Records and Planning it Out

Here are few memories and thanks to people that helped me prep and improve our trip planning/experience to England and Normandy areas.

I was lucky in my early engineering career to visit Europe many times on business so I had been to places like London several times, Portsmouth, and Paris prior to this trip and was partially prepared for some of the travel issues and potential hotels, sites to visit because of that.

A British engineering colleague, Andrew, helped me learn more about the surrounding WWII sites and museums near Portsmouth during a work trip. Thanks to Andrew since John, Dad, and I followed our previous footsteps to the Southwick House and adjoining town pubs where Eisenhower drank beer and Montgomery stuck to grapefruit juice.

I also took a 1990 vacation trip with my wife for 2 weeks where we visited Paris and Angers and took a side car trip to Normandy and stayed an evening in Port-en-Bessin to quickly view the D-Day landings area. This preparation was made possible by Aunt Clara and her French husband Jean for their kind hospitality in taking me on that long side trip from Angers to Mt. St. Michel and then to Port-en-Bessin and the surrounding Normandy beaches. When Jean found out my Dad had landed in Normandy his heart opened up and so did mine as I am forever in his debt for showing such great hospitality and interest. I also want to thank Jean/Clara for the fine “local” aged hand blown Calvados bottle that I shared with my Father for many years when June 6 came around. That experience was priceless. Jean I will never forget your stories of the French Resistance, your paratrooper knife collection, your Renoir type skills at oil painting, your stories of having to hide in a local farmers wine cellar to avoid the Germans, and your later training as a paratrooper during the Allied plans to invade Japan near the end of WWII (Operation Downfall). Jean you were a charming Frenchman of many talents not the least of which was your hospitality and your lust for life may you rest in eternal peace. I toast your spirit whenever I drink a fine Calvados, taste a fine cheese, or have a large pile of fabulous seafood which isn’t frequently enough at this point. Clara god bless you as well for all your support, kind spirit, and thoughts over the years.

Last but not least thanks to Sandy, my wife, for here constant support and help during the planning of this trip.

OK, on to the trip.

 

 

Next: The Flight to London