Life is pretty ironic, really. Yesterday, Brandon and I went with two of his co-workers to see the Beaches of Normandy. Yesterday was also the day my dear friend from Johannesburg, South Africa was found dead.
It was, on many levels, a very bittersweet day. I went to see the beautiful land and sea in Normandy. Gavin loved the land and sea where he lived and he was at most peace when he was in the heart of nature reserves, watching wild animals in their natural environment. I went to see the beaches where thousands of men died so that we may be free. Gavin had a way about him that fought for the underdog. He was South African-born of English-born parents, but was in the process of learning different African languages, having gotten pretty good at Zulu. He wanted to unite the white and black races in his country and what better way than to learn their tongue. Little did I know that when I walked through the Normandy American Cemetery, my friend was already dead. I looked over the crosses and there was the hushing sound of the ocean. He recently went on holiday with his mother to Cape Town to see the ocean because he loved it's sound. My friend meant the world to me. And remembering the day I payed tribute to the soldiers that died on those beaches will always be a layered bittersweet memory.
Gavin, my dear, sweet China (good friend), I will always love you! And I look forward to the day we can both dance on golden streets...until then, warm the dance floor for me! Your China.
This is Omaha Beach. Unfortunately, we didn't plan accordingly and didn't hit the right spot where all the leftovers from the D-Day were. It was the most quiet and serene beach though. And absolutely stunning.
Brandon and Liz
On the other side of this cliff is Utah Beach. We didn't have time to go see it.
I was low to the ground and the lens was very zoomed out. They were far away, but not as far away as this seems.
The sand was really beautiful here. I don't remember being on a beach where it rippled like this. It felt really good to walk on it barefoot...I like to call it Nature's Foot Massage.
Same cliff photo as above, but this was closer to the water and beyond the seaweed and shells. The sand was so smooth!
Liz and Brandon
Mr. Creative Director himself took this shot of me.
Liz
Another from Brandon
Phillipo
This is still Omaha Beach and it keeps going for a long while. We packed up and drove down the coast toward the Gold Beach (where the British landed) to find some of the leftover German turrets, which unfortunately we again never found.
This was the fields right by the Visitor Center at the American Cemetery.
Reflections of Liz and Phillipo off the glass of the Visitor Center.
It really wasn't that difficult to obey.
Overlooking Omaha Beach from the American Cemetery.
Brandon took this one.
The memorial for the men that gave their lives on D-Day.
There were 10 grave plots with a total dimension of 172.5 acres, 9,387 headstones, 9,238 are Latin Crosses, 149 are Stars of David, there are 1,557 missing in action, a total of men (and women, though few) recognized here : 10,944. There are also 3 medal of honor recipients, and 41 sets of brothers.
Inside the Visitor Center was a very nicely created museum with stories of people, films, artifacts of rations, gear, toys found in the wreckage etc.
At the end of the tour was a very touching enclosed box with this inside. There was a skylight directly above.
From the car window, on the way through other villages toward Arromanches.
We found Arromanches, and it was very touristy with bright flags, tons of people, knickknacks galore. There was a D-Day museum, though we didn't go in, it was most likely more British based than American.
There were these sort of "monumental" flowers left everywhere. This one was tied to the sign post.
There was an entirely different atmosphere at this beach. Very lively, cheerful as though they were rejoicing that though many died, those men paved the way for them to enjoy life as French on French soil. Liz and I laughed at this scene here...and thought of a possible history lesson for these kids, being on a boat and all.
There were so many of these huge leftovers from D-Day. And the people just played around them as though they weren't there, or as a reminder that they had someone fight for them so that they CAN play and frolic in the water.
We went to find a place to sit and eat lunch.
This is where we lunched. On the rocks at the base of this cliff.
Our view from our lunch-spot.
The leftovers.
I do think I've seen this spot before in film. I can't at all place where I saw it, but it had to do with the War and with the English (I believe) having a day of "rest"...I hope that film comes back to me, I would really like to remember it!
I have never seen purple/pink seaweed before. It was all over the beaches. And mussel shells. Also something you don't see on the shores of Lake Superior!
I don't know if you will be able to see it, but along the horizon in this photo is a series of black "slashes". These are more of the same "leftovers" and they literally littered the whole coastline and ocean by this particular beach. Absolutely fascinating. And, there were jet-skis zipping in and around them like they were the very famous and mysterious Indonesian islands.
Tons of sea shells and mussels
More of the town as we're walking back to the car.
