Walking through history

The last trip of the school year is a compulsory one for every student at Neuchâtel Junior College. Like the November trip to Bruges and the visit to WWI sites, this excursion has a strong connection to Canadian history. This time, it is WWII that is being highlighted, in particular the events of D-Day on the Normandy beaches.

Inukshuk, Canadian flags and beach houses

Our plan included travel by high speed train to Paris where a bus awaited us to transfer us for the first part of our trip to Caen, the capital of lower Normandy . Caen has seen a lot of significant events over the centuries, since it is both the home of William the Conqueror and was the site of an important battle in 1944 following D-Day.

Matt and Meg re-enact a famous, and controversial image.

Shortly after our arrival, we were back on the bus to spend some time at the Mémorial de Caen, a museum dedicated to historical events of the 20th Century. It was a very interesting place and our two hours there passed much too quickly. The students were intrigued by many of the artifacts, some of which were reminiscent of my childhood during the Cold War. It is startling to discover how little some of them know about recent history.

This was the first time we saw our flag in this part of France. It would not be the last.

Erin and Solène get an education

The next morning we began our biggest day of the trip, our own longest day. We would learn about D-Day by following in the footsteps of those who fought in Operation Overlord. Our guides were very knowledgeable about this part of world history, and particularly about the Canadian contribution to it.

Imagine having to scale this cliff knowing that there might be a gun pointed at you when you reached the top.

Our first stop was Pointe-du-Hoc with its daunting promontory facing the English Channel. Here, 71 years ago, American Rangers landed, scaled the cliff with rope ladders, and faced enemy fire. Their victory over the German forces that day is remarkable considering the challenges of the terrain they had to cover, and the fact that the enemy forces had fortified the area. It is no wonder that there were heavy casualties.

Barbed wire added to the challenging task

The remains of a gun pit at Pointe du Hoc

The terrain is full of craters created during the battle

 The coastal weather added to the impact of this desolate place as we stood in a cold drizzle imagining the events that took place on this spot over half a century ago.

Canadian flag on Omaha Beach

A sculpture of American youth rising from the waves is the centrepiece of the War Memorial

We travelled next to the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer overlooking Omaha Beach. Like the WWI cemeteries we had visited in November, simple white stones mark lives lost during the war. In this burial ground, there are almost 10 000 graves, although many of the deceased were repatriated and interred on U.S. soil after the war. There is also a Wall of the Missing, honouring those whose remains could not be identified.

The reflecting pool at the American Cemetery

Row upon row of crosses

The rows and rows of crosses are interrupted occasionally by a marker with the Star of David on it. On the day we visited, the American flag flew at half mast in honour of Peace Officers Memorial Day in the United States. This added to the somber mood.

Part of the artificial harbour on Gold Beach

One of the huge caissons that would act as a breakwater at Arromanches

Further east, at Arromanches, where we stopped for lunch, we were shown the Mulberry Harbour at Gold Beach, an artificial construction by war engineers to facilitate the landing of troops after D-Day.

Juno Beach Centre

Not far away was Juno Beach, where Canadian forces invaded on D-Day. Naturally, we spent more time there than anywhere else. We first visited the Juno Beach Centre where we watched a very moving film that humanized the men who fought there. Later, our guide, a young woman from Edmonton, enthusiastically taught us about the part Canadian forces played on June 6, 1944 and afterwards.

Alex, our guide, takes us into a bunker, and explains its design

Some of the students and I on top of a German bunker at Juno Beach Centre. That's a CTV crew on the left.

The most emotional part of the day took place afterwards when we walked from one end of Juno beach to the other, symbolically following the footsteps of those who fought there. This was a special thing to do, with 55 students and 7 staff walking together. The trek took us about a 45 minutes, but I loved every second.

We walk Juno Beach

Our group at Canada House

Our end point was a building called Canada House, with its Canadian flag on full display. This same building stood 71 years ago when the Canadians liberated this part of France. There we took several photos to commemorate this special experience.

The Juno Beach Memorial

Our last stop of the day was the Canadian cemetery at Bény-sur-Mer, where over
2 000 Canadian soldiers have been buried. The Canadian gravestones were reminiscent of the ones we had seen at WWI cemeteries in the Ypres area. So many lives lost.

Canadian cemetery at Bény-sur-Mer

Our pilgrimage over, we returned to Caen for dinner and some rest.

The next morning, we travelled further back in time to the second most visited place in all of France: Mont St. Michel. The iconic image of this place had been burned into my imagination since, as a young girl, we had a coffee table book with a photo of it inside.

Mont St. Michel

As we neared the site, it slowly revealed itself through the mist. And suddenly, there it was: an 8th century monastery on top of a small island, surrounded by tidal marsh. Mont St. Michel represents feudal society, with God dwelling at the highest level, and the lowly fishermen at the lowest.

The cloister at the monastery

Our guide that day was very dynamic. She enjoyed using role play as she described the history and architecture of the monastery. Thus, the students acted the parts of famous French kings and queens, or they embodied the features of the buildings. She made the tour fun.

Nine students create flying buttresses.

Mont St Michel is still a destination for pilgrims, like Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Looking down from the heights of the monastery, we could see them, tiny as ants, walking across the land at low tide, many of them barefoot.

Pilgrims nearing Mont St Michel

Crowds on the narrow streets of Mont St. Michel

After lunch, we travelled inland to another famous site in Normandy – Bayeux, home of the famous tapestry depicting the 1066 conquest of England. I found this lengthy piece of embroidered cloth absolutely fascinating, although the students were generally unimpressed. No doubt this is because I studied and loved British history in high school.

A replica of a small portion of the Bayeux Tapestry

Another replica. I love the horses - so well done!

To see it, visitors must listen to a narrative through a headset as we walk alongside the 70 meter tapestry which is encased behind glass. The figures and images on the cloth tell the story of William's exploits leading up to and during the conquest. They also portray life in the 11th Century, including such interesting details as what foods people ate and what they wore.

We never entered Caen Cathedral

As we had done for the two previous days, we returned to Caen for dinner. Unfortunately, we spent very little time exploring the city itself. There was no time. The next day a new adventure awaited us.

The ruins of St. Etienne le Vieux in Caen