Day Four - Part One
After a better nights sleep in the Domaine, breakfast was a quiet affair with home made jams and plenty of French bread.
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| Domaine de la Tour |
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| Domaine de la Tour |
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| Domaine de la Tour |
The sun is out and we are now packing for the day.
At €70 a night this is the most expensive stay of the trip but included breakfast.
Another of the guests was on the Harley.
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| Custom Harley |
On the way towards Montormel, we came across a set of French and Canadian flags that turned out to be the observatory outside St Lambert sur Dives, where Major Currie won the VC.
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| The Observatory at St Lambert sur Dives |
The next stop was the Donjon at Chambois. Chambois also has the the monument to the meeting between the Poles and US troops that was the symbolic closing of the Falaise pocket.
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| Chambois Donjon |
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| Chambois Map |
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| The pocket |
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| Allied Monument to the Falaise Pocket |
http://www.normandie44lamemoire.com/versionanglaise/fichesvillesus/chambstlambus2.html
The satnav was re-programmed to take us to Montormel and the Monument to the Polish Armoured Division that took and held the hill then known as 262 North to stop the German 7th Army escaping the Falaise pocket.
The satnav was re-programmed to take us to Montormel and the Monument to the Polish Armoured Division that took and held the hill then known as 262 North to stop the German 7th Army escaping the Falaise pocket.
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| Montormel |
On the way we stopped at a look out point on the Couloir de Mort. The corridor of death. The corridor that shrank from 30kms to 3kms that the Germans needed to escape.
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| Montormel Sherman Tank |
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| Montormel Memorial |
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| Montormel Armoured Car |
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| Montormel |
The satnav POI is wrong. It tells you to go to the right as you enter Montormel hamlet, but the Memorial is about a half mile further up the hill and to the left. It is signposted for normal navigators!!
Entry is €5 and as well as some very informative displays and artefacts from known allied and German soldiers, there is a superb sound and light show that using small screens and a large model explains how the battle progressed to its conclusion.
This is followed by a short (15m) film interviewing survivors from both sides.
We left there with a greater sense of the achievement, but in the back of your mind you can't but be moved by the senseless slaughter of young men.
It was now time for lunch and so we headed for Camembert. My brother and I had been there in May. This time we went with the roof down and in 25C.
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| Camembert |
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| Camembert |
Unlike last time the centre now does sandwiches with a choice of local cheeses or a selection of cheeses and bread. We opted for the latter along with local apple juice. The local wasps know this and come by for a visit. Cue lots of waving as tourists try to flap them away.
We bought a small Camembert as we were there!
The next stop was Le Bec Hellouin. Another Plus Beaux Village. The only stop was at a supermarket to get something to supplement our chesse lunch. Tarte de Citron. Mmmmmmm.
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| Le Bec Hellouin |
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| Le Bec Hellouin |
As we tended to arrive later at the hotels we made sure we arrived in Rouen in evening rush hour! But TomTom took us to the front door despite the mapping having no concept that some of the roads are (and have been for years!!) one way!!!
We have a curious room overlooking the back of the Hotel Art et Seine and the car park. Under the window is a small tub with goldfish.
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| Art et Seine fishpond |
Comments
War memorials are always humbling and I agree about the senseless slaughter.
On a lighter note the lunch and tart sound delicious.