View from inside a German bunker on the Normandy beaches
The view from inside a bunker is not quite what folks have come to Normandy for in recent years. These are cold, tough buildings that realy make you wonder how men spent so much time and resources in waging war against each other. The bunkers are not so big looking now as the Normandy coastline is expanding, i.e. many of the dunes are getting taller. Kind of the opposite to erosion.
Large gun bunkers still intact
Some of the bunkers are still as they were during 1944 when they were overrun by the Allies. All of this came at a terrible cost on both sides.
The American graveyard and monument is really well maintained.
While the Irish were neutral during the war, we did find a 20 pounder that had been donated just a couple of years ago by the Irish Defense Forces to the Canadian museum in Juno beach.
Donated to the Museum by the Irish Defense Forces
However it’s all happiness and holidaymakers in Normandy. There are people of all nationalities in the coffee shops, camp sites, beaches and museums. Some are a little older, and I’m guessing trying to track down where family members fought and perhaps died during the war.
Car park at a monument, nice Normandy sky
though you can tell from the other shots it was often cloudy here. And we got our first heavy rain last night in ages.
so, just to end this little post on a lighter note, I thought you might like to see the worlds shortest 5th wheel camping trailer. At least, the shortest one I ever saw!
short camping trailler