The wild camping is always great, but has dark sides. Humidity and warried to be busted. Anyway i change my socks two time because the field where i slept is very wet and the temperature around 4℃. Cold but manageble. England’s bicycle rides at 0℃ forged me. I realize where i’m when i pass the motorway and i find the way for my new target. The German Cenetery in La Combe. I let you know, it’s not like you think to be. If you are expecting nazi flag overthere, flowers to the “patriots” of Reich you are wrong. It’a a cemetry in the deep of Franch country with 200 acres’s trees and simple and small stones. 20000 graves. It was an american burial but every body were been moved in USA. Until 1948 is become a German chemetery like the american one at Saint Lorain sur Mere. It’s realy pacefull and without any simblol of war or flags. Just stones and names and the only request to leave in peace the soldiers dead on this land.
My trip it’s through the coast and i’m really close on one of the most important pages, in my opinion, of the landing in normandy. The climb of Le Pointe du Hoc by American Ranger. I tried to find the museum of Ranger but now is closed. At is place i find an infopoint which give me a map. Thank you. I stop to Grandcamp, one of the site of artificial Harbor. It’s a fisherman village and you can find a little market of fresh fish. On the peak of the harbor i meet a lovley family from Belgium. I take a picture for then and they take my a picture. Merci e bonne vojage pour votre vacance. Ou revoire.
Far i can see Le pointe du hoc (it pointe and not point. Americans changed the name but it change the meaning. Pointe, in french, is spike/peak because this piece of land is a peak on the sea. It’s not a point, but one of the reason could be the prononciation). Le Point du Hoc was the key of the success of the operation Overlord. La pointe du hoc had a full defence battery against planes and ships. The sabotation of this portion of beach was vital for the operation. The position is been bombarded the nights before the attack and in the early morning over 200 Rangers tried to climb the hill by ladder and ropes. It was a really brave action because the Ranger were under the enemy fire without protection, but the german defence was not enough for a fantery attack from the beach. The Rangers gained the position. Just 91 Rangers were able to protect it at the and of the attack. At pointe du hoc is possible to watch the rest of the batteries and the field with the holes of the bombs dropped from planes.
Next stop Omaha beach. Another place were america army landed. This is the beach of Saiving private Ryan. Now the beach is without protection against tanks. Just monument and commemoration place, beautiful houses and smal villages.At the top of the hill is curious to visit the emergency landing slope. Before was a dumpy hill and after one night the engenires builted a flat field for planes out of fuel, pilots in bornout, hospital planes ecc…
Impossible not visit one of the most famous place in Omaha beach. The american cemetery and memorial. 9387 graves plus commmemoration to missed in battle. A good museum, free admission, and a field full of cross or david’s stars. On the memorial it’s possible to see maps of the american attack.
At port en Bessin it’s possible to see a small harbour with a Vauban tower (yes, it is still him) and just a few of km later it’s possible to see a complete battery of defence in Loungues sur Mer.
I decide to sleep in Arromanches. Small city famous for the artificial harbour made by British army. It’s near Gold beach, the place of British landing. A good museum, lovely small village and a good camping.
See you tomorrow
Leeds Bussoleno 