Peace and Harmony

Ahhhhhh.  Normandy.  We are back to the country again.  Rolling green hills, puffy white clouds, small country roads canopied by trees, apple trees, and black and white spotted cows. 

The drive from the Loire Valley should not have taken us as long as it did, but we just couldn’t help stopping along the way and taking pictures.  Judging the weather the past few days, you just don’t know when the landscape will be bathed in sunlight again as it was this day. 

It was at one of these stops that we discovered one of Jeff’s hidden talents!  We were pulled along side of one of these country roads to take pictures of one of the first pastures of black and white cows that Normandy is known for.  Jeff, in an attempt to get the cows attention (always looking for the post card quality picture!) bellowed out his best cow call.  To what to our wondering eyes should appear, but the near stampede of 20 to 30 cows!  I am not kidding!  They were literally running over to us, with dust in their trail!  I barely got the video camera out in time, and hope that I caught it!

"Mooooooo"

"No way...they are running over to Jeff!"

Here they are!

Not one to believe in dumb luck, we put this same “talent” to the test several times…each time with exactly the same result!  Now…what to do with that talent back in CA.  Of this I am not sure.  But, there is one thing that I am sure of.  The next time that Jeff drives by a field of cows at home, expect him to pull over.  Then we will see if it is a true talent that crosses all language barriers, or simply a French thing. 

OK.  Let's just see...

"Moooooooo"

Unbelieveable!

That night, we arrived at what would be our last “home” in France.  A bed and breakfast in Normandy, called a “chamber d’hote” in France.   To our great pleasure, they also have a working farm!  (No cows for Jeff to work with though!)  Here they had chickens (which the kids were able to collect the eggs from in the morning for breakfast), 3 sheep, a donkey, a pony, 2 cats and a dog.  The family that owns the chamber d’hote is English, as much of the population in Normandy is.  I guess that they get more land and more sun here, than they do in England.  (Jeff would argue how much more sun they actually get as we have seen a lot of gray skies!)

With a dog there to greet us, 2 cats for Soren to chase around, a large yard, and an English speaking couple, the Browns were happy!  I was missing the French language a little if you can believe that…but I think that I was the only one.  It does seem to be a nice transition for us as we prepare to leave this country that we have all enjoyed so much.  Makenna and Rachel of course were thrilled just to sit and listen to the English accents!  They were quite willing to share with them their own version of an English accent and were wondering if they thought that they might be mistaken in England for being British.  No.  Darn.  Oh well, they still had a lovely time trying!

Our last home in France! 

"The eggs are warm!"

Hugo and Soren missing his own dog!

The next day, after collecting the eggs and having them for breakfast we set out for Mont St. Michel.  I knew that there would be a lot of tourists, but we did not care.  It is something that I have always wanted to see.  When we arrived the tide was low (and not dangerous this day) and so we walked around the outside of the abbey first.   Some of what we “squished” through was very much like quick sand.  The kids of course loved it.  I put on a good face, and squished through it with the rest of them trying very hard not to think about what might be in the muck (gag) or what the muck kind of reminded me of.  (Gag!)  Fortunately for me, on the other side of the bay was very dense, wet sand.  Not mucky.  Phew!  What a way to see Mont St. Michel!

We're sinking!

Ewwwwwww

Mont St. Michel from the back

After attempting to wash our feet off, we attempted to fight the crowds that were unlike any that we had seen as we tried to reach the abbey.  Forget it.  We chose to go to a German cemetery close by instead.  I know that it may seem odd to want to see such a place in Normandy where the Germans were the “bad guys.”  However, it was a powerful reminder to us all that in war, everyone suffers loss.  This cemetery-mortuary houses the remains of 12,000 German WWII soldiers brought to this location from all over France.   There were also pictures of some of the soldiers along with letters sent home.  People.  People that missed their loved ones.  People that never saw their loved ones again.  “The dead of this cemetery admonish to peace.”  Is the last thing that we read before leaving the cemetery.

We headed back to Mont St. Michel in time to see the abbey at night.  We were pleased to learn that not only did we dodge the huge crowds, but that they were having special music and lights in the abbey that night!  In various rooms, there were projected images, shadow plays depicting life at the abbey, a cello player, flautist and a harpist!  It created a beautiful ambiance in the abbey that we would not have gotten during the day.  We all agreed that had been a great decision.  On the way down, we stopped to have dinner (kids had steak and fries…the quintessential French meal apparently!) before heading back to the farm.

Now the little enfants were full and tired, (not to mention Jeff and I), night had fallen and the tourists had all gone home.  Well, all but us that is!  The benefit of which was that at night Mont St. Michel is illuminated and glorious!  We took it in as much as we could at the bottom of the hill before the kids were completely done.  However, we were delighted to be able to continue to see if from the warmth of our car for almost an hour as we drove away! 

The next day was much more quiet and somber.  We spent the day at the D-Day beaches of Normandy and the American Cemetery.  Our day started in Arromanches, which was “ground zero for the D-Day invasion.”  It is here that the Port Winston Artificial Harbor was created.  Basically (the shortened version) 17 old ships were sunk here to create a sea barrier, then 115 football field size cement blocks were also sunk to create a 4 mile long breakwater, and then finally seven floating steel “pierheads” with extendable legs were linked to shore by four mile long floating roads made of concrete pontoons.  Within 6 days of operation, 54,000 vehicles, 326,000 troops and 110,000 of goods had crossed the English Channel and the allied toehold on Normandy was secure. 

Amazingly, much of this temporary harbor can still be seen in the ocean, and much has been washed up on to the sand and can be seen and even touched in low tide. 

It is quite “eerie” to see these and other remnants from that time, still here as if it had just recently happened.

Port Winston Artifical Harbor in the ocean and some of the washed up parts on the beach

Before going out onto the beach here, we watched a 20 minute video called “The Price of Freedom” made up of clips and video from WWII as well as images of the same areas as they are today.  For us, it really brought the events of that time into clear and real focus.  Much of the footage that was shown was filmed in areas that we had just seen.  To think of what had happened in this most beautiful and serene countryside…

We then drove about 10 minutes to see the “Longues-sur-Mer Gun Battery.”  300 yards inland, Four German casemates were built to guard against seaborne attacks.  These are the only original coastal artillery guns remaining in place in the D-Day region.  The guns could hit targets up to 12 miles away with relatively fine accuracy.  It took seven soldiers to manage each gun, which could be loaded and fired six times per minute.  The shells weighed 40 pounds.  They were camouflaged by netting over the top, and were therefore impossible to be seen by bombers.  They had to be taken out by the allies, but it proved to be one of the most difficult tasks as it had to be done on ground.

Longues-sur-Mer Gun Batteries

Just a few minutes away, on a bluff just above Omaha Beach, and the ye of the D-Day storm, is the American Cemetery.  Before going outside we spent a fair amount of time inside the visitor center.  There was a fabulous countdown of events leading up to D-Day, computer terminals with access to a database containing the story of each US serviceman who died in Normandy, and at the heart of the Visitor Center were stories, pictures and video of the men who fought in Normandy.  This was an incredible look into some of these men’s personal lives and their sacrifices.  Again, these were people.  People wanting to serve their country.  People promising to return home.  People who are buried here.

The sight just outside was one that I had seen countless times on TV, in a movie, or some kind of print.  However, the sight to my eyes was much more dramatic that I would have expected.  When we walked outside, you only see one portion of the cemetery.  That was enough to have a dramatic effect on me.  The pictures, video, letters and information that I have been reading, along with the many historical fiction novels that I have read about this time came to a head that took my breath away when I stepped outside. 9,387 brilliant white marble crosses and Stars of David lined up in perfect rows.  Each one with a name, home state, and date of death inscribed into the front, and their dog tag numbers inscribed on the back. 

During the war, the dead were buried in temporary cemeteries throughout various parts of Normandy.  After the war, the families could decide if they wanted to have the remains of their loved on sent home, or buried here.  61 percent chose to have them buried here, alongside the people that they fought with and for.

While there, we heard the familiar sound of taps was playing in the background as they lowered the flag for the day.  It was poignant and peaceful.  It was somber and yet uplifting.  I don’t know how else to describe this to you.  I was overwhelmed.  The number of lives that were lost…the sacrifices made…the destruction…the evil…the broken families…and finally, the message of peace.

“The soldiers graves are the greatest preachers of peace.”  Albert Schweitzer

After leaving the cemetery, we drove down to Omaha Beach and walked out onto it.  Images of what we had learned throughout the day flooded me as I imagined what happened on this very beach just 67 years ago.  The hills above were covered with Germans that had machine guns that could fire 1,200 rounds per minute.  The Allies had to run for their lives through 500 yards of water and sand out onto this open beach while dodging the in comprehendible number of bullets showering them.  It is no wonder that this beach is nicknamed “Bloody Omaha.”  This is where the highest rate of casualties in Normandy occurred.  It is estimated that on the first day of the D-Day campaign there was 10,500 casualties (killed, wounded or missing) of which 6,000 were Americans.

The Germans had put tons and tons of obstacles on the beach before the D-Day invasion to disrupt landings.  Metal poles, barbed wire, and more than four million mines were scattered among the beaches.  More than 150,000 tons of metal were removed after the war, but they know that they can never remove it all.  So, in low tide, you will come across pieces of washed up metal from that time.  Unreal.  In the midst of all of this there are families with small children camped out on the beach for the day.  They have sand toys, buckets, kites, and picnics.   Just another day out at the beach.

Omaha Beach

 As we walked up into the hills above where the Germans would have been stationed, literally killing as many people as they could as they stormed the beach and then the hills, we felt compelled to just sit.  If only the soil could talk.  What stories would it have to tell?  Who walked there?  Whose blood was spilled there?  Who died here?  Who survived here?  What must it have sounded like that day?

The hills above Omaha Beach where the Germans were waiting and ready...Soren is defending us

I read somewhere that there would be no war if it were up to the wounded.  For the agony of being wounded and dying was greater than any hate that would cause war.  I could not get that image out of my mind.  Might there have been a German, a Canadian, a British, a French and an American soldier all there….wounded…aware of each other’s presence?  What would they be thinking?  Would they say anything to the other?  Would they see the pain in each other’s faces? 

Now, as we sat on the hill just above Omaha beach we watched the families play below.  Perhaps this is the message of peace.  If there had not been such sacrifice, then perhaps this beach would not be as beautiful and peaceful as it is today.  So, maybe this is exactly as it should be.  Peace and harmony. 

It's Raining Cats and Hunting Hounds

We have seen chateauxs (synonym for castles) built for royalty, and we have seen chateauxs built for strategic defense.  The chateaux that we were to see in the Loire Valley were were built simply for luxury.  We wisely chose to limit our chateaux exposure to 3, knowing that after that they start to lose some of their “wow” factors!

The three that we chose to see are known for very different reasons.  Villandry is known for it’s gardens, Cheverny is known for it’s interior and it’s hunting hounds, and Chenenonceau is known for it’s scandalous history.

We started at Villandry, built in 1530.  Although the chateau itself (especially the interior) is somewhat “unremarkable,” it was our first and therefore quite impressive.  We could not help but go into the chateau itself, and found that it really was “unremarkable.”  However, the view from the windows and terrace of the upper floors of the chateau were completely the opposite! 

French gardens are designed and manicured to have beautiful and intricate patterns with meaning and usefulness.  This is very different from an English garden, which would be designed with dense and lush plants to provide beauty and color.

The first gardens that we saw from the windows of the chateau were incredible patters symbolizing love.  Pure, passionate and firey love.  Even though we did have a brochure pointing out the different patterns, I think that anyone could identify them simply by looking at them.  They were amazing to see from above.  I think that if you were only to see them at ground level, you would miss the effect of the overall design.

Garden of Love

On the other side of the chateau, was the much larger but just as impressive vegetable, fruit and herb gardens.  Wow!  Again, there was no lack of thoughtful design here linked with the usefulness of all that is grown!  Apparently, they change the designs of this garden every year…just for fun.  We saw photos of years past, and agreed that the ones that we were seeing were amongst our favorites.

Chateau in the backround and the fruit, veggie and herb garden in front

By the time that we had gotten down, walked through some of the incredible forest surrounding this chateau, peeked into the greenhouses where they cultivate their seeds for the spring, walked around a lake complete with a bridge and swans, meandered through a grass tennis court (can you start to imagine how large this place is?) and then finally reached the vegetable, fruit and herb gardens it was pouring down rain.  The rain had finally caught up with us.  Bummer.  Although we still enjoyed the gardens very much, we all agreed that if it had not been raining, we would have liked to have spent a lot more time just meandering through these gardens. 

Makenna just felt moved to meditate!

After being seduced by the incredible gardens at Villandry, we headed over to the stately hunting palace of Cheverny decorated in 1604 (not Giverny where Monet lived…that is coming up in a few days).  We had chosen Cheverny to get a mouth watering taste of what life inside the castle would have looked like (actually the family still lives on one half of the top floor of the chateau) and perhaps even more importantly (to me) to see the 100 hunting hounds get fed.  Are any of you humming a tune by Peter, Paul and Mary right now?  I couldn’t wait…and I was not disappointed! 

As we walked onto the ground of the chateau, I turned my ear up and alas…I heard it!  The baying and yelping of 100 hunting hounds!  We got there just as their caretaker was moving them up to the roof of their kennel while he prepared the feast that would make Moose drool!  After rinsing the concrete down, he poured out about 50+ raw chicken carcasses, complete with the heads and gobble things!  Then, as if that would not be enough, he topped the feast with several bags of dog kibble.  Then the virtue of patience was put into practice.  The caretaker stood aside on the lower level, as the dogs on the upper level stood watch for 30 minutes waiting for their long awaited dinner.  Every now and again, they just couldn’t take it, and they would burst out barking.  He would then bark back at them in French and once again, they would silence.

The hunting hounds getting moved up to the roof while dinner is prepared!

"I am soooo hungry!"

"OK.  He left to get the food.  I see him.  I will let you know when he is on his way back.  Just wait right where you are!"

Finally, the time came and they knew it!  He sauntered over to the gate, let them out, and then made them wait until he gave them the final order to start.  Once he did, oh my word…it was a dog eat dog world!  The dogs literally walked on each other to reach the succulence that was waiting for them in the middle.  A few very smart dogs would grab a carcass (clearly the plat du jour au choix) and run away into a corner to attempt to devour it…the entire thing…as fast as they could.  One dog started to choke on the bones that we are told to be so careful not to let our dogs get, and the caretaker casually walked over and massaged it’s neck until it got it all down. 

The table is now set before you!

Let the feast begin!

Within 10 minutes, there was not one kibble left on the ground.  We laughed so hard!  It was quite a sight.  Perhaps not one that you might think of seeing when you think of the chateau in the Loire Valley, but one I am glad that I did not miss.

By now the rain had picked up again, and we headed into the chateau itself.  Wow.  The interior was amazing.  We all agreed that we could get comfortable and live there right now.  In fact, Makenna has made big plans for just this.

The children's room

The tea room (We would have loved to sat here and had tea right then!)

ATTENTION:  Makenna is officially off of the market.

We found a family tree with a boy that was born in 1995.  She has taken a picture of his name, and plans to marry him so that she can in fact live in this chateau.  She is not fond of the idea of hunting with the hunting hounds for wild boar and deer, as they currently do, but would like to see them out playing in the yard more.  The décor, she plans to keep as she is quite fond of it.  All of her plans of how to make this happen are forming now. 

To tone it down a little bit, and put a little perspective on life we chose to stay at a farm that night.  What a wonderful place!  A farmhouse out in the country with a very kind family to host us.  They had sheep, chickens, geese (all of which they eat) a dog named Yuki, and a donkey named Anna that LOVES kids!  The Browns were in heaven.  We spent the next morning walking in the country and then returning to hang with all of the animals.  It was a nice break in our chateau viewing!

Anna would walk along side of the kids for as long as she could in her pasture, and would cry when they walked away!

Martin, Jeff and Soren.  Martin just adored Soren and treated him as if he were his grandson!

This is the farmhouse that has been in their family for over a century!

Our next to last chateau was “the toast of the Loire Valley.”  Chenenonceaux, built in the 16^th century was actually built as the first great pleasure palace, as opposed to being built for defense.  It is known as the “chateau of the ladies.”  In 1547, King Henry II gave this chateau to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers.  After he died, his wife kicked her out, added 2 stories on top of the bridge that Diane had built to connect the chateau with the forest for hunting and replaced all pictures of her with severe pictures of herself.  Humph.  Catherine had plans to build a matching chateau on the other side of the river, but died before that project could get underway.

Here, there were a couple of things that really stood out.  There were 2 gardens.  Both beautiful, but very different.  One was Diane’s and was on one side of the chateau, and one was Catherine’s and was on the other side of the Chateau.  I don’t know about you, but if it were me, Diane’s garden would have been ripped out and replaced faster that you could say “cheetah!”  However, for reasons unknown to me it was not, and so we were able to enjoy them both!

The mistress Diane's garden

The wife Catherine's garden

The kitchen, which was state of the art for it’s time, was one of our favorite things in the castle.  It was built at the very bottom and near the river so that water could be readily accessible for inevitable fires.  Because they were cooking for an entire castle, there were several huge wood burning stoves and fireplaces with spits and other cooking tools, which ended up heating up the castle above.  Genius.

Soren in the window of the kitchen down by the water

To conclude our day, we took the kids to just one more chateau.  They were really very good sports when we told them that we thought we would squeeze just one more in.  We pulled up to the Chateau Arpentis, and we surprised them by telling them that this would be our last one of the day, and the one that we would sleep in that night!  They were so excited!  “Look at us and don’t smile and tell us the truth!”  What?  They did not believe me? 

Ahhhh.  What a treat!  The chateau was built in the 15^th century amongst a lake and a forest.  There were large green lawns (I now know that it is not hard to keep these lawns green…it’s all of the darn rain!) and a big rectangular pool with a wood deck around it.  If only it was not raining and cold.  Well, we were still able to relax and enjoy the chateau!  We explored the grounds, soaked in the large tub, and slept like babies.  The next morning we stuffed ourselves with hot drinking chocolate, coffee and an assortment of the best warm French pastries that we had had!  After breakfast, the kids and Jeff took a swim…in the rain, before we left.  They couldn’t help it!  Even thought the sun was not out, (and it would have been so much better if it had) they enjoyed the swim!

Chateau des Arpentis

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So, it is official.  We all agree that we can find comfortable living in either a chateau or a farm, but think that given a choice we could probably handle the chateau life quite nicely.