Disney Magic 12 nt. British Isles Cruise 2017

[woody64]

Sorry, you have done such a great job on this report I just want to add two more pictures of where you were. Below is a picture of our guide Jacques and his notebook showing the Vierville Draw and how it looked around the war (National Guard Monument in the background). I have enlarged his copy to see more detail. Keep up the great report.

 

[Johnny Quest]

Sorry, you have done such a great job on this report I just want to add two more pictures of where you were. Below is a picture of our guide Jacques and his notebook showing the Vierville Draw and how it looked around the war (National Guard Monument in the background). I have enlarged his copy to see more detail. Keep up the great report.

Great pictures woody64. A tour guide can really make or break a tour. We had a very informed, dedicated guide for our Normandy day, although 1 day is not nearly enough time for this tour. We are very much looking forward to the 75th anniversary tour with Kevin Hymel next year.

 

[poison ivy]

Hi Poison Ivy, JQ, IM . Just came across your trip report while looking for a recent "after upgrades" report on the Magic. We'll be doing a 5 day late April '19 from Miami. Looks like you all had a fantastic time. I'll be following for the rest of your report. Loving your pictures. Hope you are all well.

Hi Henlady! So good to hear from you. Hope you guys are doing well. Funny that we popped up on a Magic upgrades search. Must have been meant to be.
We really did have a fantastic time on this cruise. I know Europe isn't on your radar, but if you ever change your mind, this is one cruise we really enjoyed. It's great to have you along.

As JQ was saying, we are booked on a Bermuda 5 nt out of NYC this fall, but seriously thinking about moving it to the NYC 7nt Members cruise in 2019, which would include a better itinerary. Not sure what we'll do, but the last 7nt Caribbean cruise we did on the Fantasy was not ideal so we're on hiatus from that area as a whole. Though we did love the Miami sail on the Magic we took in 2013 with a stop in Key West and keep thinking about going back. If you haven't sailed it before now, I know you'll have a great time. Especially in April.

We were on a different cruise line in 2016 and had a private guide for Normandy that was fantastic. We were lucky enough to stop at the Vierville Draw and see the National Guard Monument and the Ever Forward statue. Here is a stitched pano from just about the water line looking at what the soldiers would have seen. To the right is the actual draw and the National Guard Monument. What an amazing day made even more memorable now with Memorial Day in a couple days. We only drove past the memorial you stopped at.

Sorry, you have done such a great job on this report I just want to add two more pictures of where you were. Below is a picture of our guide Jacques and his notebook showing the Vierville Draw and how it looked around the war (National Guard Monument in the background). I have enlarged his copy to see more detail. Keep up the great report.

These pics are incredible! Especially that panoramic shot from the beach. Looking back at the stretch of Omaha beach from the waters edge was one of the more striking moments we felt.

And I really appreciate the historic photos your guide had. I zoomed in on his hat and noticed it's from the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans - so truly an exceptional guide.
IMO a private tour is the better way to go. The details are important, and a large bus tour like ours, provided very little information on that level. We'd see a vehicle or artifact or casemate from the bus window; etc. but couldn't put it all together with just these few brief visuals as you drive by.

Just looking at how little the roadway has changed is remarkable. This whole area I regret not having enough time in, and I'm really sorry we didn't stop at the Vierville Draw.
It's another big missed opportunity for us along with skipping the 1st infantry memorial at the Colleville Draw.

Thanks for posting.

 

[woody64]

Our guide Jacques grew up in the area and was wounded in the neck during the war when he was a 4. He was watching a dog fight happening above them and, ignoring his mother's instructions to stay in their bunker, got hit by a piece of shrapnel. He does not advertise to guide but finds work by word of mouth. A couple of weeks ago, we had the 4th family from our neighborhood use him and they loved it (we were #3). It was a little unsettling though when Jacques would point to a headstone and say that the brave soldier buried there was the same age as either of our two boys with us on the trip. His information was great, especially in the German cemetery, because he would point out headstones of SS officers because they mixed them with the regular soldiers so they would not be destroyed. By the way, the house behind the National Guard Monument survived all the US bombing and the rest of the war and doesn't look to have changed much.

We only had one day and truly not enough time. We did see Pegasus Bridge, a British and German cemetery, Le Grand Bunker, Juno Beach, Point du Hoc, and the US Cemetery at Omaha Beach. We had a wonderful lunch in Cruelly at the Hostellerie Saint Martin in an arched hall dating back to the 13th and 16th century. Truly a memorable day.

 

[poison ivy]

Disney Magic 12nt. British Isles Cruise
Day 2 – Le Havre, France (Mon. July 22, 2017)
weather: Normandy partly cloudy high 67 °F / 19 °C

DCL excursion D-Day landing beaches (LH12) continues…

I’d like to take a moment on this Memorial Day in honor and tribute to all those who have fallen in the service of our country.

(and in particular remembrance of our WWII soldiers here)

Tour stop #4: Omaha Beach (4:00 to 4:15 pm) Saint Laurent-sur-Mer

“The opposite of fear is not bravery. It’s faith”
Quote from JQ’s father (WWII Vet. Staff Sergeant Patton’s Third U.S. Army)




JQ immediately felt a connection to Omaha Beach.
While the Third US Army wasn’t moved into France until July 1944, this was the closest he had ever been to where his father served during WWII.


Where do I even begin with this segment?

It would be impossible to write in detail about the D-Day battle scenes at Omaha Beach. It’s far too graphic to imagine and very difficult to discuss.
(except to link a few sites for reference)


“From films such as The Longest Day to Saving Private Ryan, from books by Cornelius Ryan to Stephen Ambrose, the story of the horror and heroism of Omaha Beach has been told and retold.”


This is a great minute by minute timeline of our allied forces during D-Day to help determine what was happening when - on this critical day in history.

http://www.dday-overlord.com/en/d-day/timeline

The invasion began as the paratroopers dropped the minute the clock struck 0001 on June 6th with the first wave of the amphibious assault hitting the landing beaches at 0630.


Omaha Beach - The First Wave……………….

“The Corps would arrive at the beachhead in four stages.

The initial assault force (Force "O") consisted of the 1st Division, (Big Red One) reinforced to include four infantry regiments with strong attachments of artillery, armor, and engineers, as well as attachments of engineer and service units for movement to the beach.

Chief components of the 1st Division were its own 16th and 18th Regimental Combat Teams, the 116th Regimental Combat Team and the 115th Infantry attached from the 29th Division (the Blue and the Gray), and the Provisional Ranger Force of two battalions (2d and 5th).

Force "O" numbered 34,142 men and 3,306 vehicles”​

And for the next 6 ½ hrs (from 0630 to 1300) it truly was “bloody Omaha” – with the US engaged in fierce battle before the heavily manned German defenses aimed at Omaha Beach had finally begun to run silent.

• “Very little went as planned during the landing at Omaha Beach.
  
• Difficulties in navigation caused the majority of landing craft to miss their targets throughout the day.
  
• The defenses were unexpectedly strong, and inflicted heavy casualties on landing US troops.
  
• Weakened by the casualties taken just in landing, the surviving assault troops could not clear the heavily defended exits off the beach.
  
• Small penetrations were eventually achieved by groups of survivors making improvised assaults, scaling the bluffs between the most heavily defended points”

Probably the best place to start is right where we left off - stepping onto the beach.




Which immediately takes you back to 1944.

(stock photo)




This is a sobering place to visit.
Surrounded by history, grave sadness, and unimaginable loss.

You can’t help but look out to where our troops came in



and turn around to gauge how far it was just to get off this beach.



then look down wondering about the exact spot you happen to be standing.




Trying to picture what it must have been like on D-Day.

(photographs by Robert Capa, courtesy of the National Archives)




Capa was the only photographer embedded among the US troops during the first wave on D-Day at Omaha Beach. (these were 2 among just 11 photographs able to be salvaged out of 4 rolls of film he took that morning)



Amazingly the soldier in this photograph survived the war. Listen as decades later, he recalls that critical moment captured in time. (it’s a German interview but it’s all I managed to find)

Now here we are 73 years later. Standing on the beach at around 4:00 pm – right about the time the heaviest of our troops were arriving and continuing to advance inland

• visiting one of the most important places in history
  
• dropped off at this one small point along a 3 mile stretch of the US landing area
  
• given all of 15 minutes dedicated to the entirety of Omaha Beach
  
• not knowing our exact location in relation to the whole of the US D-Day invasion.

I emphasize this because to know the location of these Sectors and Draws in proximity to which troops actually landed where on D-Day is incredibly important.

Especially as it relates to what area of Omaha beach the tour will actually drop you off at.

JQ and I had no idea which of our troops’ footsteps we were given the honor to walk among on this particular section of beach.

So where exactly were we on Omaha Beach?

at Draw D-3

As you can see from this map

We travelled in at Les Moulins Draw D-3
and were dropped off between Dog Red & Easy Green​

If you look carefully at this map, you'll the see the planned landing points designated by sector at the top of the chart vs the actual places these companies landed on the beach.
​

“In the original plan a company from the second Rangers was to land on Charlie l

The four companies of the 29th US Infantry Division, 116th Regimental Combat Team were to land on Dog Green, Dog White, Dog Red and Easy Green

and the four companies of the 1st Infantry Division, 16th Regimental Combat Team were to land in pairs on Easy Red and Fox Green."​

However, this was not where the troops actually came in – as the rough seas and landing conditions caused many patrols to drift far off course.


"Strong currents and poor visiblity took the men of Companies G, F, and E of the 116th far from their intended landing areas. Instead of landing with Co. A near Vierville Draw, Company E would fight a mile away with the 1st Division. Companies G and F in twelve LCVPs would land near Les Moulins Draw."

And now we know. We walked where Companies G and F of the 116th landed …..


It pains me to say we really dropped the ball here. Hopefully others will benefit from our mistakes.

We then re-boarded the bus, drove along the coast and​

departed at Vierville Draw D-1, (a/k/a D1 or Exit D-1)

between Charlie & Dog Green
(where the monument to the National Guard sits)



which leads to Vierville-sur-Mer and onward to our final stop at Pointe du Hoc.

 

[Mathmagicland]

I’d like to take a moment on this Memorial Day in honor and tribute to all those who have fallen in the service of our country.

(and in particular remembrance of our WWII soldiers here)

“The opposite of fear is not bravery. It’s faith”
Quote from JQ’s father (WWII Vet. Staff Sergeant Patton’s Third U.S. Army)

Thank you so much for this post. I’ve been thinking a lot today about those who gave their all at DDay. We can never repay the debt we owe them. I’m not too far from a Commemorative Air Force group. Very moving to see a flyover formation of five WWII era planes over my house this morning...they flew over twice.

 

[Johnny Quest]

Great update!...and a great day to post it too.
I think back and regret being a kid and not bugging my Father for more of his experiences, but then I realize he wouldn't have told me anyway.

He only told us a couple things, one of which was being on leave in Germany at a carnival and playing a game where there was a stick match on a small post. The object was to light the match with a BB gun without breaking the match. He lit the match but the guy had no prize because no one had ever won. It was enough to satisfy our curiosity in a positive way...amazing.

I recommend clicking on the timeline link that Poison included. I couldn't stop reading as it pulled me in to the mayhem they must have been experiencing. What a truly incredible accomplishment this was. I will be forever grateful to that generation.

Mathmagicland, thanks for the picture. Must have been a great thing to see. It reminds me of when I was searching for tanks online and came across a Texas ranch where you can literally drive and fire a Sherman tank! What an extravagant indulgence that would be!

 

[Johnny Quest]

Our guide Jacques grew up in the area and was wounded in the neck during the war when he was a 4. He was watching a dog fight happening above them and, ignoring his mother's instructions to stay in their bunker, got hit by a piece of shrapnel. He does not advertise to guide but finds work by word of mouth. A couple of weeks ago, we had the 4th family from our neighborhood use him and they loved it (we were #3). It was a little unsettling though when Jacques would point to a headstone and say that the brave soldier buried there was the same age as either of our two boys with us on the trip. His information was great, especially in the German cemetery, because he would point out headstones of SS officers because they mixed them with the regular soldiers so they would not be destroyed. By the way, the house behind the National Guard Monument survived all the US bombing and the rest of the war and doesn't look to have changed much.

We only had one day and truly not enough time. We did see Pegasus Bridge, a British and German cemetery, Le Grand Bunker, Juno Beach, Point du Hoc, and the US Cemetery at Omaha Beach. We had a wonderful lunch in Cruelly at the Hostellerie Saint Martin in an arched hall dating back to the 13th and 16th century. Truly a memorable day.

Woody64, sounds like you had a great day in Normandy. Interesting to have met someone who lived through that. A very unique perspective to hear from.

 

[woody64]

Great report and links. Having been to many battlefields, from the site of the Boston Massacre, Gettysburg, Pearl Harbor, and the beaches of Normandy, we must never forget any of their sacrifices.

Please allow me to post a couple more pictures I took on your thread, one of “Ever Forward” - the memorial dedicated to the 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division, and one from the Normandy American Cemetery.

Keep up the great report.

 

[poison ivy]

Our guide Jacques grew up in the area and was wounded in the neck during the war when he was a 4. He was watching a dog fight happening above them and, ignoring his mother's instructions to stay in their bunker, got hit by a piece of shrapnel. He does not advertise to guide but finds work by word of mouth. A couple of weeks ago, we had the 4th family from our neighborhood use him and they loved it (we were #3). It was a little unsettling though when Jacques would point to a headstone and say that the brave soldier buried there was the same age as either of our two boys with us on the trip. His information was great, especially in the German cemetery, because he would point out headstones of SS officers because they mixed them with the regular soldiers so they would not be destroyed. By the way, the house behind the National Guard Monument survived all the US bombing and the rest of the war and doesn't look to have changed much.

We only had one day and truly not enough time. We did see Pegasus Bridge, a British and German cemetery, Le Grand Bunker, Juno Beach, Point du Hoc, and the US Cemetery at Omaha Beach. We had a wonderful lunch in Cruelly at the Hostellerie Saint Martin in an arched hall dating back to the 13th and 16th century. Truly a memorable day.

What a story. The locals hiding out through the occupation and the war is another area we forget to talk about. That's an incredible find locating Jacques through word of mouth. We would have loved to have had him as a guide. Just excellent.

Thank you so much for this post. I’ve been thinking a lot today about those who gave their all at DDay. We can never repay the debt we owe them. I’m not too far from a Commemorative Air Force group. Very moving to see a flyover formation of five WWII era planes over my house this morning...they flew over twice.

View attachment 325501

Thanks. It was important to me to not let this update go beyond today. It was such an honor to visit. What an amazing sight to have that flyover today. Really would have liked to see that. Thanks for posting.

Great report and links. Having been to many battlefields, from the site of the Boston Massacre, Gettysburg, Pearl Harbor, and the beaches of Normandy, we must never forget any of their sacrifices.

Please allow me to post a couple more pictures I took on your thread, one of “Ever Forward” - the memorial dedicated to the 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division, and one from the Normandy American Cemetery and .

Keep up the great report.

Thank you so much for these pictures. They are strikingly moving and capture the moment so incredibly. It's been a truly remarkable remembrance for us. Glad to have you along. Thanks again for posting.

 

[Arizona Rita]

Hello all!
Poison Ivy i have to commend you on such a great report and awesome photos!
We took the BI Inaugural cruise in 2016 and in reading your report it is like reliving our cruise.
Writing a trip report is time consuming but if you remember to print a copy generations will have it in the future. I am an avid scrapbooker and I write my reports instead of journaling.
I was very touched by what John said about the children playing on the beach and that was what the soldiers were fighting for and that you used the word surreal. I used those words on my pages just this past week.
What I find interesting though is that your cruise is almost the exact opposite from what we did. We left from Dover and Le Havre was almost our last port (we did Guernsey after that). DH does know that he would like route you took because how do you follow Omaha with Liverpool and the Beatle tour we took.
I look forward to reading more when you have time to post and appreciate the time you have put into your report.

 

[poison ivy]

Hello all!
Poison Ivy i have to commend you on such a great report and awesome photos!
We took the BI Inaugural cruise in 2016 and in reading your report it is like reliving our cruise.
Writing a trip report is time consuming but if you remember to print a copy generations will have it in the future. I am an avid scrapbooker and I write my reports instead of journaling.
I was very touched by what John said about the children playing on the beach and that was what the soldiers were fighting for and that you used the word surreal. I used those words on my pages just this past week.
What I find interesting though is that your cruise is almost the exact opposite from what we did. We left from Dover and Le Havre was almost our last port (we did Guernsey after that). DH does know that he would like route you took because how do you follow Omaha with Liverpool and the Beatle tour we took.
I look forward to reading more when you have time to post and appreciate the time you have put into your report.

Thanks so much and welcome! It's great hearing from the BI inaugural cruisers. Glad to have you along and happy you're enjoying the trip report so far. I can appreciate the time and effort it must take to scrapbook and write a report on a cruise like ours so my compliments. And I will definitely take your advice and print a copy.

I don't know what it is about the magic of a British Isles cruise, but when Disney first announced the 2016 Inaugural 12nt. itinerary, JQ and I really wanted to go. Unfortunately we were committed elsewhere but were constantly checking availability and trying to work out a way to get on that ship. Very jealous when you guys set sail. So when they announced 2017, we jumped on it.

I definitely understand your DH's point about the reverse direction of our 2 cruises. Tough to follow a solemn day at Normandy with an upbeat Liverpool stop and Beatles tour. But Disney did a great job in putting this itinerary together, and it managed to flow exceptionally well given Liverpool wasn't until Day 5 and considering the choices we made with our excursions. We had a lot of energy early on which was good for that long full day tour of the D-Day landings, followed by a tranquil serene visit to Glastonbury Tor and the Cathedral City of Wells while in Portland, then on to another long full day in Dublin and finally to Liverpool (Wales for us).

Then sailing on to Scotland! (I was thankful for that at sea day on our last day of the cruise as a result.)

Surprisingly, both directions seem to work pretty well.

I'd love to do this cruise again.

 

[tink1970]

Great update!...and a great day to post it too.
I think back and regret being a kid and not bugging my Father for more of his experiences, but then I realize he wouldn't have told me anyway.

He only told us a couple things, one of which was being on leave in Germany at a carnival and playing a game where there was a stick match on a small post. The object was to light the match with a BB gun without breaking the match. He lit the match but the guy had no prize because no one had ever won. It was enough to satisfy our curiosity in a positive way...amazing

@JQ, what a wonderful story he did share with you! My daughter's grandfather (ie, ex-FIL) served on Iwo Jima as a 17 year old Marine. He never spoke about his service to his children. In my experiences working with veterans, they would often only tell war stories with each other (and the occasional professional observing/guiding the discussion). I think it allowed them to compartmentalize-keeping their horrible memories of war separate from that of family. That's just my theory of course. It sounds like your father was a wonderful role model.

 

[Johnny Quest]

@JQ, what a wonderful story he did share with you! My daughter's grandfather (ie, ex-FIL) served on Iwo Jima as a 17 year old Marine. He never spoke about his service to his children. In my experiences working with veterans, they would often only tell war stories with each other (and the occasional professional observing/guiding the discussion). I think it allowed them to compartmentalize-keeping their horrible memories of war separate from that of family. That's just my theory of course. It sounds like your father was a wonderful role model.

While I certainly understand and appreciate his purpose, it's now difficult not knowing what he went through. We watched Band of Brothers and I'm sure his service was very similar. He served 2 1/2 years and made it through the Battle of the Bulge and Germany's surrender. Then was ordered to go to the Pacific, but that ended also.
My oldest brother was born while my Father served and when he came home, he had 10 more kids. I think they valued life much more afterward...no time to dwell on the past.

 

[poison ivy]

Disney Magic 12nt. British Isles Cruise
Day 2 – Le Havre, France
Mon. July 22, 2017

weather: Normandy partly cloudy high 67 °F / 19 °C

DCL excursion D-Day landing beaches (LH12) continues…

Here are some images of several events held in Normandy on June 6, 2018 to commemorate the 74th anniversary of D-Day courtesy of the American Legion

https://www.legion.org/honor/photos/232985/images-honor-normandy

And I can’t think of a better way to wrap up Normandy than right here, in remembrance of D-Day and more importantly for these brave Rangers who held their positions through DDay+2.

Tour stop #5 - Pointe du Hoc (Cricqueville-en-Bessin)
4:30 to 5:30 pm

After our visits to the Normandy American Cemetery and Omaha Beach

(stock photo 1)



It was time for the 5th and Final stop on this marathon 11.5 hr excursion.

Pointe du Hoc

(stock photo 2)




Once again, JQ and I found ourselves in unfamiliar territory with respect to Pointe du Hoc.
We honestly had never heard the name and knew nothing about it.
(add this to an ever growing list of regrets with Normandy)

Yet the Rangers efforts here were of such a critical part in the war, I only wish we had a better understanding of what we were looking at and why.

Rudder’s Rangers and the Boys of Pointe du Hoc:
The U.S. Army Rangers’ Mission in the Early Morning Hours of 6 June 1944

https://armyhistory.org/rudders-ran...on-in-the-early-morning-hours-of-6-june-1944/

• "Pointe du Hoc, a prominent position along the coast of Normandy, was a focal point of the amphibious assault by U.S. forces during the early morning hours of D-Day, 6 June 1944. The cliff top is located between Utah and Omaha Beaches and sits atop overhanging cliffs up to 100 feet in height. The careful and thorough planning of the Normandy invasion determined that several key missions would require painstakingly accurate execution in order for the invasion to go as planned, and one of those missions was the capture of Pointe du Hoc. As such, Allied planners named Pointe du Hoc one of the most dangerous German defensive positions on the Norman coast.

• On D-Day, Rudder and his force from the 2d Ranger Battalion, made up of 225 soldiers, along with Lieutenant Colonel Max Schneider and the 5th Ranger Battalion in support, would carry out the mission to scale these cliffs before dawn on that fateful day and neutralize enemy positions atop Pointe du Hoc.

• June 6-8: After fighting two days, only about 90 Rangers stood when relieved by Schneider’s Rangers and the 29th Division from Omaha Beach".

Pointe du Hoc was transferred to the US by the French Government in 1979, where it too remains under the perpetual care and maintenance of the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC).

(Admission is Free)
​

And as we approached to park, we were given this great visual of hedgerows which are legendary to this region as told in so many war stories by our D-Day veterans.
(Of course this being a US site, these are well manicured far beyond the typical thick brush conditions the soldiers endured)

But really something to see




The ABMC provides this brochure with a guided walking map for visitors.




A few comments to assist with planning a visit:

I. that ABMC brochure I just posted was not handed out as part of our tour. (but I wish it had been)
I happened to find them as we were leaving – placed just outside the visitor center near the story walls.​

You can check out their relatively new Visitor Center here: http://nka.fr/portfolio/09106-en/
(which we unfortunately did not have time to see)​

(stock Photo 3) - those partially opened doors lead to the restrooms​

“The American Battle Monuments Commission is opening to the public a new visitor center at the Pointe du Hoc in Cricqueville en Bessin, France on March 15, 2014. The visitor center tells the story of individual competence, courage and sacrifice, using an array of interpretive exhibits and multimedia to put the battle of Pointe du Hoc, D-Day landings and follow-on battle in Europe in perspective as one of the greatest military achievements of all time"


II. For some odd reason, if you pick up the printed ABMC brochure distributed and collected at the site, it does not show the location of the Parking lot; Visitor center or bathroom facilities anywhere on it.

Yet their downloadable pdf version off the ABMC website does.

click here: https://www.abmc.gov/learning-resources/publications/pointe-du-hoc-ranger-monument-visitor-brochure

At first I thought they must be using up old brochures onsite, which was odd since they opened the new facility 4 yrs. ago and the website dates their version as being from 2014.

But now I’m not so sure because if you look back at my actual brochure posted above, and zoom in on the fine print right under the Pointe map it reads, “from the visitor center proceed to the ceremonial circle (#1 above)”.

So there must have been a visitor center during the time these printed - (unless they're referring to some old center that used to be there) ​

FYI: Here’s a screenshot from the current downloadable brochure. Make special note of the distances from the parking area; visitor center and bathroom in proximity to the landmarks.​

III. Pointe du Hoc can be a lot of walking – especially if you want to do a full loop starting from the ceremonial circle, out to the Command Center (where the Ranger memorial is) and follow around to the other side ending at the parking lot.

The main footpaths are accessible but there will be grass, concrete and steps to contend with if you want to venture further.​

IV. The ABMC has been promoting their interactive app you can download with tools to assist visitors at Pointe du Hoc.

Linked here: https://www.abmc.gov/news-events/news/explore-battle-pointe-du-hoc-your-smartphone#.WxnGkGxdOJI

I have no idea how well this performs in practice, and therefore can't lend any assistance in that respect.
But there's always that risk technology may not be reliable (as you’ll see when we get to Dublin) - so you might want the brochure as well.​

V. Ok this last item is where I made my biggest mistake of the entire day – and why I can’t emphasize enough the point about getting your timing down.​

The ABMC recommends you bear right from the parking lot to begin the walking tour at the visitor center.
(you can see it behind us off in the distance)​

But notice what our guide is doing in that photo? He has us take a left - not a right as we begin walking.​

Which I now know means you will be starting the tour backward - running counter to the numbering on the map and in the reverse direction from the center.
(and more importantly, leading away from the facilities)​

By the time JQ and I had worked our way back around to the Visitor Center our bus was close to leaving.
So we’re figuring we’ll quickly use the bathroom before the long ride back to the port - get in / get out and hop back on the bus right on time.

Well this turned out to be a wrong move in my case. ​

Because I did not anticipate there being a HUGE line at the ladies room - mainly from all the tour busses.
Seemed everyone converged at the same point at the same time with the same idea in mind.

You can see the line extending well outside in this pic. I was to get behind the woman in the hat. (no wait for IM though)​

And unfortunately, it crawled ridiculously slow – seemed to take forever. Several of us from a number of coaches were just stuck with no options since this was the absolute last call for a bathroom break for the next 2 ½ hrs.

So I wound up late which held up the coach and our guide was pretty anxious. He hastened to get moving the minute he saw me.​

Lesson learned. Be prepared. Expect lines.​

Last installment coming right up….

 

[85glht]

No matter where we go... the ladies room ALWAYS has a long line...

 

[poison ivy]

No matter where we go... the ladies room ALWAYS has a long line...

I think we got spoiled with always being first on this tour and I should have known. Never again.
but fortunately, I only had one really bad experience on this whole trip. Happened at a Starbucks bathroom in Dublin. omg

 

[poison ivy]

Disney Magic 12nt. British Isles
Le Havre, France

DCL excursion D-Day landing beaches (LH12) concludes...

Tour stop #5 - Pointe du Hoc (pt. 2)

Time to check out the site.

It was around 4:30 pm when we arrived and we were to explore on our own for 1 hr.
(not even close to enough time as usual)


Pointe du Hoc is a major tourist stop.

Spanning 30 acres of battlefield…..

“It remains today one of the most impressive of the D-Day sites to see.”

This is a great video. It shows the vast size of this place in such incredible detail.

Two things you immediately notice when you arrive here:

1. The scope and depth of the craters that blanket the ground - having suffered extensive aerial attacks before and during the war.

"The ground remains unchanged since 1944, covered with the craters left by the hundreds of bombs that were dropped here before the landings; even after more than 65 years it can still easily be imagined how this place must have looked on June 6th 1944.” ​

2. and the remains of the German bunkers, gun emplacements and casemates. (which you’ll quickly learn, were still under construction and that none of the 155mm guns believed to be in position, were actually here on D-Day)




"As the other Rangers moved toward their objectives, they soon realized that the Germans had moved the guns; many of the emplacements/casemates, damaged by the Allied bombardment, held only dummy guns made out of painted telephone posts. After discovering that the guns had been repositioned, the Rangers regrouped and set out under intermittent sniper, automatic weapons, and mortar and artillery fire to find the new locations of the artillery."




But since we didn’t do any research and we didn’t have a walking tour map, we basically did what you’d expect – mindlessly walked the perimeter of the site. Just wandering in and around what remained of the bunkers and casemates damaged by both aerial and naval bombardments, and the ground assault from Army Rangers.









When we got to the Rangers Memorial and the German Observation Post it was basically the same story.
(previously closed to the public for 9 years from 2002-2011)






A lot of damage. A lot of detail. Certain things you could definitely figure out, but again, no idea what the full set up was here.




But the engineering was fascinating. Especially this lookout point. (you can see how crowded it gets in there)





Safe to say looking back, that our pictures from Pointe du Hoc didn’t make much sense to us at the time.

But fortunately they do now.

Thanks in part to this video which I encourage everyone to watch if you plan to visit. (or when you return - like I have)

It’s about 18 min. long but invaluable IMO. You’ll never get an unobstructed guided tour like this no matter who you happen to book with.
Pointe du Hoc is a busy tourist area and the bunkers are way too congested in tight spacing to provide a full open narrated walkthrough such as the one you’re about to see.

Check it out: (courtesy of the ABMC)

Really helped put our visit in perspective after the fact which I am grateful for.

And that concludes our Disney excursion from the Port of Le Havre.

We paid $170.00 ea = $ 510.00 for 3 AD for this tour charged to our DCL acct the day we boarded. (which included a full lunch and 11.5 hr coach transport - well worth it IMO)

We carried 200 € in cash - but hardly spent much

bought two books and a foldout card as souvenirs - 38 €
ice cream and shake - 10 €
and tipped the guide - 20 €

We did have to sacrifice a lot on time.

Which is why we're looking forward to going back.
And hopefully we’ll get to visit these top 5 must sees as well, this time around:

 

[Johnny Quest]

Wow! We missed a lot!
Thank goodness we're going back. The explanation of the command bunker is fascinating. I remember walking through it wondering what each room was used for. The bunk rooms and observation room were obvious. Great videos and I want to do every item in the last video.

 

[poison ivy]

Wow! We missed a lot!
Thank goodness we're going back. The explanation of the command bunker is fascinating. I remember walking through it wondering what each room was used for. The bunk rooms and observation room were obvious. Great videos and I want to do every item in the last video.

I hope we get to those top 5 must see attractions next year. It's tough when you have no control over the schedule. Might have to be a quick side trip during some free time but I'm in!