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Köln is famous for its cathedral |
Restoration includes periodic cleaning |
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Köln & France |
Reunions are one of the joys of travel. You're happy to see the friends you go to visit and also joyful about returning home to the family you love. The last time I was in Germany was in 1992 to visit some friends that I had first met while living at the university in Shanghai, China back in 1989. I had the pleasure of returning for a week in May of 2004, specifically to visit with András, who I had not seen since 1992. With the exception of a little gray hair, he hadn't changed a bit, and for that I am thankful. Köln, or Cologne, where András lives, was our base. We also ventured into France for a few days and were pleasantly surprised by the scenery and the friendly people.
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Köln is famous for its cathedral |
Restoration includes periodic cleaning |
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Detail of the cathedral door |
András explains Napoleon's downfall at Waterloo, Belgium. |
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The cathedral at Amiens, France |
András basks in the glow |
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The beach at Le Havre, on the Normandy coast |
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Typical street in Caen, France |
From atop the fortress in Caen |
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One of three large cathedrals in Caen |
Eisenhower statue near Bayeux |
Normandy
We stopped in several small towns along the way to the Normandy region of
France. Our goal was visit the beaches where Allied forces invaded occupied
France in June of 1944. In the end we only had time to visit one. We were awed
by Omaha Beach, where Americans came ashore in huge numbers on June 6th despite
heavy resistance from the Nazi enemy. Having seen the terrain and studied the
task before them, I now have a deeper respect and appreciation for the sacrifice
endured by the brave men of the Allied forces.
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The Normandy fishing village of Port-en-Bessin |
American cemetery at Omaha Beach |
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The immensity of Omaha Beach |
Cliffs, and Mulberry harbor remnants just to the east of Omaha Beach |
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Nazi defense battery - one of several aimed at the English Channel |
Le Mont - St. Michel
After our time at Omaha Beach we drove south to Le Mont - St. Michel. It's impressive. We spent much time exploring in and around the fortress. We were lucky to have such great weather while we were there.
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We arrived at sunset |
Le Mont - St. Michel |
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Before all the tour buses arrived |
A morning walk was a nice way to start the day |
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Pit stop - about €1.15 a liter for medium octane fuel |
The Rhine River
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A view to the south |
A view to the north |
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The connecting flight out of Köln was canceled, but they put us on a bus and drove us to Maastricht, Netherlands where we boarded a KLM City Hopper to Amsterdam. |
