Archive for 2019-06-30

Home Archive for 2019-06-30

The D-Day Landings were the most vital part of the greater Operation Overlord to liberate Europe from years of German military occupation. Allied planning for a massive invasion of German-held France had got underway as early as 1943. The Normandy coast west from the Orne River Estuary to the Cotentin Peninsula was chosen for its flat, firm beaches, and to take the German military off guard – German intelligence thought an Allied invasion would occur much closer to Britain, on France’s most northerly beaches. As plans developed, the Allied commanders, Eisenhower and Montgomery, decided to extend the landing sectors to east and west.

Preparations on a vast scale went on for months in southern England. Through superior air power and a campaign of misinformation, the Allies managed to keep the German military from learning about the build-up to the invasion. However, the Germans had fortified the Normandy coast, particularly after Hitler had put the extremely competent Rommel in charge of coastal defences along the French coast in 1943.

Allied aerial bombardments in advance of the D-Day Landings were targeted to break up German lines and to bomb strategic spots, notably gun batteries, although these advance raids were not always successful. The invasion of France began in the night of 5th to 6th June, a few days later than planned, due to bad weather. Gliders delivered specialist airborne troops to the two bridge-ends of the operation, above Caen in the east, and close to Sainte-Mère-Eglise in the west. The British troops who landed in the east successfully took the bridges over the Orne River and its canal. The American forces dropped in the west encountered many more difficulties, including, most famously, one paratrooper getting his parachute caught on the church tower of Sainte-Mère-Eglise.

D-DAY

Then the major D-Day Landings began in the early morning of 6 June. The Allies had divided the 60-mile coastal stretch chosen for the invasion into five sectors, codenamed Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha and Utah. On the eastern side, British forces were predominant at Sword and Gold, while Canadians led at Juno. Out west at Omaha and Utah, it was American forces who landed. D-Day has come to be seen as a great triumph, but that didn’t mean the Allies who landed here didn’t encounter tough German resistance and suffer some terrible tragedies from the start.

The circumstances encountered at different points along this coast were highly contrasting. Some beaches were taken without too much fighting, others were bitterly fought over, the waters and sands littered with burning craft and dead bodies.

The whole operation, those who fought on D-Day and those who sacrificied their lives on that crucial day in history, are recalled in extremely moving museums, memorials, cemeteries and sites set along the D-Day Landing Beaches.

Here follow details on each of the five beach sectors where the Allies landed on D-Day.

SWORD BEACH

The most easterly of the D-Day beaches stretches west of the Orne River Estuary, from Caen’s ferry port of Ouistreham. In the original D-Day plan, the invasion front was not intended to extend this far east, instead ending at Courseulles-sur-Mer. However, the British and American military commanders, Montgomery and Eisenhower, insisted on the front going east as far as the Orne Estuary. There were major obstacles in this most easterly sector, natural at Lion-sur-Mer and Luc-sur-Mer, in the form of reefs, while strong German defences had been erected around the port of Ouistreham.

The bulk of the forces who landed on Sword Beach were British. Some French naval forces also took part, under Philippe Kieffer. Ouistreham was taken relatively easily on D-Day. Hermanville-sur-Mer, where many of the troops landed, proved more difficult, and the fighting there slowed the mission of racing on to the city of Caen. At Lion-sur-Mer, the marines also encountered stiff resistance. Although this stretch of coast was secured fairly rapidly, the mission to take Caen quickly proved a failure and the Germans dug in for many weeks in that city.

Must sees

Musée du Mur de l’Atlantique Le Bunker: at this bunker left standing in Ouistreham, you can get an impression of what life was like for the German soldiers manning such a Nazi defence.

While the bunker looks substantial, conditions were very cramped within.

Musée du No.4 Commando: also in Ouistreham, opposite the casino, this museum recalls, via contemporary film footage and a large-scale model.

That French commandoes also played a part in the D-Day Landings.

Merville Battery: this was the most easterly spot where Allied airborne forces landed on the first night of invasion, on the eastern side of the Orne Estuary.

The troops were scattered as they came down. However, as recalled in the museum in the battery itself, they still managed to secure the spot on D-Day itself, albeit after a bloody battle.

JUNO BEACH

Under Canadian leadership, Canadian and British forces took on a stretch of coast from Courseulles-sur-Mer west. Although there were no major defensive batteries along this stretch, the mines and vicious obstacles set up by the Germans along the beaches, along with guns placed on the jetties in the ports, caused many fatalities. Of 14,000 Canadian troops who landed here, 340 were killed and 600 wounded. The fighting was particularly intense around Courseulles, Bernières and Saint-Aubin, although Graye-sur-Mer proved easier to take. Through gritty determination, the Allied troops along this stretch managed to make important inroads on D-Day, reaching 16km inland, further than any other Allied forces that day. At the end of the day, however, some German troops still defended a strip between Sword and Juno Beaches.

Must see

The Juno Beach Centre: standing out at Courseulles-sur-Mer, this contemporary museum was built in the shape of a maple leaf.

This reference to one of Canada’s national emblems indicates clearly how this place is largely dedicated to Canadian efforts on D-Day.

Note, however, that coverage extends beyond D-Day, to Canadian involvement throughout World War II.

GOLD BEACH

The Gold Beach sector stretched east of the port of Arromanches(where action was deliberately avoided on D-Day, to keep it clear for the floating pre-fabricated Mulberry Harbour to be put in place after the invasion). Aerial and naval bombardments before the troops landed had successfully knocked out some of the strongest German defences around here.

In this sector, east around Ver-sur-Mer, advances were generally rapid. West at Asnelles, German resistance was stronger. By the end of the day, the Allied forces here had practically met the objectives set for them, closing in on the town of Bayeux.

Must sees

Ver-sur-Mer, Musée America-Gold Beach: one part of this museum is dedicated to the D-Day Landings here, plus the intelligence gathering on this coast prior to the invasion and the setting up, by British engineers, of an aerodrome. Another part of the museum commemorates an event in 1927, when the first mail-carrying flight from the USA to Europe crash-landed in the sea off Ver-sur-Mer. The aircraft was named America.

See the separate entry on Arromanches for details on the museums recalling the massive operations that occurred at that port from D-Day +1 day.

OMAHA BEACH

Notoriously, the American troops who landed at Omaha Beach suffered the worst on D-Day. The bombardments before the Landings proved ineffective in wiping out the many German positions dotted along the slopes above the beaches beyond Colleville-sur-Mer, Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer and Vierville-sur-Mer. On top of that, the Allied amphibious tanks were launched too far out from the shore and failed. The infantry coming ashore were decimated by German fire across the long beaches. Despite heavy losses, small groups of Americans made it up the slopes and took German positions from behind, so some gains were made, if at heavy human cost. At the end of the day, the forces that landed here suffered 3,000 casualties, of whom c.1,000 died.

Must seesThe Pointe du Hoc at Cricqueville-en-Bessin: Out on a limb to the west, the capturing of the Pointe du Hoc, a steep, heavily fortified headland surrounded by cliffs, was given to the Rangers.

Not surprisingly, given the extreme challenges, they suffered the worst losses of all. However, their mission began well, with the rapid scaling of the cliffs. Up top, though, they found that the German canons had been removed and that they were practically encircled by German fighters.

The Rangers dug in, having to wait until around midday on 8 June for reinforcements to help them out. Of the 225 men who had landed, only 90 were fit for battle by the end of the assault, and 80 of their number had died.

This famous point was one of the strong points of the German fortifications. A museum set back from the headland covers the campaign here in detail. Follow the trail right around the point and you learn the moving stories of many of the individual American soldiers who took part in the attack here. The ground is still littered with German concrete defences. From the tip of the headland, with its memorial, you can appreciate just what a strategic position this was, with views stretching far to east and west.

The Normandy American Cemetery, Memorial and Visitor Centre at Colleville-sur-Mer: every year, more than a million visitors come to pay homage at this beautifully sited, extremely poignant war cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach and the sea.

There are 9,387 individual crosses dedicated to American soldiers who lost their lives on D-Day and in the ensuing Battle of Normandy. The names of 1,557 men missing in action are inscribed on the Walls of the Missing. At either end of the Memorial colonnade are large maps and explanations of the main military operations. In the centre of the memorial, the striking bronze statue is entitled ‘Spirit of American Youth Risin from the Waves’.

In 2007, the Normandy Visitors Centre opened on the east side of the cemetery, its museum telling the story of the D-Day Landings and Battle of Normandy, as well as focusing on the American soldiers who gave their lives during the campaign

Overlord Museum at Colleville-sur-Mer: this substantial World War II museum was opened in 2014 and covers the conflict from its origins in the 1930s through to its conclusion in 1945.

A mass of objects and documents help to give visitors a detailed picture of the war.

Omaha Memorial Museum at Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer: set just a little back from Omaha Beach itself.

This museum displays a wide collection of uniforms, weapons, personal objects and vehicles.

Numerous scenes, vivid archive photos, maps and a film commented by American veterans, explain the landings on Omaha Beach and the Pointe du Hoc.

Statue les Braves on the sand of Omaha Beach, at Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, stands the Statue Les Braves.

This steel sculpture pays homage to the soldiers who landed here on 6th June 1944.

UTAH BEACH
The most westerly landing sector on D-Day, Utah Beach lies on the Cotentin Peninsula, also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, and it was in fact in order to help take the vital port of Cherbourg rapidly that the Allied commanders of Operation Overlord, Eisenhower and Montgomery, decided that this further Landing Beach was required. It was extensive, going from the beach beyond the village of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont north to that by Quinéville.

Extensive marshes separate Utah Beach from the other D-Day beaches. These wetlands caused havoc as American airborne troops parachuted down into the area behind the coast in the night of 5th to 6th June to try and eliminate German defences there. Most memorably, John Steele’s parachute got stuck on the tower at Sainte-Mère-Eglise as fighting took place around the church.

The landings from the ships also went awry in these parts, the bulk of the American forces coming ashore a couple of miles south of the designated zone. This error turned out to be a blessing, as the soldiers setting foot on French soil here met with relatively little resistance.

Must sees

Musée Utah Beach located right beside the beach where so many American forces came ashore on 6th June.

This museum retraces chronologically and clearly how D-Day was planned and executed. Among the telling objects on display, none is more impressive than the B-26 Marauder bomber. There’s a moving documentary film to watch, ‘Victory in the Sand’, plus oral testimonies.

Musée Airborne at Sainte-Mère-Eglise: this major museum dedicated to American paratroopers on D-Day was expanded for the 2014 commemorations.

Along with the classic presentation of the airborne operations, a new wing of the museum plunges visitors into an intense sensory experience of the war.

Svakako je da ako pojedinac želi oglašavati svoj smještaj na Bookingu mora to legalizirati, tu nema puno priče.
No slučaj koji sam prošao mi govori da to nije uvijek tako.
Prije našeg posljednjeg obilaska Francuske rezervirali smo smještaj preko Bookinga u jednom Ibisovom hotelu u Parizu.
Sve pripremili i polako čekali početak putovanja.

Da bih 8 dana prije puta Booking se javio sa viješću da taj Ibisov Hotel nije ni izgrađen te da eto ako želimo odustati možemo.
Samo da a što onda? Što je sa njihovim pomoći oko alternativnog smještaja?

I tako je zapravo nastao cirkus.

Hotel je da u izgradnji prošao sam autom pored njega i jedva i ima stakla o unutarnjem uređenju da ne pričam, a već se naveliko u travnju 2019 iznajmljivao na Bookingu.

Uspjeli smo mi nekako sami naći smještaj,ne uz njihovu pomoć jer činilo mi se da ih nije ni briga što će biti naći smještaj te razliku su se obvezli nadoknaditi jer ipak to nije naša graška ni propust.

Eeee sada dolazimo do glavnoga o čemu svakako pripazite.

Pošto su se obvezli nadoknaditi razliku u smještaju i doručak dogovoreno je da se pošalje račun od smještaja i svi ostali prihvatljivi troškovi.

Dakako to se napravilo prvi dan boravka u alternativnom smještaju da bih evo danas 8 dan oni se i dalje izmotavali oko procedure naplate, oko toga što se prihvaća što se ne prihvaća, oko zareza na računu.

Svakako da li si to jedna tvrtka kao Booking smije dozvoliti ne znam, da li je to samo do osobnih želja i potreba lokalnih operatera a da o tome centrala ni ne zna ni to ne znam.
O spuštanju slušalice od strane operatera je i suvišno pričati ali da i to se dogodilo.

Znam samo da mi je Booking poljuljao povjerenje a ovim putem svima koji čitaju želim ih upozoriti da pripaze da li će u budućnosti uopće koristiti usluge Bookinga pored realno drugih alternativnih pružatelja istih usluga.

Dok ovo pišem eto nakon 8 dana još uvjek nije ništa novaca niti povrata bilo niti se točno zna što će biti.Dolaze e mailovi da račun za doručak nije ovakav, nije kockast a vaš je pravokutan, tinta je crvena a ne plava i evidentno slični izgovori.

Dodatak.
Nakon 14 dana još nema uplate a dakako razgovori se vode i e mailovi izmjenjuju.

Nakon 16 dana stigla je isplata no ne u cijelosti niti je išta kako smo dogovorili a što dakako sve u e mailovima i usmenim razgovorima je dogovoreno.
Hotel koji je sporan još je neizgrađen u ponudi Bookinga a porecenzijama na Google Maps se vidi da su i drugi loše prošli.

Svakako preporuka pripazite u budućnosti da li uopće koristiti booking servis.

Château Cheverny: A Site to Behold in the French Countryside

If I died tomorrow, just send me to the Château Cheverny in the Loire Valley of France. Well, to be honest, Versailles in Paris would be my first pick, but the droves of tourists would quickly get on my nerves.

On a recent 8 day trip to Normandy,Loire Valley and Paris, my family and I took a 3 day trip to eight châteaux, traveling with the car across the French countryside to the city of Tours and Blois. Château Cheverny is located less than an hour northeast of Tours by car.

At first,the Library

The library features First Empire furniture and 2,000 books, including complete collections.

The History of Châteaux in the Loire Valley

The land mass surrounding the Loire River has been called "The Garden of France," and it is dotted by more than 1,000 châteaux.

Their spires, domes and massive walls of stone stretch to the heavens. For just a moment they can make you imagine you've stepped into a fairytale.

French châteaux were predominantly built between the10th and 17th centuries. While there is no official listing of French châteaux, some are more prominent than others for historical, architectural, or ownership reasons.

Those that were built later in this time frame often exemplify the ideals of the Renaissance and Age of Reason.

Paris Becomes the Center of Influence

The Loire Valley was the center of power in France until the mid-1500s, when King Francis I began to shift it back to the city of Paris.
However, most of the noble born remained in the Loire Valley until King Louis XIV ascended the throne and began to personally rule in 1661.
The Sun King expanded the Palace of Versailles in Paris and gradually moved the court there, leaving the Loire Valley as primarily a summer retreat for the well-heeled and politically connected.
Even as the center of influence shifted to Paris, some wealthy Frenchmen continued to build expansive châteaux in the countryside. Unfortunately, the radical social and political turmoil of French Revolution would later see many of them ransacked by rioting peasants as part of the Great Fear of 1789. Peasants sought to destroy legal papers and other indications of the age-old feudal system.

The Apprenctices' Garden: The North Facade of the Château

Château Cheverny: Fit for Royalty, Inhabited by Lesser Men

The lands that are now part of Château Cheverny were acquired by Henry Hurault from his father, Philip. The elder Hurault served as chancellor for two kings: Henry III and Henry IV.

Henry Hurault subsequently served as a viscount to King Louis XIII, helping to oversee public spending and financial matters.

Classic Cheverny elegance: 19th century dining room.

A Crime Against the State

The property that is now Cheverny held an 11th century castle-fort. (Parts of the old structure are still visible on the grounds today; they are part of the outbuildings and are used for upkeep of the existing castle.)

Unfortunately, that land and the ancient castle upon it were seized by the Crown due to Hurault's fraud of the State. The property was then gifted to Diane de Poitiers, mistress of King Henry II.

The lady, however, preferred the newer 16th century accommodations of Château de Chenonceau. The Hurault property was therefore sold back to Philippe.

In 1599, when Philip died, his son Henry Hurault acquired it.

Beautiful garden of the castle

Early Scandals: Why Château Cheverny Was Built

In 1588, himself only 13, Henry Hurault married Françoise Chabot when she was merely 11 years old. (This was not uncommon at the time.) Then, he quickly went off to battle.7

Upon inheriting the ancient castle-fort from his father in 1599, the younger Hurault kept his bride at the old property, hoping to keep her faithful.

However, as the years wore on the young lady developed a crush on a page boy (a male attendant). The cuckold husband eventually caught his wife in the arms of her lover. (By this time, she was 25 years old.)

The page boy attempted to escape by jumping from a window, breaking his leg in the process. Hurault finished him off with his sword, then turned to his wife, Françoise. He offered her an ugly choice.

Gilded Gold

The Neo-Renaissance style fireplace is gilded in gold and features a bust of King Henry IV.

Forced Choice

The murdering husband offered his adulterous wife a forced choice of "suicide" by poison or by a sword. Believing it the lesser of the two evils, Françoise chose poison.

As punishment, Hurault was banished from the city of Blois, and he lived in exhile at Cheverny.

The Grand Salon: Elegance Defined

The Grand Salon features family portraits, artwork, an 18th century harp that still works, and furniture signed by the cabinetmakers to royalty.

Hurault later remarried, and in an attempt to erase the past he had the 11th century castle-fort torn down. The present building — the beautiful Château Cheverny — was constructed in its place between between 1624 and 1630.

So there you have it: Château Cheverny was built because a young wife was caught cheating on her husband. She lost everything. He got the house.

Keeping the Château in the Family

The newly built Cheverny was passed down through the Hurault family until 1802. At the height of the French Revolution, the family sold the château. Then, in 1824, when the aristocracy was once again in vogue, they bought it back again.

Hunting suit

It has remained in the family since. Today Cheverny is owned by the Marquis de Vibraye, a direct descendant of the original owners. It is one of only a few privately owned châteaux in the region.

In 1922, they opened its doors to the public, one of the first châteaux to do so. It is one of the most popular châteaux in the Loire Valley for tourists.

The 1994 wedding dress of the current owner is on display in the Bridal Chamber.

Château Cheverny's Classic Architecture

The architect behind Château Cheverny's elegance was Jacques Bougier (Boyer). He used soft stone from the Bourre Quarries of the Cher valley. This stone has the unique property of becoming much stronger and whiter with age.

Authentic oak ceiling from 1630

Bougier also used rigid symmetry of the classical Louis XIII style, softening the design somewhat through the use of contrasting roof styles — including domes and bell towers.

The use of various styles of roofing give Château Cheverny a look that is distinctive from other castles in the Loire Valley. The tendency towards visual symmetry later became synonymous with classic French architecture.

Wool and Silk Tapestry

Château Cheverny's Furnishings: Eye Candy

Cheverny is filled with original art work, family portraits, and furniture signed by the prominent craftsmen. The interior is true eye candy.

Some of the highlights include:
- A Dutch 18th century solid bronze silverplated chandelier that weighs more than 220 pounds (100 kg)
- A Nursery filled with the first rocking horses of the era
17th century floor-to-ceiling Flemish tapestries
- An 18th century harp and a regulator clock from the Louis XV period — both of which are still fully functional
34 painted wooden panels that illustrate the story of Don Quixote.

The Kennels of Cheverny

Cheverny is also known for being an important hunting venue. From April through September 15, tourists can witness the ritual at 11 a.m. feeding of 100 or more hounds. The dogs are half English foxhound and half French Poitou. They are specially bred for stamina and large feet.

Piles of raw meat are brought in front of the dogs for their once-a-day feeding. The hounds wait patiently for the trainer's command to begin their free-for-all. During the rest of the year (September 16 - March 31), the feeding follows a different schedule.

The Famous Hunting Dogs of Cheverny

Château Cheverny: The Connection to Tintin

Hergé, the Belgian creator of the cartoon The Adventures of Tintin, used the château as inspiration for Marlinspike Hall, the home of Tintin's friend, Captain Haddock. His drawings omit the outermost domed portions of the building.

There is a permanent exhibition on site which honors the connection between Tintin and the chateau.

One more thing!

New LEGO® exhibition : Investigation at Cheverny - Extension

During WWII, this gal hid from the Nazis at Château Cheverny in the Orangery.

The priceless painting was moved six times total before her homecoming to the Louvre in June 1945.

The Louvre dismantled its esteemed collection of paintings, sculptures and other works of art and scattered them to châteaux throughout the French countryside. Château owners volunteered to host the masterpieces to prevent the Nazis from plundering the nation's art collection. Nazis plundered museums in European capitals that they occupied, such as Warsaw and Prague.

Finally, if you can visit the castle, visit it, it's wonderful.

We enjoyed three hours in the castle and the surroundings and with an explanation of everything with our guide.

Sixty-three years after Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy to turn the tide of World War II in Europe, a new visitor center at the Normandy American Cemetery in France opened in May 2007 to tell the story of the 9,387 Americans buried there and put the D-Day landings and follow-on battle in Europe in perspective as one of the greatest military achievements of all time.

The visitor center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from April 15 to September 15, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the year. There is no charge for admission.

The $30 million visitor center was dedicated by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) on June 6, 2007 during the commemoration of the 63rd Anniversary of D-Day. The center is sited in a wooded area of the cemetery approximately 100 meters east of the Garden of the Missing. Normandy is ABMC's most visited cemetery, receiving approximately one million visitors each year.

"The center allows us to better tell the courageous and inspiring story of those buried at Normandy American Cemetery," said General Frederick M. Franks, Jr., USA (Ret), ABMC chairman. "The center provides a fuller array of visitor services to put the D-Day landings in perspective as one of the greatest military achievements in history."

Visitor Experience

One-third of the building's 30,000 square feet is dedicated exhibit space. Using personal stories of participants and a mix of narrative text, photos, films, interactive displays and artifacts, exhibits portray the competence, courage and sacrifice of Allied forces.

The visitor center is designed to complement and enhance the experience of visiting the cemetery. By relating the global significance and meaning of Operation Overlord, the center pays tribute to the values and sacrifices of the World War II generation. After experiencing the cemetery and the center, visitors will have a greater appreciation of those participating in the Normandy invasion, the achievement of America and her Allies in conducting the greatest amphibious invasion in history and the importance of honoring our war dead.

In honoring the brave Americans who lie far from home, as well as those who survived the battle, the center will inspire future generations to explore, understand and emulate the values for which they gallantly fought. It also conveys a sense of remembrance and provides visitors an opportunity to reflect upon a pivotal moment in World War II and realize how dramatically it affected the course of world history.

Project Goals

Design an effective and efficient facility that architecturally complements the cemetery landscape with style and dignity.
Develop appropriate messages that increase the visitor's appreciation of the magnitude and significance of the Normandy operations and the sacrifices involved in victory.
Expand public awareness of ABMC services, facilities and objectives in honoring America's war dead overseas.

Project History

In June 2001, U.S. Congressmen David Obey and John Murtha proposed that funding be included in the Congressional budget for construction of a visitor and interpretive center at the Normandy American Cemetery.

In December 2002, ABMC selected the SmithGroup, an architectural and engineering firm based in Washington, D.C., to design and build the center. ABMC and SmithGroup planners melded the ideas, concepts and visions that evolved into the final design concept. Gallagher & Associates based in Bethesda, Md., designed the exhibits for the visitor center. Construction began in September 2005 and was completed in May 2007.

ABMC worked closely with local government officials in Normandy to create a visitor center that celebrates the spirit and teamwork of the men and women who won the battle for Normandy, while ensuring that the center integrates into the French government's plan for infrastructure improvements throughout the Normandy area.

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