Normandy - Juno and Omaha Beach

It was super humbling to visit Juno Beach, Normandy, on Canada Day. All the tour guides are from different areas of Canada and are young and vibrant -- exactly like the brave men who landed on that beach.  The memorial museum was very touching. The art was moving. I can't recommend it enough.

The end of the tour takes you inside a real German bunker. It was fascinating. And scary. I can't imagine how terrifying it would be to have been to live inside this bunker waiting. 

It literally alternated between beautiful sun and torrential rain off and on over and over. I guess that is very normal, but super annoying. 

We also visited Omaha Beach. We didn't see the museum and opted instead to tour the cemetery and walk along the beach. 

It is crazy to think that such a beautiful place has such a horrible and heart wrenching history. 

I couldn't help but think that the crosses are so tiny in comparison to the heartbreak each family suffered at the loss of their child, father, or friend. 

It really is beyond lovely here. 

I wanted to dip my toes in the famous waters and walk in the footsteps of the soldiers. 

We accidently walked into a puddle with a sinkhole and it sucked Abby's shoe right off. I guess Omaha Beach will always have a reminder of us.

Normandy - Life on the Farm

We were lucky enough to stay at the most amazing B&B near Normandy. It was a series of buildings built before the revolution that were turned into a bed and breakfast where the stables once stood. The town was very small and old and so when we pulled into the courtyard it felt like we had stepped back in time.

Abby loved this tree swing and Ollie loved the small playground that was in the back. We all loved feeding and playing with the farm animals.

The bedrooms were super cute.

The poppy fields were breathtaking. We had to pull over and get right in the middle of this one.

We loved the city of Falaise, France. Everywhere you turned there was a perfect picture.

These people made the castle walls into fun patios and decks. So cute.

This area belongs to the Castle of William the Conqueror. The church beside it was pretty awesome as well. 

Marie and Monet - France

One of the coolest places in France is the Chateau du Versailles. This is where Marie Antoinette spent her days (she had a cottage on the grounds) before she lost her head. The history here is fascinating and the gardens and grounds are stunning. We could have spent all day here wandering around the gardens and sitting by the fountains. Lucky for us, Denna studied up on all the sites before we got there so she was able to give us a running commentary on what was important to see and why. 

After we returned to Berlin, we watched the movie Marie Antoinette. I was so much fun to see the movie and remember all the neat things we saw at Versailles. I can’t believe someone actually lived on those grounds. Wish it was me!

The last part of the day we spent at Monet’s house in Giverny, France. Mad awesome. Flowers galore! 

Monet’s house.

His famous pond!