The Beaches of Normandy

Notes From The Edge...
The tiny village of Bayeux sits closest to beaches in the Normandy region of France, the site of the Allied attack on Nazi occupied France. What brought me here was history. Perhaps I would not have found Bayeux otherwise, if it weren't for my curiosity compelling me to do so.

Nevertheless, the experience was incomparable. In some sense, however, Normandy was different. To visit an important historic site is one thing, but one which began the liberation of Europe is another. While I visited Point Du Hoc, the 50 foot cliff which Allied soldiers scaled to destroy a German barrack, I stood dumbfounded, searching endlessly for the words to describe it, to reconcile my thoughts. I had none.

I stared at the holes in the cliffs which had obviously come from bombshells; I stood in a makeshift German defense post and imagined the view through the barrel of a rifle; and I tried to conceive of a 50 foot cliff jaunt, an impossible task in any circumstances, let alone being fired at from every possible angle. I hope that some of the pictures speak for themselves. Anyone who appreciates the destructiveness and values human life I hope will understand.