London Calling

Sunday, June 26th, 2022 was the last real day of our European vacation.  The plan was a tour of London in the morning and a visit to the Churchill War Rooms in the afternoon.

We picked up our guide Keith.  Keith was an absolute trip.  He is funny and smart, just the type of  guy to keep this tour rolling.  We say a tremendous amount of London mostly from the bus.  There was a flood of interesting facts many of which will not make the cut for today’s blog.  We made a couple of stops so I will highlight those events today.

Prince Albert Memorial.  

The memorial was commissioned by Queen Victoria to honor her husband Prince Albert.  The memorial was opened in 1872.  Prince Albert sits beneath a canopy and is covered in 23.5 carat gold.  Each of the for corners, 2 of which your see above represent: Commerce (left), Manufacturing (right), Agriculture and Engineering (not seen).  The next level down is a frieze of intellectuals such as Shakespeare.  The names appear each member.

India.  Farther out from the canopy there are 4 additional sculptures recognizing the reach of the British Empire.

Camel. Representative of Africa

The Buffalo is for the Americas and the Bull represents Europe.  These are not pictures here.

Check out the mosaic at the top of the canopy.  There are more details in the canopy as well.  Enlarge and see what you can find.

The Holy Family crew and Prince Albert


Royal Albert Hall.  I would love to see Clapton here someday. 

St. Paul’s Cathedral. Winston Churchill felt it was imperative the Cathedral was preserves during the Battle of a Britain.  

Wreathed in billowing smoke, amidst the chaos and destruction of war, the pale dome stands proud and glorious—indomitable. At the height of that air-raid, Sir Winston Churchill telephoned the Guildhall to insist that all fire-fighting resources be directed at St Paul's. The cathedral must be saved, he said, damage to the fabric would sap the morale of the country.

This Cathedral replaced the original which was destroyed during the Great Fire in 1666.

St. Paul’s Cathedral stands on the highest point of old Londinium.  This cathedral’s construction was finished on 10-26-1708.  

St. Paul’s Cathedral and Paternoster square.  The column on the right is topped with a copper flame and also serves as a vent for the road below.  The London stock exchange would be almost directly behind me in this photo.

Prince Charles and Lady Diana were married at St. Paul’s.  The site lines of the cathedral are protected which has led to the unusual shape to some of the modern skyscrapers within the city.

The front of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

The changing of the Guard 💂‍♀️ 

One more for good measure

Buchingham Palace

There are a significant number of pictures of Buckingham Palace in this blog.  The Queen has now moved her permanent residence to Windsor.  The interior of the castle is undergoing renovations which will be completed in 2035.

Seniors.

Me and this queen 

St. James Park

The Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain.  

This fountain is found on the southeast side of Piccadilly Circus. It honors the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury who was know for his philanthropy.  The fountain is topped by the Greek god, Anteros, the god of selfless Love=Philanthropy.

Winston Churchill

In the afternoon we visited the Churchill War Rooms.  A series of underground rooms in London from which Winston Churchill coordinated Britain’s war efforts.

The Conference Room

Britain’s World War II leadership

This portrait

The kitchen

Map Room

Churchhill’s bedroom

After the War Rooms it was dinner.  Let’s just say I won’t need to eat any sausage for awhile.  Sausage, potatoes and a little birthday cake 🎂 for Olivia

This will help the sausage go down a little easier 


Katie and I at the old vegetable market in Covet Gardens.

One last night in London.  London shuts down early on Sunday, the museums and rides were all closed by 6.  The shopping was done at 6 too.  We were lucky enough to to find a pub over in Covent Gardens which borders the West End/Theater district. We enjoyed some drinks at Punch and Judy which has a nice patio and for awhile you could even hear a little music from the streets.  At 11 we headed for the hotel, I think everyone enjoyed London and wanted a little more time in this vibrant city.

The crew at Covent Gardens

What a ride.  

Tomorrow we will fly to Montreal and the home.  Hopefully there will be tickets for all and no lost bags on the return flight home.  Not sure if we will be greeted like the Beatles but I hope someone will pick us up from the airport.

Brittany Ferry. Oops I did it again

Saturday, June 25th, 2022 was a big travel day.  10 min bus ride to the ferry, 4 1/2 hour ferry ride to Portsmouth, England and another 2+hours bus ride to London, England our center of operations for the next 2 days.

Leaving France 🇫🇷 

Another view from the back of the ferry.  

Our boat ride was relatively uneventful.  A little to hot in our lounge at times and the boat was a little too rocky at times as well.  I missed trivia by 10 minutes, the dads would have won in a landslide.  Eventually we would reach jolly old England.  In the meantime…..

Cool dads

Cool dad making this trip great

Just a couple of photos that didn’t may the daily cut.

England

Get the gear on the bus.  Fire the engine, Brian and let’s get this crew to London.  

The plan was to get to London and go to mass at Westminster Cathedral.  We made good time into London so we took in a couple of sight real quick.

The River Thames and Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower).  This is a view from the bus.

Some wanted to change before church, some wanted to use the restroom and some wanted a beer 🍺.

Westminster Abbey

Big Ben with without the scaffolding.  At least one thing is not under construction.

We found some London Pride 

Westminster Cathedral 

Above the doorway

Inside the Cathedral.

The mass was beautiful. I think everyone found it meaningful and renewing.

After the mass we took a group photo with Father Mike.  He was funny and very welcoming and encouraged us to let Westminster Cathedral know ahead of time so he can arrange a tour of the cathedral.  A wonderful Father and a surprising bonus to our day.

After mass we all went out for Indian food.  The place was great but was a little overwhelmed by the 48 of us.

On the way next to the restaurant.

 
A little hydration in case the heat gets too much.

The feast. Nan, Chicken Curry, Prawns and more 

The dads enjoyed the meal immensely.

After dinner it was back to the hotel for some much needed rest.  The road is starting to take its toll on everyone to varying degrees but I know we have 1 more day in us.

Some gave all, all gave some.

Friday, June 24, 2022 was a big day on our WW II tour.  Today we visit the American Cemetery near Omaha as well as a couple of other significant sights.

Our morning did not get off to a cracking start as 2 of the boys over slept and nearly missed the bus.  I think both felt badly about the incident but in the end is was a blessing because we decided to go directly to the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy France 🇫🇷.  We ended up being some of the first people at the cemetery.  

The road signs to guide us.

Infinity pool at the Visitors Center

After the visitor center you can follow the path to look out over the English Channel.  Seeing the water, the beach and then the cliffs/shoreline alone makes you wonder about these men could do what they endeavored to do.

Looking down at the English Channel 

The coastline and the English Channel

This board lays out the D-Day invasion nicely.

From this overlook site you can venture up towards the man monument.  One the left wall it show a map of the Normandy invasion on D-Day on the right wall it shows the continued procession of the US army through Europe.  In the center is a large statue and columns connect the walls.  It is beautiful and striking in the morning sun.

The left wall is a map of Normandy invasions

The right wall is a map of operations in Western Europe.

The statue in the middle. The statue is titled “The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves”

Above the statue around the ring is engraved:

FREEDOM, IS FOREVER HALLOWED BY THE IDEALS, THE VALOR AND THE SACRIFICES OF OUR FELLOW COUNTRYMEN”.

Looking out from the Memorial towards the Chapel

The memorial from behind.

These walls come from both sides and create a semicircle split by the walkway which is where I took the picture above.  These walls contain the names of the soldiers missing in action associated with WW II. The number of names is a staggering 1,557

Another picture from the Garden framed by The Wall of the Missing

On this walk in both English and French is engraved:

“★ COMRADES IN ARMS WHOSE RESTING PLACE IS KNOWN ONLY TO GOD ★
★ HERE ARE RECORDED THE NAMES OF AMERICANS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY AND WHO SLEEP IN UNKNOWN GRAVES ★ THIS IS THEIR MEMORIAL ♦ THE WHOLE EARTH THEIR SEPULCHER ★”.

From the memorial we walked down to the chapel.

The ceiling in the chapel. This mosaic was completed in 1953.  It tells a full round story of war and peace

One wall of the Chapel

The alter and the far wall.  Enlarge to read the inscriptions on the far wall and alter.

On the outside roof the following is engraved:

 “THESE ENDURED ALL AND GAVE ALL THAT JUSTICE AMONG NATIONS MIGHT PREVAIL AND THAT MANKIND MIGHT ENJOY FREEDOM AND INHERIT PEACE”.

The cemetery is divided into 10 plots which form a Latin cross.  The Memorial is at the base and the Chapel is in the center.

Some sections are roped off but others you can walk among the headstones

A few shots from the cemetery.

The cemetery is the final resting place of:

9,388 service members

9,238 Latin Crosses (Catholics and Protestants)

151 Stars of David (Jewish)

45 pairs of brothers. 30 are buried side by side

147 Africa Americans

20 Native Americans

4 women

4 Chaplains

304 unknown soliders.  On each or their cross the following is engraved:

“HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY A COMRADE IN ARMS KNOWN BUT TO GOD”.

One specific soldier laid to rest here was:

Gen. Lesley J McNair

Hometown: Verndale, MN

He was reported to be the unsung architect of the US Army.

He was killed by friendly fire in France.

The cemetery is simultaneously beautiful and sad, inspiring and heartbreaking.  When I walk among the headstones, I felt compelled to touch some almost like you would pat someone on the back or shoulder.  The gravity of the sacrifice was lost on no one.  I kept thinking: Are you the type of person who would volunteer? Because everyone here did. Are you the type of person who would get on the boat or in the plane? Because everyone here did. Are you the type of person who would get off the boat or out of the plane? Because everyone here did.  If you got out would you act with courage or valor? Because everyone here did.

At 10:30 we had a wreath laying ceremony.  It was simple incredible.  We had 3 people with a service history in our group so our trip leader and those 3 laid the wraith at the foot of the statue.  The service entails a brief announcement, The Star Spangled Banner, wreath laying, a moment of silent and then the playing of Taps.  

Laying the wreath 

Laying the wreath 

Laying the wreath

The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves with our wreath

After the wreath laying one of our parents who had served took 5-10 minutes talking to the students about the significance of service and this cemetery in particular.  It put a particularly fine point on an amazing morning.

After a few minutes to gather and collect ourselves we boarded the bus and head to Omaha Beach.

Between the American Cemetery and Omaha Beach.

The monument for the 29th infantry at Omaha Beach

The back of the monument 

Ranger plague at Omaha Beach.  Take time to magnify and read each of these

This inscription.

This statue is amazing.

116th Regimental Combat memorial

The view from Omaha Beach.  Imagine getting from the beach to the top of the shore on 6/6/1944.  The 3rd Reich is raining down on you with all its collective might and you are going to run up this beach and hill and take it because it is your duty.

From Omaha Beach we journeyed to Pointe de Hoc.  This is a 35 meter (100 ft) cliff overlooking Normandy.  The concern for the Allied forces that guns in this area could rain down artillery on either Omaha or Utah Beach and seriously impair the ability of the Allied forces to claim the beach. Prior to D-Day this area was heavily shelled by the RAF and the during the invasion.  The 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions were given the task of assaulting this pointe, taking it and holding it.  In order to accomplish these objectives the Rangers were forced to scale the 100 meter cliffs.

They found these bunkers and fortifications were housing decoy guns.  Once the point was controlled patrols discovered the guns and destroyed them.

Pointe de Hoc

Memorial for the 2nd Ranger Battalion.  They were the shape end of the spear on D-Day

The inscription on the plague.  The right side is the same only in French.

A fortification surrounded by craters from the bombardment of the point

The front of a gun fortifications 

Machine gun and German fortification

Looking out from inside 

Just one of the heroes  on Pointe de Hoc


Here is another.

From Pointe de Hoc we travelled to Arromanche.  It is significant because of the Mulberry harbour/docks.  A floating harbour that allowed the delivery of 9,000 tons of equipment a day.

Steel roadways on top of concrete or steel buoyes held in place by kite anchors.  It was an engineering marvel when it was operational.  It rest in the center of the Gold beach landing zone. 

Gold Beach

The city of Arromanche.

My lunch, crepe burger with an egg on top and fries

At least some of the dads were relaxing for a minute or two.

Looks at the harbour in the picture 

Residual concrete pontoon on the beach at low tide

The steel roadway.  Later repurposed to help cross rivers when the Germans had destroyed a bridge during their retreat.

The kite anchor

The plaque hopefully you can enlarge and read 

After Arromanche we visit one final site where some of the German artillery was still present.

The bunker and the gun

Looking down the barrel.

Nellie & Elise

Katie and Olivia

Another bunker and gun

Machine gun fortification

Barley fields with the guns and bunkers at the far edge 

After this we returned to Ouistreham for a good nights sleep.  The girls and a few other walked into town.  Little did we know it was St. John’s Fire day.  There was to be a large bond fire 🔥 in the town square and music from DJ Phil.  It was a beautiful but windy night.  

The church and the party

Another view of the church.

This queen and me.

Jim Valvano famously said….

If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.

I definitely had a very special day and I think everyone else did too.