France 2025 - Day 8 & 9

 Day 8 was the day to hit the major tourist sites. We had hoped to get into the catacombs but you can only buy tickets one week in advance and they were sold out by the time we landed the Friday before. We also found that we needed advanced tickets for the Louvre and the Muse D'Orsay. Both of which had not been that way the last time Dad was here.

We started by heading for Notre Dame, then taking a hop-on-hop-off bus from there.

This was, like, the fourth picture we took. I have no idea why it was so hard.

France 2025 - Day 7

 This was our first full day in Paris. We had a nice breakfast in the hotel and headed off for Les Invalides, Napoleon's tomb and the French Army Museum. We took the metro again. It really is a great system, easy to use and fast.

We arrived at the opposite side from the tomb. Through those doors we bought our tickets to the museum then headed over to see the Great Man's final resting place.

France 2025 - Day 6

 This is the day we left Normandy and headed to Paris for our last three days. We got up early because we wanted to see the sites of the island, mainly high tide and empty streets. Just like the hotels all share a single front desk, they provide breakfast at one of the local restaurants. We found ours and had a very nice buffet with both French and American style food. 

This was all sand yesterday.

France 2025 - Day 5

 Day five we transitioned from WW II battlefields to other stuff. Truth be told, we were all kind of tired of seeing WW II stuff so we were ready for the change. On this day we went to Mont St Michel.

We started by eating breakfast made up of bread, cheese, sausage and pate. We then had a 90 minute drive to the parking area at Mont St Michel. Since we were spending the night on the island, we had to take our backpacks so Dad and I took the bus, but Owyn wanted to walk.

Dad and I with the monastery behind us. It was very windy.

France 2025 - Day 4

 Day four we were off to Utah Beach, and a new town for the night. Utah is the real point of the trip. It's where my grandad landed on D+3. He said he walked off the landing craft onto the beach and didn't even get his feet wet.

Walking up to the museum, cafe and beach entrance.

France 2025 - Day 3

 Day three started out with a search for breakfast. We stopped in a patisserie and had coffee, bread and croissants. They had some really beautiful pastries and tarts on display.

We did not buy these, but we wanted to.

France 2025 - Day 2

 Day 2 of the trip we visited Caen, Pegasus Bridge, Merville sur Mer and the Longues-sur-Mer Battery, then back to Bayeux for dinner.

Owyn wanted to see a castle and the one in Caen is in pretty good shape.

The castle from the parking garage.

France 2025 - Day 1

 This year Owyn graduated from high school. We were considering an overseas trip to celebrate and decided to invite my father along, and the three of us would go to Normandy. My Grandad landed at Utah beach on D+3. My father and I had planned to take a trip to Normandy with him, but he died before we got around to it. Now my father is 73 and we felt like it was time to make the voyage.

Owyn is in there, I promise.