OT: Anyone here visited Normandy?

[JeannoCT]

Did a Band of Brothers tour in 2017 that started in Paris and then followed the 101st Airborne’s path from Normandy all the way to Hitler’s Eagles Nest outside Berchtesgaden. In Normandy Bayeux is a neat place to stay, and not far to the coast. In addition to other recommendations you’ve received the museum at St Mere Eglise where a replica of the paratrooper hanging from the church steeple is still there is very good, along with the museum at Utah Beach and a statue of Dick Winters not far from Brecourt Manor.
I found the French people in Normandy very welcoming and I was amazed how emotional many still were about the war and thankful for what the Americans did for them. Language was a little more of an issue in Normandy than anywhere else we went but it’s always easy to find someone who spoke English to help. The wife spoke speaks some French and I basic German so we managed fairly well.
I have to admit the posters recommending drinking the Calvados are tougher than I am, but the French wines were amazing, and the Belgians and Germans can definitely do beer although it’s easy to let your fuel-air mixture to get too rich since it’s 8-11% alcohol. You will enjoy Normandy

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I was researching this Band of Brothers tour just before covid, and I haven't gone back to research it again. I really want to do this type of tour. My uncle was wounded at Omaha beach, so that holds special meaning for me. I talked to my mother a great deal about the war in her later years. She talked about all the young men going off to war, even some still in high school. Truly the greatest generation.

 

[Fishy]

With due respect, Fishy, if you find French people annoying you might be some of the cause... with comments like that I'm not surprised. I've enjoyed my interactions with the French.

You can go to a dozen countries and rank the locals in terms of friendliness…the French will be last. I think the French would rank the French last.

But pretend otherwise if you’d like.

 

[The deacon]

You can go to a dozen countries and rank the locals in terms of friendliness…the French will be last. I think the French would rank the French last.

But pretend otherwise if you’d like.

Fishy knows best, I guess.

 

[Twolf]

I was researching this Band of Brothers tour just before covid, and I haven't gone back to research it again. I really want to do this type of tour. My uncle was wounded at Omaha beach, so that holds special meaning for me. I talked to my mother a great deal about the war in her later years. She talked about all the young men going off to war, even some still in high school. Truly the greatest generation.

We had a great tour with our guides, who were from Hungary. The best part however were the local guides we had at every stop. The Band of Brothers tours are no longer in operation after COVID, and I had read that when they were cancelled due to the pandemic many people who had signed up and had paid for their tour didn’t get their $ back. If you are interested in a similar type tour I believe researching the tours that the WW II Museum in New Orleans sponsors is where I would start. They have a good reputation and I have heard good things about them, but I’m sure there are others that I’m not aware of. With the interests you expressed I feel you’d have a great experience and a much greater appreciation of the sacrifices made by what was truly the greatest generation. I truly miss those people who grew up during the depression, fought WWII, and were a highly independent group who wanted no help from anyone. I know I didn’t appreciate everything they accomplished when I was growing up, but as I matured I had feelings of guilt for not realizing just how much they sacrificed for the survival of our country.

 

[JeannoCT]

We had a great tour with our guides, who were from Hungary. The best part however were the local guides we had at every stop. The Band of Brothers tours are no longer in operation after COVID, and I had read that when they were cancelled due to the pandemic many people who had signed up and had paid for their tour didn’t get their $ back. If you are interested in a similar type tour I believe researching the tours that the WW II Museum in New Orleans sponsors is where I would start. They have a good reputation and I have heard good things about them, but I’m sure there are others that I’m not aware of. With the interests you expressed I feel you’d have a great experience and a much greater appreciation of the sacrifices made by what was truly the greatest generation. I truly miss those people who grew up during the depression, fought WWII, and were a highly independent group who wanted no help from anyone. I know I didn’t appreciate everything they accomplished when I was growing up, but as I matured I had feelings of guilt for not realizing just how much they sacrificed for the survival of our country.

Thank you for the suggestion. The tour I was looking at wasn't the "band of brothers" but a similar group out of Florida who also went out of business. By the time I found out about my uncle at Omaha, he was living out his last days at a VA hospital. A lot of that generation didn't talk about their war experiences; they just went about their lives. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

 

[HuskyNan]

You can go to a dozen countries and rank the locals in terms of friendliness…the French will be last. I think the French would rank the French last.

But pretend otherwise if you’d like.

We were in Paris in 2015. I was generally met with disdain bordering on hostility until I attempted to communicate in my very awful French, then they were much more accommodating. This was true everywhere but the very touristy areas and the high end hotels/restaurants.

The only thing I say clearly in French is “Do you speak English? “ and “I’m sorry, I don’t speak French well”.

 

[Viet Vet]

Have been twice. Bayeux is centrally located, the Bayeux Tapestry is not to be missed. If WW II is of interest, I heartily suggest renting a car and taking at least two days to visit all five D-Day Beaches. You'll be moved as you travel through all the small villages that fly the French trois colours along with the Canadian Maple Leaf, the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes. Have your photo taken along with your name written in the sand at each beach. You'll appreciate it later.

We visited all five of the participating nations' cemeteries; French, UK, Canadien, US, Polish (a bit farther inland near Falaise) and German. Do NOT miss the German cemetery. It has 22,000 graves, and the story of its origin is touching. Ike gets the credit for persuading the French to donate the site.

 

[Pharos]

Saw Bruges on one of our river cruises. Beautiful city. A bit out of the Way for Nan I would think. First time I ever saw a dog in a restaurant was on Mt. Saint Michel. Not the highlight of the trip.

Lived in Belgium for 13 years. Dogs go everywhere... even church. : )

 

[Fishy]

We were in Paris in 2015. I was generally met with disdain bordering on hostility until I attempted to communicate in my very awful French, then they were much more accommodating. This was true everywhere but the very touristy areas and the high end hotels/restaurants.

The only thing I say clearly in French is “Do you speak English? “ and “I’m sorry, I don’t speak French well”.

The further you get from Paris, the worse it gets.

We were in St. Emilion a few weeks ago and the only absolutely charming person we met was a guy named Paddy O’ Flynn who owns The Wine Buff.

One of the reasons why we like the Hilton Opera is that it is largely staffed by British people.

 

[HuskyNan]

Lived in Belgium for 13 years. Dogs go everywhere... even church. : )

It’s like that in Florida- restaurants, grocery stores, wherever

 

[CONN78SEJ]

It’s like that in Florida- restaurants, grocery stores, wherever

Maybe he mean’t they “go everywhere” in a different sense.

 

[Jasper Husky]

If you like impressionism art, when in Paris, consider visiting Musée d'Orsay. It is a fav of mine.

 

[oldude]

If you like impressionism art, when in Paris, consider visiting Musée d'Orsay. It is a fav of mine.

Or take a day trip to nearby Giverny, where Monet illegally diverted a stream to create a lush and beautiful garden landscape that Monet fans will instantly recognize as the subject of many of his impressionist paintings.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Or take a day trip to nearby Giverny, where Monet illegally diverted a stream to create a lush and beautiful garden atmosphere that Monet fans will instantly recognize as the subject of many of his impressionist paintings.

That’s where he painted all of his “water lilies” works.

 

[The deacon]

That’s where he painted all of his “water lilies” works.

Speaking of 'water lilies,' those awesome Monet murals are exhibited in their own room at Musee de l'Orangerie, which is dedicated principally to impressionist art. If you're a Renoir fan, or so many greats, head there before or after d'Orsay. It's about a 3- to 5-minute walk from d'Orsay, almost directly across the Seine, in the west corner of the Tuileries Gardens. One could spend days in that part of Paris... too many wonderful sites to mention here. Now I wanna go back...

 

[UcMiami]

One of the issues Americans have in Europe and especially in France is when we enter any establishment (food, shopping, hotel, etc.) our first instinct is to say, 'I want ...' or 'I am looking for...' or 'Can you ...' etc. And a European's first words are 'Good morning', 'Good afternoon', or 'Good evening' in whatever local language. It is a simple acknowledgement of the proprietor as a fellow human and without it we Americans appear rude and pushy. I found a surprising change in attitude when I learned that simple lesson from a friend.

I loved my short visit to Bayeux to see the tapestry but was headed for Mont Saint Michel (fabulous) and didn't do the WWII sites on the trip. Would love to do both those and the WWI sites as well. Two great generations not just one. (I visited Oxford with my father who was there in 1936-38 and we visited the wall honoring theWW2 war dead at his college as he pointed out all his friends names - from his 2 years at Oxford he only knew two Europeans who survived the war. Europe truly lost 2 full generations of men in a 30 year span)

Love Paris and London - I would recommend looking into the various tourist passes you can purchase either before you arrive or when you arrive. They give free admission to many museums and sites, and usually have a separate entrance or allow you to skip the line, and some give you free bus/subway travel as well. They have various time limits from a day to a week and get a time stamp the first time you use them.

One of my favorite small museums in Paris is the Musée Rodin located in his former studio and the grounds. There are other small museums that are fun as well - a Picasso one, a Delacroix one, etc. I recommend searching a map of the area around wherever you are staying to see if there are any little gems hidden in easy walking distance for when you have an hour free. It may not be something breathtaking, but it maybe something you treasure more than the flashy tourist places everyone goes. (Same can be true in both England and Ireland - so much history and culture especially to us who have only a few centuries of history around us.