHLJ3aCE0LoaN8vvPDxuQ09HHAmnq0mmV5xOVUKHpGZ15ICJO9HWTOaOjA_N1DHpgJx4_vNqeKJmaYFFCbN2EI2qOkcn5LjvuAX_e9pnd3Fg_0NFSrFm3E7p3gVrnVhYH_n/s1600/utahbeachmuseumcollage.jpg" height="220" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Left to Right- 1) Bulky, heavy boots (weighing up to three lbs each) worn by German soldiers. Sadly the felt often contained human hair from prisoners in concentration camps; 2) Documents, cards, money etc. found in the wreckage of the USS Rich; 3) Respect for the fallen- American soldiers often witnessed French civilians covering the bodies of fallen soldiers, praying for them, and placing flowers on their bodies. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-o-1gqPm7PYlBmG1KIqXwb_iRo4R8lBqbnucump8XsR_zmOd2dwxYIXn1WfX2h-ZjDA9pPa1X-TIlow6QgeQNKacVJebWeHfhRh85O-4Lwy8iXh4YW-CAHHGFkAeOCYHzQAezcgrKZQOY/s1600/utahbeachmuseumcollage4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-o-1gqPm7PYlBmG1KIqXwb_iRo4R8lBqbnucump8XsR_zmOd2dwxYIXn1WfX2h-ZjDA9pPa1X-TIlow6QgeQNKacVJebWeHfhRh85O-4Lwy8iXh4YW-CAHHGFkAeOCYHzQAezcgrKZQOY/s1600/utahbeachmuseumcollage4.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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This museum, and certainly the beach, are well worth the visit for <b>everyone</b>- not just Americans. I think it's important for us to learn about the contributions of all the Allied countries that took part and not to limit ourselves to only our own country. We should learn the whole story.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />German Military Cemetery at La Cambe</span></b><br />
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After visiting Utah Beach we then made our way to the German military cemetery and Peace Garden. Even though the soldiers lying here are the "enemy" they are, still, fellow human beings. Many of them were very young, did not ask to go to war, and were someone's father, husband, brother, or son.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvTwsdqgxhT2XbZo8pWxSxog7iamrr2HjLQYyt_Z6pZIjnyvjbWiGTjhIniFVma91-yt0Zt5lJEYHEO1K93Vl9le123CxzzNj5udlaz7EXBVBRm5HR42mwZlmZP1qxqBjPfGqyxrKW9ia/s1600/germancemetery1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvTwsdqgxhT2XbZo8pWxSxog7iamrr2HjLQYyt_Z6pZIjnyvjbWiGTjhIniFVma91-yt0Zt5lJEYHEO1K93Vl9le123CxzzNj5udlaz7EXBVBRm5HR42mwZlmZP1qxqBjPfGqyxrKW9ia/s1600/germancemetery1.jpg" height="394" width="640" /></a></div>
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In the centre of the cemetery is a large mound of earth that covers the common grave of 207 unknown and 89 identified German soldiers. At the very top is a large dark cross with a statue on either side made of basalt lava. This is then surrounded by 49 rectangular grave fields with up to 400 graves each, identified with flat grave markers. All total there are 21,139 fallen German soldiers laid to rest in this cemetery. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEsCbIg3nOygCSmvVHU2c5D28r1oyvf_o1yht7yR_BFHTyu_BPg8FVmvPoi6oOzPdMw9AmpdtMHka_AZ_v-mViSIe0jMtPqpFdbrDiqmu1WjVrv7WNxEOW81hXupwZRTp92FyAYhGeFeSZ/s1600/germancemetery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEsCbIg3nOygCSmvVHU2c5D28r1oyvf_o1yht7yR_BFHTyu_BPg8FVmvPoi6oOzPdMw9AmpdtMHka_AZ_v-mViSIe0jMtPqpFdbrDiqmu1WjVrv7WNxEOW81hXupwZRTp92FyAYhGeFeSZ/s1600/germancemetery.jpg" height="285" width="320" /></a></div>
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The sign in front of the cemetery reads as follows: <br />
<br /><i>The German Cemetery at La Cambe: In the Same Soil of France</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<i>Until 1947, this was an American cemetery. The remains were exhumed
and shipped to the United States. It has been German since 1948, and
contains over 21,000 graves. With its melancholy rigour, it is a
graveyard for soldiers not all of whom had chosen either the cause or
the fight. They too have found rest in our soil of France.</i><br />
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<br />
The German War Graves Commission cares for their cemeteries as well as the Commonwealth War Graves Commissions do and this cemetery was a somber and peaceful place of rest.<br />
<i> </i><br />
<i> </i>After our visit we decided it was time to think about some lunch and make our way to the Maisy Battery. We opted for a quick picnic in the car and ended up eating outside the battery as it was closed when we arrived. Turned out that was OK as Pointe due Hoc was next on the itinerary and it had so much more to see than anticipated and ran well over the 15 minutes we had allotted for it on the Battle Plan.<br />
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In my next post we'll visit Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach, and the American Military Cemertery to finish off our second day of the trip. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-81901732243932227632014-04-30T04:30:00.000-05:002014-04-30T04:30:00.922-05:00Reading Wrap-up: April 2014<span style="font-size: small;">Well I've been blogging for over a month now and yet no mention really of the first half of my blog's title. You know the BOOK part. :-) My goodness I'm slacking eh? While no less important to me than the travel part I decided early on to focus mainly on my travels on this blog and then created a <a href="http://havebookswilltravelreadingchallenges.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">separate blog</a> for the book reviews and reading challenges I've gotten in to. Oh you didn't know I had a book blog too? Ah but I do and it's found <a href="http://havebookswilltravelreadingchallenges.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Generally I'll keep most of the book talk confined to my <a href="http://havebookswilltravelreadingchallenges.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">book blog</a> but at the end of each month on this blog I'm going to post a wrap-up of what I've been reading, progress on my reading challenges, and what I have on the TBR (To Be Read) pile. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Most of my travels are inspired by books I have read or the books I read are inspired by my travels. You'll find I tend to pick books set in different countries or with themes (like WWI and II lately) that tie in to a trip. I love how these types of books let me travel and explore these new places without leaving home as, let's face it, I haven't hit the lottery just yet so I still have to show up at work each day. I also really enjoy learning about different cultures and historical events tied to the places I'm going to visit. I find I appreciate everything so much more and am a little more observant when I know a little bit about what I'm going to see. And then I love reliving great memories of the places I've been when I read about one of those cities in a new novel. Especially London and Paris. I just can't get enough of either city. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">So let's see what I have been up to for the month of April shall we?</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Books I've Read </span></b></u></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Click on the title if you'd like to read my review of the book) </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFBRc06BK4UlWFrIfMGaNK71v0FCEfN7Tr9zd0Q9XCcBkZvPeaU-ya3bEOq_Kz7_xvfgRVGTOG0WlaslNQva93GlxnEmNFL87nihCev0XiBkLIA8iZHH6Wk6TwtcbW478OoF6mDtJQwFe/s1600/AprilBooksReadCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFBRc06BK4UlWFrIfMGaNK71v0FCEfN7Tr9zd0Q9XCcBkZvPeaU-ya3bEOq_Kz7_xvfgRVGTOG0WlaslNQva93GlxnEmNFL87nihCev0XiBkLIA8iZHH6Wk6TwtcbW478OoF6mDtJQwFe/s1600/AprilBooksReadCollage.jpg" height="191" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<ul><span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://havebookswilltravelreadingchallenges.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-paris-my-sweet-year-in-city.html" target="_blank">Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (and Dark Chocolate)</a></b> by Amy Thomas</span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://havebookswilltravelreadingchallenges.blogspot.com/2014/04/book-review-art-of-french-kissing.html" target="_blank">The Art of French Kissing</a></b> by Kristin Harmel</span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://havebookswilltravelreadingchallenges.blogspot.com/2014/04/source-goodreads-committed-skeptic.html" target="_blank">Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage</a></b> by Elizabeth Gilbert</span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>175 Ways to Travel Today</b> by Rebekah Voss (<span style="font-size: x-small;">review pending</span>)</span></li>
</ul>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Books In Progress </u></b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXi9COpIp4Pbh1BWTwk2Io5TVVFPJwmFYVEYWo3BCmYf59F5eea3kfgDqBM5QZ_k1qMo7TCWiJwMxYZ45v8qu4NiBYh5aTioilO2MwDkFygGwWrIwMn8otjyznMcnhFTsper278BPOFXX/s1600/aprilinprogress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXi9COpIp4Pbh1BWTwk2Io5TVVFPJwmFYVEYWo3BCmYf59F5eea3kfgDqBM5QZ_k1qMo7TCWiJwMxYZ45v8qu4NiBYh5aTioilO2MwDkFygGwWrIwMn8otjyznMcnhFTsper278BPOFXX/s1600/aprilinprogress.jpg" height="225" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source:<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone</b> by J.K. Rowling</span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The House at Tyneford</b> by Natasha Solomans (<span style="font-size: x-small;">audiobook but I'm struggling to finish because I don't really care for the narrator</span>) <b> </b></span> </li>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society</b> by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows</span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The New York Times. 36 Hours. 125 Weekends in Europe</b> by Barbara Ireland (<span style="font-size: x-small;">LOVE this book!</span>)</span></li>
</ul>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Reading Challenge Progress</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></u></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://havebookswilltravelreadingchallenges.blogspot.com/p/2014-audio.html" target="_blank">Audiobook Challenge:</a> 1 of 10 books completed</span> </li>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://havebookswilltravelreadingchallenges.blogspot.com/p/2014-books-on-france.html" target="_blank">Books on France Challenge</a>: 2 of 6 books completed</span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://havebookswilltravelreadingchallenges.blogspot.com/p/2014-books-on-france.html" target="_blank">British History Challenge</a>: 0 of 3 books completed</span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://havebookswilltravelreadingchallenges.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_12.html" target="_blank">European Reading Challenge</a>: 0 of 5 books completed</span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://havebookswilltravelreadingchallenges.blogspot.com/p/2014-foodies-read.html" target="_blank">Foodies Read Challenge</a>: 1 of 3 books completed</span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://havebookswilltravelreadingchallenges.blogspot.com/p/harry-potter-and-2014-re-read.html" target="_blank">Harry Potter and the 2014 (re) Read</a>: 0 of 7 books completed</span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://havebookswilltravelreadingchallenges.blogspot.com/p/2014-historical-fiction-reading.html" target="_blank">Historical Fiction Challenge</a>: 0 of 5 books completed</span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://havebookswilltravelreadingchallenges.blogspot.com/p/2014-i-love-library-books.html" target="_blank">I Love Library Books Challenge</a>: 0 of 36 books completed</span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://havebookswilltravelreadingchallenges.blogspot.com/p/2014-non-fiction-challenge.html" target="_blank">Non-Fiction Challenge</a>: 2 of 10 books completed</span></li>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://havebookswilltravelreadingchallenges.blogspot.com/p/2014-read-your-freebies.html" target="_blank">Read your Freebies:</a> 1 of 12 books completed </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">TBR</span></b></u></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Somewhere in France: A Novel of the Great War</b> by Jennifer Robson</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>All Quiet on the Western Front</b> by Erich Maria Remarque</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Norman Conquest of England</b> by Janice Hamilton</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Park Lane</b> by Frances Osborne </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Mr Darcy's Guide to Courtship</b>: <b>The Secrets of Seduction from Jane Austen's Most Eligible Bachelor </b>by Emily Brand</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">...something about the Mayan ruins we'll be visiting in June</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."</span></i></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: small;">~ Augustine of Hippo </span></blockquote>
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<ul>
</ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-87598369375688819332014-04-29T20:52:00.000-05:002014-04-29T20:52:59.720-05:00Travel Tuesday: Love, Long For, and Live In...My Three PlacesToday I'm participating in the<b> Travel Tuesday</b> link-up by <a href="http://bonnieroseblog.co.uk/2014/04/three-places.html" target="_blank">A Compass Rose</a> for the first time. I've seen links to it for a few weeks now but the theme is what finally made me join in the fun today. <br />
<br />
The theme for today is <i><b>Three Places</b></i> and the prompt is to share three places..<i>.the place you have been that you loved the most, the place you cannot wait to visit and something about the place you live in. </i><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Place I have Loved the Most</span> </b><br />
<i> </i><br />
This one is getting tougher and tougher with each visit to England but I'm going to have to say the place I have loved the most is still <i><b>Paris.</b></i> Maybe it's because it was the first place I visited outside of North America so it will always have the honour of showing me Europe first. Or maybe it was the challenge of traveling in another language and being reasonably successful at it. Or maybe it is just that there isn't anything to <u>not </u>love about Paris. At least nothing that I have found yet. I know the stereotype is that people are rude in Paris but that's not something I've experienced. In fact quite the opposite which has made for interesting chats with shopkeepers, fellow travelers on the métro, and even policemen. And then of course there are the beautiful buildings, all the history and culture, the scrumptious food, the great memories of the time spent with my Mom and my friends there, and oh the ceilings! I could wander around looking at the ceilings all day. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjD3WPobdUbq1-5ofsXiBvMOKY5EEMNPE3-VA34M3Paxbm9fxLQ6X5PRalmXQcD8aJVAeXyH8ymaACaQZPG20tTmNjaVSTIG-A0BXrMejDX52yn8mCUyCdLtEEK9Kuq4ZhGMG2o3xkybmq/s1600/traveltuesday1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjD3WPobdUbq1-5ofsXiBvMOKY5EEMNPE3-VA34M3Paxbm9fxLQ6X5PRalmXQcD8aJVAeXyH8ymaACaQZPG20tTmNjaVSTIG-A0BXrMejDX52yn8mCUyCdLtEEK9Kuq4ZhGMG2o3xkybmq/s1600/traveltuesday1.jpg" height="508" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Place I have Loved the Most...<i>Paris</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Place I Cannot Wait to Visit</b></span><br />
<br />
You would think with all the lists of places I want to visit this one would be the hardest to answer but surprisingly it's not. I do read about and daydream about so many places but there is one that I find myself mentioning over and over to anyone that will listen to me because it just looks so amazing to me...<i>.<b>the glass igloos at<a href="http://www.kakslauttanen.fi/" target="_blank"> Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort</a> in Finland. </b></i>From the first moment I saw this picture I have wanted to go there, and I don't even really enjoy trudging around in the snow that much. There is just something that is so ultimately cozy (and yes romantic too, as the kiddo just pointed out to me) about the igloos that I just want to cuddle up, gaze at the stars with L, and if we're really lucky, watch the Northern Lights dance across the sky. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B0P2VDhrErg/U2BIwkuFF1I/AAAAAAAAGfQ/X-rQkaACoPk/s1600/glassigloo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B0P2VDhrErg/U2BIwkuFF1I/AAAAAAAAGfQ/X-rQkaACoPk/s1600/glassigloo.jpg" height="484" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Place I Cannot Wait to Visit...<i>Finland</i> (<a href="http://www.kakslauttanen.fi/" target="_blank">photo source</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Something About the Place I Live In</b></span><br />
<br />
I have lived in <i><b>Houston</b></i> for about 15 years now but really it's only been in the past few years that I started to enjoy it a little more as the kiddo and I have started exploring the city. Besides getting to do some fun and interesting things with him I figure I better see and do all that Houston has to offer while I'm still here. We've visited museums, attended sporting events (oh how we miss you Houston Aeros!), gone to concerts, tried foods from different countries, all kinds of things. One of our favourite things to do in the spring is to go to Discovery Green for one of their movie nights. They blow up a big screen, everyone brings their blankets and chairs, and we settle in for a movie with the highrises of downtown Houston as the backdrop.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9EomWVwNT2ZH0sxQ1N0lSx8aijUq4lvr_rJiDKvGpqDLymeuRRcGBn-7Ydg57a4nsWlVFRHCGYsnYA2PmgZ21KJlp0Aq8Www6-jLBz0L0Za36qSq3_eL1hGVT3V1oYmtstgBNF5ujnj6I/s1600/moviehouston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9EomWVwNT2ZH0sxQ1N0lSx8aijUq4lvr_rJiDKvGpqDLymeuRRcGBn-7Ydg57a4nsWlVFRHCGYsnYA2PmgZ21KJlp0Aq8Www6-jLBz0L0Za36qSq3_eL1hGVT3V1oYmtstgBNF5ujnj6I/s1600/moviehouston.jpg" height="486" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Something About the Place I Live...<i>Houston</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>Where are your places in the world? Come join the fun with <a href="http://bonnieroseblog.co.uk/2014/04/three-places.html">Bonnie</a>, <a href="http://www.girl-meets-globe.com/2014/04/my-favorite-cant-wait-and-place-i-live.html">Tina</a>, and <a href="http://www.melaniefontaine.com/2014/04/travel-tuesday-three-places.html">Melanie</a>!!</em></div>
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<a href="http://bonnieroseblog.co.uk/2014/04/three-places.html" target="_blank"><img alt="http://bonnieroseblog.co.uk/2014/04/three-places.html" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXx2-qvCUKeKme0UTl8yq7z_UgKJZcbCwdvvfMvkbuTJI2HxbrRKFuJrkUnttLu0KnRqOKKkc8gACnAfayeKHhktJI-9xIFUSKLRZZfNDtCpAJ8o1BrEZxm1Ujt_URmo6OZO577_P7MF1/s1600/traveltuesday.png" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-78714374188656112422014-04-28T04:00:00.000-05:002014-04-28T04:00:00.807-05:00Postcard from... San Antonio, USA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6LMJrAkqP8ejoVOSSgW1MdoRP6jMdyKeepgMBMvWwoUChU_Ur6e65D2jONixD0KXUhSxB13B0Gsf-YMuGCO7rWlQ6bSxpaN5KvX58Xk-DqvyWjf0ACqz5Bfux2x_8sYbNAdnhDCMMcYs/s1600/PostcardSanAntonio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6LMJrAkqP8ejoVOSSgW1MdoRP6jMdyKeepgMBMvWwoUChU_Ur6e65D2jONixD0KXUhSxB13B0Gsf-YMuGCO7rWlQ6bSxpaN5KvX58Xk-DqvyWjf0ACqz5Bfux2x_8sYbNAdnhDCMMcYs/s1600/PostcardSanAntonio.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Mission San José y San Miquel de Aquayo (or the San José Mission for short) is one of the five missions on the Mission Trail in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in February of 1720 when another neighboring mission became overcrowded. These Spanish missions were not churches, but really communities with the church at the heart of them. Mission San José served the Coahuiltecan Indians and began with buildings made of brush, straw, and mud. These were quickly replaced with large stone structures and a heavy outer wall was built around the main part.<br />
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As part of this mission a church was built in 1768 and it is still standing, although most of the mission was restored in the 1930's. Then in 2011 it again underwent a historically accurate renovation whereby the interior domes and walls were repainted to match the original colours and the alter backdrop was also restored. <br />
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L and I had the opportunity to visit all five of the missions on the Mission Trail this past January, and while the Alamo is certainly the most famous of them all I'd say this one was my favourite. In addition to a Visitor's Center with some exhibits and a short film about mission life that we watched, we really just strolled around enjoying the architecture and reading about some of the history. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-59910498345542866582014-04-27T19:52:00.000-05:002014-05-03T19:20:28.835-05:00Day Trips: A Drizzly Day at Dover Castle {Part 1}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Actual date of event: October 13, 2013</span><br />
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Sitting atop the famous white cliffs of Dover since the12th century, overlooking the historic port, is the formidable Dover Castle. It is here that L and I ventured off to on cool and rainy Sunday morning back in October for a little day trip. Besides being on my <a href="http://www.britainexpress.com/Where_to_go_in_Britain/castles/castles-in-england.htm" target="_blank">list of castles to see in England</a> we knew there were also some Secret Wartime Tunnels that were used in WWII for Operation Dynamo (the evacuation of British and Allied troops from Dunkirk) that we wanted to explore. This castle really seemed to have it all, and those were just the things we knew about before we arrived. On our visit we discovered even more treasures!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*All of the photos in this post (except the last two) were taken by L. Unfortunately I only had a camera phone and they just do not take the best pictures. But L sure does!*</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6C_6IrBQGu3scdNGHxIx1fX4LEeDuQZPIy9QultI0Aj54qY-Vkg_-G6iHaqEGXcBNv8g3S1XKGWm8OxowxKV7l9krjvnGYXtHi6BbqVDXYeEAOKlDrZ8Dz1l0H95YcQ9I4zPf_tbDCVwl/s1600/DoverCastle1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6C_6IrBQGu3scdNGHxIx1fX4LEeDuQZPIy9QultI0Aj54qY-Vkg_-G6iHaqEGXcBNv8g3S1XKGWm8OxowxKV7l9krjvnGYXtHi6BbqVDXYeEAOKlDrZ8Dz1l0H95YcQ9I4zPf_tbDCVwl/s1600/DoverCastle1.jpg" height="636" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to Dover Castle</td></tr>
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Although the castle was started in 1066 the history of this location goes back about a 1000 years before that when the Iron Age inhabitants built a fort here. Along came the Romans who then erected a pharos, or lighthouse, inside their fort in about 125AD. They built a second lighthouse across the Dover harbour but only the one on the grounds at Dover Castle remains. The lighthouse is octagonal in shape and built in five layers out of ragstone and flint with brick archways. The first four layers were from the Romans and the top layer was added around 1430 to act as the bell tower for the St Mary in Castro church beside it. We were pretty impressed at the condition of the lighthouse as it is, after all, almost 2000 years old! Inside it is hollow and you can go in and look around.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roman Lighthouse</td></tr>
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After the Romans moved out the Saxons moved in and around 1000 AD they constructed the church of St Mary in Castro, which was later remodeled in the Victorian period. The church was used by the garrison of Dover Castle and held sacred relics during medieval times. The building was restored in 1582 but then fell into decay again in the 17th century and was little more than a crumbling shell by the 18th century. After being used as a coal store the church was finally restored in 1862 and today the interior includes a mosaic alter and tiled floors.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhipV_oBFI09pF4n3XNcBTbSOyIVxcGWjRZzHbnF-i9uBPKOK9p_jyQyTAogX6dAP4S4-vU1TFS8AzYHjUGcE2CDE976lavnEdOsfeDua3vafUrSug2zonckHM4d2lC_lV0CNrWxvoEWVSz/s1600/DoverCastle3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhipV_oBFI09pF4n3XNcBTbSOyIVxcGWjRZzHbnF-i9uBPKOK9p_jyQyTAogX6dAP4S4-vU1TFS8AzYHjUGcE2CDE976lavnEdOsfeDua3vafUrSug2zonckHM4d2lC_lV0CNrWxvoEWVSz/s1600/DoverCastle3.jpg" height="546" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St Mary in Castro Church</td></tr>
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Moving on from the church and the lighthouse you can visit the heart of the fortress- the Great Tower. Begun in 1066, but mainly a product of King Henry II's expansion in 1170, the Great Tower stands 25 m (183 ft) at its tallest with walls as thick as 6.5m (21ft) in places. It was seen as a symbol of "kingly power and authority" as it guarded the gateway to the realm. It was used for royal ceremony and to house King Henry II's traveling court but the most important use was as a military post as the castle was garrisoned uninterruptedly from 1066 until 1958. From 1740 through 1945 the castle's defenses have been updated in response to every European war involving Britain. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbbSlVbKooNv2yBTN320wWB7MipDOMxb0g-vqNkc6GghqMq1HY4lGFIFzzKMwhQ_R6Ji_tmS87s6GltYBlnZvhf3D3JV3uXgjv5dEgFAGqJRmUItpSXNEgWvk5N1xEfymqNSihhEXzz9L/s1600/DoverCastle6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbbSlVbKooNv2yBTN320wWB7MipDOMxb0g-vqNkc6GghqMq1HY4lGFIFzzKMwhQ_R6Ji_tmS87s6GltYBlnZvhf3D3JV3uXgjv5dEgFAGqJRmUItpSXNEgWvk5N1xEfymqNSihhEXzz9L/s1600/DoverCastle6.jpg" height="498" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Great Tower</td></tr>
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The interior of the Great Tower, or keep, has been renovated but has been set to look like it would have when the castle was in operation and it was SO neat! We spent quite a long time wandering through rooms set up to look like cooking and storage rooms, great dining halls, long damp passageways between rooms that overlooked the grounds, and even cozy bedchambers that had roaring fires going in their fireplaces. That was likely the biggest surprise for us and as we were walking through we thought we could smell smoke and then upon entering one of those bedchambers we saw why. What a treat! It was so well done I felt like I could almost imagine myself back in those times.<br />
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Despite it being so nice and toasty inside we couldn't stay inside when there were views of Dover to be had from the top of the castle. So out we went as the wind blew and the rain came down. Yeah, we didn't stay out there too long! Even with the fog and dreary weather the view was still incredible. <br />
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After our tour of the Great Tower we decided it was time for some lunch so we headed down to the cafe for a traditional Sunday roast with Yorkshire pudding. And it was delicious! Even the carrots were all right and I really don't like carrots. We also saw that they had cream tea so made a mental note to come back at tea time to enjoy that too. Can't pass up scones, clotted cream, and raspberry jam now can we? Well I can't anyway. <br />
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But before tea we had some Secret Wartime Tunnels to visit so that's where we headed after lunch. They were so very different than this medieval castle and so interesting as well. They even made them smell like the roast dinner we had just eaten. Next Sunday I'll finish our day out in Dover and take you on a photo tour of those tunnels. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-19253699241030103632014-04-25T01:00:00.000-05:002014-04-25T01:00:02.054-05:00Exploring Normany and Ypres: Battle Plan Day 2 {Part 1} <span style="font-size: x-small;">Actual date of event: March 11, 2014</span><br />
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The second morning of our trip we awoke bright and early, had a delicious breakfast at our hotel and we were on the road by 9:00 am just as we had planned. We had a very full day ahead of us with lots of history to see and learn about!<br />
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Our first stop was the Crisbecq Battery which is also known as the Marcouf Battery. From research before the trip L knew this site wasn't open this time of year but when he looked at it on Google street view he could see that it was close to the road and parking lot so since we'd be able to get a good look at it we kept it in the plan.<br />
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This was a WWII artillery battery that was made by the German Todt Organization and formed part of the Atlantic Wall. The site was originally planned to be more armed than it was but due to supply problems it only held three 210-mm navy guns (instead of a total of 11 guns). Two of these three guns were protected by large concrete casements as shown in the picture above. The site also had a command post, shelters for personnel (300 naval personnel to be precise) and ammo, and several defensive machine-gun placements. Except for the batteries at Cherbour and Le Havre, this was the most powerful battery in the Bay of the Seine with a range of more than 30 km (19 miles). <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photos by L</td></tr>
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Despite many bombings during the spring of 1944 and a large bombing the night before the D-Day landings, two of the guns remained operational and opened fire on Utah Beach on D-Day which aided in sinking the USS Corry. A few other battleships, including the USS Texas (which we recently toured just this past January!), fired against the battery and knocked out both guns. One of the guns was repaired and fired again on June 8th. The battery was taken the morning of June 12th, without a fight, by the 39th Regiment after the 9th US Infantry Division landed at Utah Beach. <br />
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The only thing I wish was different for our visit to this site was that I had learned all of what I just shared <b>before </b>we visited. I did quite a bit of reading before our trip but mainly I focused on the war in general and didn't get too much into the specifics of each place we intended to see. While I'm really enjoying learning more about these places now, next time I think I'll dig a little deeper beforehand.<br />
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After a pretty short visit, due in part to not being able to get into the actual site and it being a wee bit chilly and windy (though it was going to get even more so as the day went on), we put the next address into the SatNav and drove off down some of the narrowest roads imaginable. We decided (at many points during this day) that the SatNav must have decided to forgo anything that resembled a real, two-lane, marked road of any kind. We drove down roads that winded through tiny villages where we were mere feet from the houses and then down roads that just criss-crossed us through farmer's fields. We saw very few cars along the way, which was just as well since there wasn't really room on the road to meet oncoming traffic. It was actually very nice and peaceful in this area and even though we kept saying to each other "Really? Surely this can't be the way"... every time it was the right way and we made our way on to the Azeville Battery.<br />
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This battery wasn't fully open either but we were able to wander and climb around in bits of it so we wandered through corridors inside, poked our heads out look-out holes, and for just a moment were tempted to climb down this trap door that wasn't locked. We decided it was likely best to just close the cover and leave well enough alone. Besides would you climb down in there? Kind of surprised actually, that klutz that I am, I didn't drop my camera down there and then one of us (i.e. L) would have had to climb down there to get it. <br />
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Also built by the Todt Organization between 1941 and 1944, this battery was another of the key fortifications of the Atlantic Wall. It was built to protect the beaches along the Cotentin Peninsual and had an underground complex in addition to its defense system (4 x 105 mm guns). There were about 170 soldiers that manned this battery but because there weren't any accommodations for them they were billeted in local houses.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos by L- Different views inside and around the grounds. Bottom corner picture is a camouflaged pillbox that was made to look like a house but on top was an anti-aircraft emplacement. This was right across the road from the main bunker. </td></tr>
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This battery was one of the Allies' prime objectives on June 6th, 1944 but despite an early attack it continued to fire upon Utah Beach for three days. At one point in these three days it even fired upon its neighboring Crisbecq Battery in order to clear the US troops that were on top of those bunkers! Finally after fierce fighting on June 9th it was silenced when it was captured by the 22nd Regimental Combat Team of the US 4th Infantry Division. <br />
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Our next stop on the Battleplan was to visit Utah Beach that had been fired upon so much by these two batteries, and the museum that is there. In my next post for this series I'll take you on a little tour of each of those places. <br /><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-88128686913714445232014-04-21T21:05:00.002-05:002014-04-27T21:25:05.988-05:00Postcard from... Vik, Iceland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In honour of L's upcoming trip today's postcard comes from Iceland!<br />
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The little town of Vik is the southernmost town in Iceland with a population of about 300 people. Despite its small size it is an important service centre for the locals and visitors to this area along the coast. <br />
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Its black basalt sand made for the darkest beach I have ever seen and it was just so peaceful to sit and watch the waves crash against the shore last summer. In 1991, <i>Islands Magazine</i>, even rated it as one of the ten most beautiful beaches on Earth. The cliffs on the western end of the beach are home to many seabirds, especially puffins. Also interesting to note is that there is no landmass between this beach and Antarctica!<br />
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Vik is right beneath the <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" title="Mýrdalsjökull">Mýrdalsjökull</a> glacier which sits atop the Katla volcano. This volcano has not erupted since 1918 (which is longer than its typical rest period) so it's thought an eruption may occur soon. If it erupts there is concern that the eruption could melt enough ice to cause a flash flood that could take out the whole town. The people of Vik practice regular evacuation drills to the town's church which is located high up on a hill right above this beach.<br />
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I think you're going to really enjoy Iceland L and hope you have a wonderful trip. And if you hear the rumblings of a volcano about to erupt when you're in Vik, please head for the church!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo taken August 5, 2013</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-76290120270068866052014-04-20T22:09:00.001-05:002014-04-20T22:12:08.533-05:00WWII Commonwealth War CemeteriesLast week I wrote about the <a href="http://www.havebookswilltravel2014.blogspot.com/2014/04/wwi-commonwealth-war-cemeteries.html" target="_blank">WWI Commonwealth cemeteries </a>L and I were able to visit in Belgium and this week I'd like to finish this series of posts with a little tour of the WWII cemeteries we visited in France. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Bayeux War Cemetery</span></b><br />
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We woke the morning of March 12th to a very foggy day and set off for our first visit of the day- the Bayeux War Cemetery in Bayeux, France. <br />
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The Allies began their offensive in this part of Europe with the D-Day landings along the coast of Normandy on June 6, 1944. There wasn't much actual fighting in the city of Bayeux but it was the first French town of importance to be liberated by the 50th British Infantry Division on June 7, 1944. As the troops moved through Bayeux towards the landing beaches they ran into difficulties bringing the heavy equipment through the city. It was dangerous and very slow moving so the British Army's engineering department decided to build a big boulevard around the city. This became known as "the by-pass" and was the first ring road ever in France. The term and the road are still in use today. <br />
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The Bayeux War Cemetery is the largest Commonwealth WWII cemetery in France and was completed in 1952. It contains 4,144 burials of Commonwealth soldiers with 338 of those unidentified. There are also 500 war graves of other nationalities with the majority of those being German. <br />
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The grounds were given to the United Kingdom in perpetuity by France for the sacrifices made by the British Empire in the defense and liberation of France. <br />
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The Bayeux Memorial stands just across the road from the cemetery and commemorates more than 1,800 men from the Commonwealth forces who died early in the fighting after the D-Day landings and have no known grave. <br />
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The Latin epitaph along the front of the memorial is in reference to William the Conqueror and the Invasion of England in 1066. It reads: "<i>We, once conquered by William, have now set free the Conqueror's native land.</i>"<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bayeux Memorial</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery</span></b><br />
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About 20 km to the east of Bayeux is the little town of Reviers and it is here out in the peaceful farmer's fields that you will find the Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery.<br />
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This cemetery contains 2,048 WWII burials with the majority of them Canadian and 19 of them unidentified. Many of the 2,048 men buried here were from the 3rd Canadian Division who died either on June 6th or in the few days following it, when the Division engaged in battle with the German 716th Division and the 21st Panzer Division. The cemetery also includes the graves of four British soldiers and one French resistance soldier who fought alongside the Canadian soldiers and had no known family. This cemetery commemorates the graves of nine sets of brothers. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Ranville War Cemetery</span></b><br />
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Our last stop in France on Thursday, March 13th was the Ranville War Cemetery and church. Ranville was the first village to be liberated in France when the British 6th Airborne Division captured the bridge over the Caen Canal in the early hours of June 6th. Those soldiers landed nearby by parachute and gliders. Many of this division's casualties are buried here or in the churchyard next to the cemetery. <br />
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The cemetery contains 2,235 Commonwealth burials of WWII with 97 of those being unidentified. There are also 330 German graves and a few graves for other nationalities. In addition to the soldiers, the mascot of the 9th Bn Parachute Regiment <a href="http://fallenheroesofnormandy.wordpress.com/animals-at-war-in-normandy/" target="_blank">a dog named Glenn</a>, is buried with his master, Private E.S. Corteil. The churchyard next door contains another 47 Commonwealth graves, one of which is unidentified and one German grave.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>"We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>we shall never surrender." </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">~ Winston Churchill</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-71039517631195520212014-04-18T23:30:00.000-05:002014-04-19T00:21:15.249-05:00Exploring Normandy and Ypres: Battle Plan Day 1 {Part 3} After <a href="http://www.havebookswilltravel2014.blogspot.com/2014/04/exploring-normandy-and-ypres-battle_11.html" target="_blank">strolling around Honfleur</a> it was time to get back on the road and head to the first WWII site we had on our itinerary. <br />
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We made our way through the narrow and winding roads until we came upon the quiet seaside town of Villerville. According to the census in 2008 there were about 770 people living here and it looks to be about the same today. The site we had come specifically to see here were some pillboxes along the coast and it could not have been a more perfect day for it. It was bright, sunny, and just about the perfect temperature. All those warm clothes I packed were left in the suitcase and we set off down the beach in just our short sleeves. Besides when we got out of the car and looked down the beach the pillboxes were just there, on the other side of those rocks. It would just be a quick walk and then we'd be there so no need for sweaters. Oh how wrong we were. Not about not needing the sweaters but how far away the pillboxes actually were. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks close doesn't it? Don't let that fool you. </td></tr>
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As it turns out pillboxes on a beach in Normandy are just like a mirage in the desert. You walk and walk and get over that pile of rocks that they are behind and find you're no closer to them now then when you got out of the car miles and miles ago. Well that might be a wee bit of an exaggeration but we were surprised at how far down the beach they actually were. Of course that might have also had to do with the fact that we took the most difficult route across the beach to get there that we possibly could. *Note to L- when your girlfriend says "We should walk on the rocks because it'll likely be harder to walk on the wet sand"...yeah just tell her she's a nutter and go walk on the sand. :-) Because as it turns out the sand was basically like a paved sidewalk while the rocks were a sprained ankle just waiting to happen. But L held my hand over all the slippery mucky patches and big rocks that needed to be climbed over and in the end we made it. So how does a girl say thank you to the guy that kept her off her behind, out of the mud, and with no sprained ankles so she would be able to enjoy the rest of the trip ahead of her? This is how...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks L...next time we'll walk on the sand. :-) </td></tr>
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<br />Awwww...yes sometimes you just have to write your initials in the sand like you're still in grade 8. :-)<br />
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But back to the task at hand- exploring pillboxes and the really great beach we were on because the tide was coming in and we didn't want to have to walk back through all the rocks again!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Port of Le Havre can be seen in background of photo on left</td></tr>
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Pillboxes are basically concrete guard posts whose primary function was to protect the German troops from artillery bombardment. Some of them were solely for that purpose but others, like the ones we saw on this beach, had a opening, called a loophole, in which to fire guns through too. They were low and often covered in debris to make them harder to see. The smaller ones could hold about five men with some bigger pillboxes holding 10-20 or even 40 men. <br />
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The ones we visited looked like they had slipped down the side of the cliff along the beach and unfortunately they were also covered in graffiti and had lots of trash inside them. L braved climbing inside them but I stayed firmly outside on two feet and then just stood there saying "What do you see?" , "What does it look like in there?", "Be careful of the puddle that guy just stepped in and got his foot all wet" etc. until I'm sure he must have been thinking I should have just gone in there myself. So for those of us that haven't ever climbed inside a pillbox here is what they look like inside...at least what they look like now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKX8tkrbvZOTFDmHTEL19dfxkVhVIOeelk34ZsaCdAuWo83V5CTNfM9LTB1xZMNoal_-F8xH-F0AEmVl5HIqjR4zuRZmgGKVGthClg-fzLOw4KafDWkNfYajNw_EcWXDZ54lbqcmqX0YqQ/s1600/pillboxcollage2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKX8tkrbvZOTFDmHTEL19dfxkVhVIOeelk34ZsaCdAuWo83V5CTNfM9LTB1xZMNoal_-F8xH-F0AEmVl5HIqjR4zuRZmgGKVGthClg-fzLOw4KafDWkNfYajNw_EcWXDZ54lbqcmqX0YqQ/s1600/pillboxcollage2.jpg" height="324" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos by L</td></tr>
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I can't imagine even back all those years ago they were a nice place to be. With all that concrete and metal it must have been so loud, and frightening, when bombs hit nearby or even directly. These pillboxes were part of the Atlantic Wall that Hitler ordered built in order to defend against the Allied invasion he was anticipating. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTt1o3ZScRvLqf6zCLkm_fJsQKxigL5Occ37jP7ta7PVB-syNsd1LqCbzTkClb-KT7XjkrZgpNQy9SfZn-HaQsuwbjm8MySubyvg_SOqa3CWz0jE_-9pUOeqO7kmw1lfeI-uxUC0rZHoG/s1600/viewfrompillbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTt1o3ZScRvLqf6zCLkm_fJsQKxigL5Occ37jP7ta7PVB-syNsd1LqCbzTkClb-KT7XjkrZgpNQy9SfZn-HaQsuwbjm8MySubyvg_SOqa3CWz0jE_-9pUOeqO7kmw1lfeI-uxUC0rZHoG/s1600/viewfrompillbox.jpg" height="490" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the Port of Le Havre from inside the pillbox- photo by L</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSz7f6zQYyqyWEnTWHnEw1J63irVIe4DATTQw1ojfsyjFTM5KZrwV29lmuIoYuVIfpi_EoVyqQbCGkBWLFxnrYxB6VQvuLs4be6rPu-KNRBegvRFgoB5a2_Q0lg585le_QraNH3R-2yhN/s1600/frontofpillbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSz7f6zQYyqyWEnTWHnEw1J63irVIe4DATTQw1ojfsyjFTM5KZrwV29lmuIoYuVIfpi_EoVyqQbCGkBWLFxnrYxB6VQvuLs4be6rPu-KNRBegvRFgoB5a2_Q0lg585le_QraNH3R-2yhN/s1600/frontofpillbox.jpg" height="488" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by L</td></tr>
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With the tide coming in on us we decided it was time to head back to the car and on to our next site. It was a much quicker walk back and along the way we met up with other folks out for a walk along the beach and some guys fishing from the beach. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCgHd3NDK9SmZL6Ea-7ZnmrmdERFVZFvEQyCrZ-JcHWFqaTVNqd91hMiLTaWNtP7-y_l6ZQZ_ZQo4Js_pKOU55o997cDXgbZ5Q_7DJZPwyDXq0mzKRYKWuKNRkKA4TZGTdQdLrNzge-o9/s1600/villervillebeach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCgHd3NDK9SmZL6Ea-7ZnmrmdERFVZFvEQyCrZ-JcHWFqaTVNqd91hMiLTaWNtP7-y_l6ZQZ_ZQo4Js_pKOU55o997cDXgbZ5Q_7DJZPwyDXq0mzKRYKWuKNRkKA4TZGTdQdLrNzge-o9/s1600/villervillebeach.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></div>
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Back at the car I couldn't resist taking a photo of these two old guys enjoying their drink, chatting about the good old days, and looking out to sea. <br />
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The next stop on the Battle Plan was the battery at Mont Canisy that sits atop a hill overlooking the Seine and the harbour of Le Havre. It was an important part of the Atlantic Wall but was barely used in the battle in Normandy so it is still very well preserved.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNRoeD3NIFYM-BofDM0kp9997ZUUjR1nt-wJ8wDyzc1Ty5yg6FPc2RJSL-Yc48HopiYIC1kl3muepEP5LS5K78LP25qcBWokryOeNFatz4TF3w8-VFOf2EkfqlI0o12LBjuJhzJo1hj4Rb/s1600/montcanisy6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNRoeD3NIFYM-BofDM0kp9997ZUUjR1nt-wJ8wDyzc1Ty5yg6FPc2RJSL-Yc48HopiYIC1kl3muepEP5LS5K78LP25qcBWokryOeNFatz4TF3w8-VFOf2EkfqlI0o12LBjuJhzJo1hj4Rb/s1600/montcanisy6.jpg" height="306" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by L</td></tr>
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Because of its elevation it has been used as a defensive site since the Middle Ages and then in 1935-1940 the French army built a battery to protect Le Havre, however the Germans overtook it and realized the importance of its location to build their own coastal defence here.They placed four 155mm guns here, initially open with a 360° traverse, but then, like other sites, they built casements to protect those guns, leaving them open to fire towards the coast only.<br />
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The Allies knew about this battery, calling it the <i>Batterie de Bénerville</i>, but despite their repeated bombings the guns were not damaged. After D-Day the guns became a meaningless target for the Allies because they could no longer fire inland (due to the earlier built casements) so they just bypassed this battery from that point.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiha31w7X69uOi6Ng5gnWTfYt6WbH1lV9swpFa1b6giHJrsdJ2jMDCvOjUBhm5XtZh_ABZhtuEDzedbi4vgbB11rWWXx-fgnibs5XH3GT75QH_Qt4NQ8k6LQz9V9OeT3EQ0yy0_fO5Y4Ygv/s1600/montcanisycollage2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiha31w7X69uOi6Ng5gnWTfYt6WbH1lV9swpFa1b6giHJrsdJ2jMDCvOjUBhm5XtZh_ABZhtuEDzedbi4vgbB11rWWXx-fgnibs5XH3GT75QH_Qt4NQ8k6LQz9V9OeT3EQ0yy0_fO5Y4Ygv/s1600/montcanisycollage2.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos by L</td></tr>
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Today this site is open to the public and you can wander the above ground emplacements as you wish. Over the years the trees have grown up and the site is quite heavily wooded but there are still a few places that offer some beautiful views out across Normandy. There are also hundreds of metres of tunnels connecting the casements but we didn't get to go down inside them. Even without being able to do that it was still very worthy of a visit and the climb up the hill. <br />
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With it getting on in the afternoon and still another hour to drive to get to our hotel we decided we best get back on the road again. It is really a beautiful drive through that area and we got to our hotel, <a href="http://www.ranconniere.fr/?lang=en" target="_blank"><i>la Ferme de la Rançonnière</i></a>, in Crépon about 6:00 that evening. Our hotel was every bit as charming as the photos we'd seen on TripAdvisor before our trip suggested it would be and we settled into our very comfortable and quiet room. As part of the package we reserved with this hotel we were also treated to the most delicious four course dinner with a selection of local dishes. At the end of this series of posts I'll do one devoted solely to this lovely hotel and our meals as we would recommend it highly to anyone visiting this area.<br />
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Up next in this series of posts will be Day 2 of the Battle Plan with our visit to some other batteries, Utah and Omaha beaches, Pointe du Hoc, and American and German military cemeteries. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-4656700389230553272014-04-14T06:46:00.000-05:002014-04-27T21:24:15.188-05:00Postcard from...London, England<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ahhh London. The city that has given Paris a run for its money as my favourite city. But what's not to love? London really has it all- arts, fashion, entertainment, shopping, and so much history! And I think it blends these things so well. Where else do you find a castle that's more than 1000 years old against a backdrop of modern office buildings, like the Shard, that was only finished two years ago? Personally I think together they make one of the neatest photos I have from London. <br />
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London's population has grown to over 8 million people and there are more than 300 languages spoken within its boundaries. It is also home to four <a href="http://www.havebookswilltravel2014.blogspot.com/p/unesco-world-heritage.html" target="_blank">UNESCO World Heritage Sites </a>{of which I have only seen two so far but might finally get to see the others this summer!}- Tower of London, historic Greenwich, Kew Gardens, and Palace of Westminster and the Abbey. There are also so many other things to see and do that is impossible to take it all in with only one visit. So looking forward to visiting again this summer and getting to show the kiddo around. I think he'll be just as taken with it as I am.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo taken September 8, 2012</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-10685999320027929292014-04-13T21:38:00.000-05:002014-04-13T21:38:32.063-05:00WWI Commonwealth War Cemeteries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Actual Event Date: March 14,2014</span></div>
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Continuing the series of posts from the past couple of weeks about the <a href="http://www.havebookswilltravel2014.blogspot.com/2014/04/design-and-structure-of-commonwealth.html" target="_blank">Commonwealth War Graves </a>I'd like to share some information about the specific World War I cemeteries L and I were able to visit while in Ypres last month.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Perth Cemetery {China Wall}</b></span><br />
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Just a few kilometers outside of Ypres this was the first cemetery we stopped at. It was along the road we were traveling to visit another site so it wasn't a planned stop on the Battle Plan but I'm very glad we did.<br />
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This cemetery was started by French troops in November 1914 and was adopted by the 2nd Scottish Rifles in June 1917. The French graves were removed after the Armistice. It was used for front line burials until October 1917 and up to that point contained 130 graves. After the Armistice, graves were brought in from the battlefields around Ypres and from about 30 smaller cemeteries. Today there are 2,791 Commonwealth soldiers of WWI buried or commemorated here. 1,369 of the graves are unidentified, 27 casualties believed to be buried among them are commemorated on special memorials, and names of another 104 casualties are inscribed on memorials for those whose graves could not be found. <br />
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It was called Perth because the predecessors for the 2nd Scottish Rifles were raised in Perth, and China Wall from the communication trench known as the Great Wall of China. It was also called Halfway House Cemetery. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Sanctuary Wood</span></b></div>
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Sanctuary Wood Cemetery was the 2nd one we visited during our afternoon in the Ypres area. This area is one of the larger woods in the commune of Zillebeke and was used in 1914 to screen troops behind the front line. It was at the centre of the Battle of Mount Sorrel in June 1916 involving the 1st and 3rd Canadian Divisions. There were three Commonwealth cemeteries in this area until this battle and after only traces of one cemetery was found. It is here that they built the present day Sanctuary Wood Cemetery. </div>
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At the Armistice there were 137 graves, but like Perth Cemetery, many more were brought in from surrounding smaller cemeteries until it reached the present day number of 1, 989 Commonwealth servicemen of WWI being buried or commemorated here. 1,353 of the burials are unidentified and many graves are identified in groups but not individually. </div>
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In this cemetery we chose to leave our cameras in the car and just take a quiet stroll around the cemetery. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Hooge Crater</span></b></div>
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This cemetery we found quite by accident. It wasn't on our route but we saw several tour buses on a street we passed so we made note to come back to see what was up that street. We found a museum that we now have on the list for our next trip to Belgium and the Hooge Crater Cemetery. </div>
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At one time there stood Hooge Chateau which was the scene of much fighting during WWI. In October 1914 the 1st and 2nd Divisions were wiped out when the chateau was shelled. In May and June of 1915 the chateau was defended against the attacking Germans and in July of the same year the crater was created by a mine detonated by the 3rd Division. The chateau was then taken by the Germans four times between July 1915 and April 1918, and finally regained for the last time in September 1918 by the 9th (Scottish) and 29th Divisions. </div>
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The cemetery itself was begun in October 1917 and originally contained 76 graves but was greatly increased after the Armistice to the current number of 5,923 Commonwealth soldiers commemorated within its low walls, with 3,579 of the burials unidentified. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2kfrHfaF1749SrXkdy4z3iAXZpIHNRfMJccGiHJB6s9N7U6DfYm5gj_RblsWhvIFf4xXoL-B1xLmOwWIJ5LjccHynVYbDHPIR-kFhd0wTr49WPBowujR9EtQvm1rYZdyux3swzty8t5D/s1600/hoogecratercollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2kfrHfaF1749SrXkdy4z3iAXZpIHNRfMJccGiHJB6s9N7U6DfYm5gj_RblsWhvIFf4xXoL-B1xLmOwWIJ5LjccHynVYbDHPIR-kFhd0wTr49WPBowujR9EtQvm1rYZdyux3swzty8t5D/s1600/hoogecratercollage.jpg" height="326" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Tyne Cot</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRY_wA-NPDjKCGOz_aoI99NzpZtB35Aj9trx2FPHkP08L3f8noRSIuthcdl6PdBFoeLaH-dAE9PSJvSlD11rLO1lnYJCE0rP4Pjj_3NCNfSUriU4Lp1OixSKx8TnAiSB81L4PZWOs5tpr/s1600/TyneCot1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRY_wA-NPDjKCGOz_aoI99NzpZtB35Aj9trx2FPHkP08L3f8noRSIuthcdl6PdBFoeLaH-dAE9PSJvSlD11rLO1lnYJCE0rP4Pjj_3NCNfSUriU4Lp1OixSKx8TnAiSB81L4PZWOs5tpr/s1600/TyneCot1.jpg" height="464" width="640" /></a></div>
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Tyne Cot received its name from the Northumberland Fusiliers who dubbed the small barn by the rail crossing on the Passchendaele-Broodseinde road "Tyne Cot" or "Tyne Cottage". The barn had become the centre of half a dozen German pill-boxes. One of these pill-boxes was unusually large and was used as an advanced dressing station after its capture by the 3rd Australian Division. In late 1917 through early 1918, 343 graves were made on two sides of it. The cemetery fell back into German hands from April to September but was finally recaptured by the Belgian Army. </div>
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There are four pill-boxes in the cemetery with the Cross of Sacrifice placed on the largest one at the suggestion of King George V. </div>
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Tyne Cot is now the largest Commonwealth cemetery in the world in terms of burials. There are 11,956 servicemen buried or commemorated here with 8,369 of the burials unidentified. There are also 4 German soldiers buried in this cemetery. In addition to the graves the Tyne Cot Memorial forms the north-eastern boundary around the cemetery and commemorates another 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom and New Zealand who died in the Ypres Salient after August 16, 1917 and whose graves are not known. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Essex Farm</span></b></div>
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We finished off our day in Belgium with a stop at Essex Farm Cemetery which is the resting place for 1,200 servicemen of WWI. Of these 103 are unidentified and it was here that we saw the youngest soldier in all the cemeteries we visited. Rifleman V.J.Strudwick was just 15 years old when he was killed in 1916. </div>
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It was also here that Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae of the Canadian Army Medical Corps wrote his well known poem "<i>In Flanders Fields</i>" in May 1915. It is believed he started this poem the evening after he performed the burial service for his friend, and fellow soldier, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer. His poem has become one of the most enduring poems of the First World War and made the poppy a lasting symbol of self-sacrifice in war. I remember well reciting this poem each year at our Remembrance Day services in elementary school. </div>
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<i>In Flanders fields the poppies blow<br />
Between the crosses, row on row,<br />
That mark our place; and in the sky<br />
The larks, still bravely singing, fly<br />
Scarce heard amid the guns below.</i></div>
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<i>We are the Dead. Short days ago<br />
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,<br />
Loved and were loved, and now we lie<br />
In Flanders fields.</i></div>
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<i>Take up our quarrel with the foe:<br />
To you from failing hands we throw<br />
The torch; be yours to hold it high.<br />
If ye break faith with us who die<br />
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow<br />
In Flanders fields.</i></div>
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~ John McCrae, May 1915 </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296759914183177475.post-90413628533807393382014-04-11T23:35:00.000-05:002014-04-18T21:06:12.639-05:00Exploring Normandy and Ypres: Battle Plan Day 1 {Part 2} <br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Last Friday when we left off we had made it to France and were now about to get back on the road after our picnic lunch...</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">{if you missed that post you can read it <a href="http://www.havebookswilltravel2014.blogspot.com/2014/04/exploring-normandy-and-ypres-battle.html" target="_blank">here</a>} </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Our first planned stop on the Battle Plan was to visit the charming little town of Honfleur and I was really looking forward to getting there to show L around because I was so taken with the town from a visit a few years earlier. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiv6T8hFnSrkqGOrL0Fge7kAdcNXvP-_tdszX1Z8og7y10990kVzc4ZXwK5Codhh3hvc3SmeADPjcHbT7D2_QTTx0ggq75TzCo475V-XTjF5GXAgq9HvD5I4gnhnpK244fDJfR0OlA28xw/s1600/pontdenormandie3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiv6T8hFnSrkqGOrL0Fge7kAdcNXvP-_tdszX1Z8og7y10990kVzc4ZXwK5Codhh3hvc3SmeADPjcHbT7D2_QTTx0ggq75TzCo475V-XTjF5GXAgq9HvD5I4gnhnpK244fDJfR0OlA28xw/s1600/pontdenormandie3.jpg" height="400" width="305" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Along the way we went over the <i>Pont de Normandie</i> which held the record for being the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world until 2004. It is also now is the bridge with the sixth longest distance between piers for any cable-stayed bridge in the world {piers are 250 m or 820 ft apart!}. It opened in 1995 and crosses the river Seine between Le Havre and Honfleur. In addition to the motorway it also has a footpath and cycle lane although I'm not sure how safe I'd feel up there crossing on a really windy day!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pont de Normandie</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Just before crossing the bridge we drove by the road that turned off to go into Le Havre and we were quite tempted to take a quick run into town to pop in on our colleagues at that branch of our company. Imagine their surprise if their colleagues from other countries just happened to stop by! <i>Quelle surprise</i>! In the end we decided it was best to keep going as we had lots to see... besides with a good 30 minutes to do a round of<i> bisous, bisous</i> <i>{kiss, kiss}</i> in the office it wouldn't have been a quick visit!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Vieux-Bassin</i> of Honfleur - photo by L (photo can be enlarged if clicked on)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">There is a ton of history and beauty in Honfleur and I would recommend to anyone who visits this part of France to make it a stop along the way. You can get a nice taste of it in about an hour {though I'd like to return for a night or two to just enjoy sitting in a café and watching the sun set}. This is a town that has been painted many times by artists such as Eugène Boudin and Claude Monet and you will still see artists with their easels set up today along the <i>Vieux-Bassin</i> {old dock}. Is it any wonder really? Besides the picture perfect view of the whole harbour there are historic half-timbered buildings, the wooden Sainte-Catherine church with its separate bell tower, and the <i>Lieutenance</i>, just to name a few things. This town is one you can just wonder around and take lots and lots of photos. Which is precisely what we did on our visit.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAWB4_aTzVL_HiCTUMwO6DK4O6oPEqlY69-qmZ7b_d75DPVY7jKNeDpRkqH4bUcOB6_JpCOsRAM5GPidzobIMu7Xh7WzEetCgF1KJ9gMZQmC5t0FiALhdRVVOW8fBt5J2_vwiUgiiNf-o/s1600/lieutenance1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAWB4_aTzVL_HiCTUMwO6DK4O6oPEqlY69-qmZ7b_d75DPVY7jKNeDpRkqH4bUcOB6_JpCOsRAM5GPidzobIMu7Xh7WzEetCgF1KJ9gMZQmC5t0FiALhdRVVOW8fBt5J2_vwiUgiiNf-o/s1600/lieutenance1.jpg" height="362" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>La Lieutenance</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK4ta91NcVEGgQIBJ35dWaLZHQ8bmNTUppLSjK4IdVov2lHR2koHDPNnVmzFyZkv-obZTIfGGHi1-aq_8ckzSkk0C1mvqwL4QTTrB_Eo4SCNnm5mRZEynvIZ30pIfGv9st57pdU8bhsBPx/s1600/portedecaen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK4ta91NcVEGgQIBJ35dWaLZHQ8bmNTUppLSjK4IdVov2lHR2koHDPNnVmzFyZkv-obZTIfGGHi1-aq_8ckzSkk0C1mvqwL4QTTrB_Eo4SCNnm5mRZEynvIZ30pIfGv9st57pdU8bhsBPx/s1600/portedecaen.jpg" height="400" width="325" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Porte de Caen</i> - photo by L</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">As we came into the town we were at the end of the <i>Vieux-Bassin</i> where <i>la Lieuntance</i> is situated. Back in the 17th century this stone building was once the residence of the King's Lieutenant. On one side of the building is the <i>Porte de Caen</i> which was a gate into the city and part of its fortifications. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Honfleur also has a historical link to my home country of Canada as it was from here in 1608 that an expedition organized by Samuel de Champlain left and went on to found the city of Québec. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sainte Catherine's church - photo by L</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">We then wandered up through the narrow cobblestone streets to Sainte Catherine's church which is the largest wooden church with a separate bell-tower in France. It was built in the late 15th century by the people of <i>le Faubourg Sainte Catherine</i> which was a district outside the fortification primarily inhabited by sailors. They used their ship-building skills and designed a church that inside resembles the upside-down hull of a ship. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside Sainte Catherine's church - photos by L</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqIlcO2q3nBeagdme8FDIEgdVokao1ZQaXUraqKmtUJ5wnjaxs6yw77EhgoZkcMJxNFQH4dGIyCDDEJwEr3jFSEC8q4yigIO25GuFGOKtBf9xtJajSGVYTTjMFmwiB4LtRBVJIKMe6Wqu/s1600/saintecatherineschurch6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqIlcO2q3nBeagdme8FDIEgdVokao1ZQaXUraqKmtUJ5wnjaxs6yw77EhgoZkcMJxNFQH4dGIyCDDEJwEr3jFSEC8q4yigIO25GuFGOKtBf9xtJajSGVYTTjMFmwiB4LtRBVJIKMe6Wqu/s1600/saintecatherineschurch6.jpg" height="544" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sainte Catherine's church - photo by L</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">As you see all of the pictures of the church were taken by L- he did a MUCH better job than I did so I'm glad he said I could share them on here. I had a new camera on this trip and it took me a little bit to get used to it, to get photos in focus properly, and to stop taking pictures of all manner of things that I didn't intend to- my feet, L's feet, my jacket, L's jacket, a blurry fire extinguisher, the rear view mirror in the car, up my nose {I wish I was kidding}, my lap and the pen in my lap, L's <i>derrière</i> {OK so maybe some of those weren't exactly taken by accident...sorry Mom!}, the tire and side of the car, big blurry blobs of nothing, and one that is pretty much just white. I may have to do a post at the end of this series of posts solely made up of these photos. A blooper reel if you will. I've sure got enough of them!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">After puttering around in the church for a little bit we decided to just make a loop around the town and head back to the car to get on the road again. The rest of the photos in this post were just the things that caught our eye as we strolled along. All told I have about 100 photos just from our short wander around Honfleur. I guess <b>everything </b>caught my eye!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrB6NJpyj6mlvhr0ej1vRfouI9DlSq2yevsCNkC8EUEtRGOqcJntIH7JqxLTCTJUVsXzuoA82AtYmUBR0D-f96tJKQ4BUxhWrw7_ypjYPzPbLm1yw7-P9QpSnQsRXy4LQy7O2pQCMjajvN/s1600/honfleurcollage1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrB6NJpyj6mlvhr0ej1vRfouI9DlSq2yevsCNkC8EUEtRGOqcJntIH7JqxLTCTJUVsXzuoA82AtYmUBR0D-f96tJKQ4BUxhWrw7_ypjYPzPbLm1yw7-P9QpSnQsRXy4LQy7O2pQCMjajvN/s1600/honfleurcollage1.jpg" height="220" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strolling through the streets</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <i>Vieux-Bassin </i>from the opposite end</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1JwmmW2IxMlN4RKnfbyMb92HlrKpF-7IcbuyLG9q0YMDFuHzlXNrCD0aPw3H9D3OV88dr69pg89_cqDLPMmiRNx_eLIkvTra_e9EhUws5g8k45-aBk6ddMFm5FIPmOtbJFTv335JazIkD/s1600/honfleurcollage3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1JwmmW2IxMlN4RKnfbyMb92HlrKpF-7IcbuyLG9q0YMDFuHzlXNrCD0aPw3H9D3OV88dr69pg89_cqDLPMmiRNx_eLIkvTra_e9EhUws5g8k45-aBk6ddMFm5FIPmOtbJFTv335JazIkD/s1600/honfleurcollage3.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winding through the narrow streets by the <i>Grèniers à sel </i>{salt granaries} and through the old <i>Rue de la Prison</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">In the next post I'll finish up our first day in Normandy and show you around the WWII sites we visited- some pillboxes in Villerville and Mont Canisy in Benerville-sur-Mer. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0