The Normandy Experience

March 31-April 3, 2011

My sister and bother-in-law, Judy and Lamar arrived at our flat on March 31 and were given one hour to change clothes and eat lunch before we hurried off to meet Rick and a colleague and begin our trip to the Normandy region of France and to the beaches of Normandy. From the Olympic site offices we piled into Diane’s SUV and drove to Folkstone where we were transported car and all to Calais, France to begin our wonderful weekend in the French countryside.

Diane and Neil live in the tiny village of Fay near Sees, France. Sees, though still small, has a typical weekend market and a cathedral both of which we spent time visiting on Saturday. As a historical/geographical connection, it is worth noting that this area of France was the birthplace of William Duke of Normandy who in 1066 became, William The Conqueror; the first Norman King of England. Among his many achievements and influences, William I built numerous fortified castles the most famous being the Tower of London.

Moving on to the real reason for coming to this area, Diane made sure that we had a complete tour of the beaches of Normandy, Arromanches, and the French villages that were all a part of the Allied Invasion. We have all seen it in movies, photos, and history books but nothing prepares you for being there and realizing the enormity of what occurred. The American Cemetery and Memorial is situated on a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach which today appears very tranquil and unspoiled. This is the actual site of the first American cemetery on European soil which was established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944.

The Visitor Center offers a range of experiences and exhibits that pay tribute to the Americans involved in the D-Day landing. Through personal stories, photos, and films, we gained an understanding of this military achievement and the courage and sacrifice of the Allied forces. From the Visitor Center we walked by the bronze statue, "Spirit of American Youth" as we entered the Garden of the Missing where 1,557 names are inscribed on the walls. Ahead of us, across the reflecting pool we had our first view of the cemetery site which covers over 170 acres and contains the graves of 9,387 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing battles.

Leaving the American Cemetery, we drove on to Arromanches and viewed the Mulberry Harbor where the British constructed the artificial port of floating pier heads during the month following the D-Day invasion. Here, at the 360 theatre, we also experienced actual archived footage and newsreels in a stunning film called “The Price of Freedom.”

We all came away with a better understanding of how our lives would have been different were it not for this monumental period of history and the enormous sacrifices that were made.

Our pictures tell the story: https://picasaweb.google.com/alysehirsekorn/Normandy?authkey=Gv1sRgCKOo4r-VkaqkIQ&feat=directlink

Florence: Italy's Masterpiece

March 18-20, 2011

Florence is a masterpiece and is everything you ever learned about art and sculpture! I even bought a book on Michelangelo just to learn about the Renaissance artists and how their learning and interaction resulted in this era of rebirth and why it flourished in Florence.

The museums in Florence are incomparable and house the greatest concentration of masterpieces of art in the world. We visited the two major museums one of which is the Uffizi Gallery; a masterpiece in itself and home to works by Botticelli, da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rafael, Rubens, Rembrandt, and Titan to name just a few. The other museum that draws crowds is the Accademia where we saw Michelangelo’s stunning masterpiece David.

The churches in Florence are museums in themselves not only architecturally but in their frescos and collections of art and statuary. The crowning masterpiece of all is the Duomo, the Gothic cathedral topped by Brunelleschi’s miraculous dome!

Florence is a city so filled with great art and architecture that it requires a return visit as we were only able to take in the most notable sites including the Palazzo Vecchio, the Ponte Vecchio, the Pitti Palace (Palace of the Medici Family), and the Duomo. Oh, and did I mention the gelato…clearly, you cannot see all these great sites without several breaks at the many gelaterias!!! The pasta is great here as well…Florence is “capitol” of Tuscany! A travel tip…bring two sizes of clothes…..

Hope you enjoy the photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/116669901425376505238/Florence1820March2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCKHu1sDOi9X9sgE&feat=directlink

Charming Venice

March 4-6, 2011

We fell in love with Venice, the island city of Italy, with its canal streets! I am sure that a visit to Venice is a delight at anytime of year but if you find yourself there (unknowingly – that would explain the high price and low availability of hotel room…duh!) during Carnevale it is quite a colorful and celebratory city! Carnevale is a cross between Mardi Gras and a 20something Halloween Party! You will enjoy some of the “all out” costumes that we photographed.

It is a joy just to cruise up and down The Grand Canal which is Venice’s “Main Street” where all the views look just like paintings and you can never take enough photos. The architectural highlights include: St. Mark’s Basilica, The Doge’s Palace, the Campanile, and the Rialto Bridge. Throw in a couple of other churches, bridges, museums, gondolas, and a trip to Murano (the island famous for its glass factories) and you have a perfect holiday weekend!

We hope you enjoy the photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/116669901425376505238/Venice46March2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ-e_uG3s4rp4QE&feat=directlink

Provence and its Winter Glory

January 26-28, 2011

Sunshine once again welcomed us when we landed in Marsielle, France and began our tour of five cities in southern Provence. First we drove through the Alpilles mountains to the hillside village of Les Baux de Provence. The landscape is dominated by the bauxite hills, vineyards and olive fields with the 10^th century fortress of the feudal Lords of Baux sitting high atop the village and afforded them control of 79 villages of for nearly four centuries.

Leaving Les Baux and driving toward our accommodations in St. Remy we passed through the ancient Roman ruins of Glanum where we explored the Triumphal Arch and Mausoleum, named the best preserved Mausoleum of the Roman World. Directly across the road just out of site is hospital where Van Gogh lived from 1889-90 and painted the famous Starry Night and Self-Portrait. Our afternoon and evening was spent exploring the 14^th century village of St. Remy; known as the birthplace of Nostrodamus.

Day two of our tour took us to Arles, one of the richest cities of the Roman Empire. The Arena, built around 1 B.C., is well preserved and currently used for bullfights, concerts, operas, and theatre performances. The Eglise St. Trophime, constructed in the 12^th Century, is considered a masterpiece of the Romanesque style and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Much of Arles is reminiscent of Van Gogh who painted nearly 200 paintings while living here from February 1888 - May 1889.

From Arles, we explored Pont du Gard, the 50 kilometer Roman aqueduct spanning the Gardon River. Further on we arrived in Avignon famous for having served as the seat of the papacy from 1309-1377 when the popes fled Rome and built the Palais des Papes. Our final stop was in the town of Aix en-Provence, the city of fountains.

Please enjoy our photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/alysehirsekorn/Provence?authkey=Gv1sRgCOmN1arNgrakOQ&feat=directlink