Woke up bright and early this morning to cool, fresh air coming through the open window but feeling warm and cozy under the duvet. I had a great sleep and feel completely refreshed with my bad feet and legs ready to go again. I realized that since it wasn't food related I forgot to mention it yesterday but it definitely was a stop worth mentioning on the road. So I'm washed and dressed in long pants and a sweater and am sitting at my keyboard at 7:30 a.m.
Half way through our drive into Normandy yesterday afternoon we headed off the highway onto a departmental road and then a small country road which was hardly paved and twisted through pastures till we spotted the sign we were looking for. Flapping in the breeze against the greyish sky was our own red and white maple leaf flag marking the entrance to a Canadian War cemetery. We were in Beny sur Mer, a tiny town just north of Caen and south of Couseulles on the sea. We got out of the car and were surrounded by silence except for the sound of the flag in the wind. We entered the meticulously kept cemetery where in the distance you can see the see. There are two small towers you can climb and below you are buried about 335 Canadian soldiers from all parts of Canada that died in the Normandy invasion on the shores of the sea we could see in the distance. There is a visitors register and a list of all the names as well as two wreaths. I had meant to bring a little flag and a poppy to place at the memorial but forgot. As I looked down at the wreath I noticed that visitors had been placing Canadian coins inside the poppies so I did the same. As we strolled about in the silence reading the names we were struck by how young they all were --21 years old, 23 years old, 27 and on and on and I wondered were any of these young men from my neighbourhood? When I worked at Malvern Collegiate there were the names of the students who had gone and never came back. When I walk down the hall at my current school, Williamson Road, it's the same story. Was I walking past their resting place? Quite a few graves had small Canadian flags and one was extremely touching with a letter written by a relative who came to see where their great uncle was buried. Let us never forget their sacrifice to ensure our freedoms.
Back on the road to the beach where we were directed by Marc --if you go to one of the Normandy beach you have to make it Juno beach --well we did. The sound of the seagulls the smell of the salt sea air and visible still just off shore were barges and ships from the landing day that never made it to shore due to storms. We walked to the end of the pier and again, the Canadian flag flying and signs in shop windows welcoming today's Canadians. We sat in a cafe on the beach and took in the wide sandy beach and were amazed at the marks that show how high the tide comes in. This is a charming town with many French people who come for a seaside holiday but if today's weather is any indicator you won't get much of a tan. After the cemetary it was a good spot to just stop for a bit before we went back to the road. Along our way to Bayeux there are many spots on the road with other memorials, American, from the Normandy landing and a lovely view of the sea in the distance.
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