Vacation Recap: Day 5

Tuesday the 22^nd was an action-packed day that began with the Battle of Hastings and ended with the D-Day landings.

We first went to the town of Bayeux to see the Bayeux Tapestry. Nearly 1000 years-old and over 200 feet long, the tapestry chronicles the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. I found the tapestry fascinating, especially as I had an audio-tour that described each panel of it.

After Bayeux, we headed to the coast, stopping in Arromanches-les-Bains for lunch (moules et frites -- yum!) and a look at the remains of Mulberry Harbour B, one of the artificial harbors constructed to bring in supplies for the D-Day landings.

Our next stop was the excellent and informative visitors’ center and memorial at Omaha Beach, where we spent about two hours, first going through the visitors' and then walking down to the beach.

Since it wasn't far away, we headed to the Ranger Monument at Pointe du Hoc, and then -- since our goal had apparently become 12 hours of sightseeing -- we made one more stop for the day: Sainte-Mère-Église. On D-Day, when paratroopers landed in this town, one soldier's parachute became entangled with church's spire. This incident became the basis for The Longest Day.

Church with slightly unconvincing model
of paratroop and parachute