Omaha beach

     8:25 we departed from Courseulles-sur-mer (Juno Beach) and  headed west along the coast. Peter and I arrived at Omaha beach and the national cemetery around noon. Forty-seven years ago I slept on the beach after hiking 8 miles in total darkness.  I woke up to a water drenched sleeping bag, packed up and the with my heavy pack climbed through? the brush up to the top where I saw endless rows of graves.  My eyes welled up. This time I bicycled in to see the same cemetery.  Again the same emotion.  Everyone should be given a history lesson about this Normandy invasion on June 6, 1944, the battle which began the liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany.  7,000 ships landed 135,000 troops; by the time it was over in three weeks, 35,000 allied troops had died, 55,000 Germans.   The cemetery was serene, beautifully manicured with birds chirping everywhere.  Many tourists but no sounds but nature.
   I hiked down to the beach where I filled a small container of sand for a friend back home. Once on the road again, we covered another twenty miles before finding a modest hotel to shelter us from a rain which began just as we rolled into Carentan, France. Nice town square but completely closed up due to it being Sunday and the rain.  Forty-four miles covered,  more distance covered according to Peter's odometer. Great ride, light traffic, a few small memorials and a light roadside lunch  After we arrived, we cleaned up, stayed in and eat our rations along with a good bottle and a half of vin rouge.  Tomorrow rain is a 50% chance, but the ride goes on.