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France

The Palace of Versailles

While we were in France we decided to go and visit the Palace of Versailles. We arrived early and joined the large crowd of people already in line to enter the palace.

People lined up to enter the Palace of Versailles

We had a tour guide which made it easier for us to get into the Palace. We went into the Palace and were immediately impressed by the ornate decorations and the size of the building.

The inside of the entrance into the Palace of Versailles

Hanging from the ceiling in the entrance was a beautiful Gabriel crystal chandelier. It was designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec this stunning chandelier is 12 meters in height and weighs  1000 pounds.

Gabriel Crystal chandelier in Versailles Palace

We walked through the palace admiring all the stunning architecture and art on display.

Ray in the Palace of Versailles

There were ceilings with beautiful hand painted scenes which were stunning to see.

Painting on the ceiling in the Palace of Versailles
Paintings in the Palace of Versailles

The Palace was massive and we walked through the palace for over two hours looking at the different rooms.

Shelley and Ray in the Palace of Versailles

The history of the Palace was interesting. The Palace was first built by Louis XIII in 1623 as a hunting lodge and over the years different wings and phases were added to the palace.

Different wing of the Palace of Versailles

We could see the changes in the building architecture as we traveled through the palace. It was a very interesting place to visit. There were sculptures and artifacts from the 16th century and up through the centuries.

Statues and sculptures along the hallways in the Palace of Versailles
One of the marble statues at the Palace of Versailles

There were full-size statues of the different Monarchy of France over the centuries.

Statue of Henry IV king of France from 1572 to 1610

After exploring the Palace for over two hours, we went outside and walked through the palace gardens. It was a very hot day and there was very little shade in the garden. We walked around looking at the different shrubberies and flowers.

Flowers and shrubs in the Palace of Versailles Gardens

There were some different features and statues scattered throughout the palace gardens.

The Palace was an amazing place. There are so many paintings and ornate decorations it is hard to describe the massive beauty of the building. The Palace gardens were also very enjoyable with many water features, statues, and beautiful flowers. We enjoyed our time visiting the Palace of Versailles, it was a very memorable experience.

“Au revoir et bonne journée”

Spain

Flotilla of the Virgin del Carmen

We were fortunate to have friends with a sailboat and they learned about a flotilla event at the marina.  The flotilla is a traditional maritime procession in honor of the “Virgen del Carmen”, the patron saint of sailors. We headed down to the marina to meet Mike and Liz and then go and check it out.

View from the harbor Mike and Liz Sailboat

We headed out on the boat and went towards the exit of the harbor to be ready for the flotilla. On the way out of the harbor, we came across a unique luxury cruise ship.

Star Clipper luxury cruise ship docked at the harbor in Alicante

The luxury cruise ship is 134 meters long and is considered the largest sailing ship in the world.

We found a good location at the mouth of the harbor along with other boaters to wait for the flotilla to start.

At the mouth of the Harbor ready to start the flotilla, with Shelley, Ray, Mike, and Liz.

Once the flotilla procession started, there were even, more boats that joined in.

Some of the boats in the flotilla

We navigated out of the harbor following along side the main boat of the flotilla.

Main boat in the flotilla which carries the Statue of Virgin del Carmen

On the main boat, was a statue of the Virgin del Carmen proudly displayed on the roof of the cabin. The boat also was also playing a song over loudspeakers. The boaters would sound their air horns from time to time. The whole experience was very interesting and enjoyable.

Statue of Virgin Del Carmen, the patron saint of Sailors.

We followed the flotilla for about an hour along the coastline of the Mediterranean before the flotilla stopped. At that point, the lead boat cited two prayers. The first prayer was for the protection of sailors and fisherman who are dependant on the sea for their living.  The second prayer was for the lost souls who died in the sea.

When the prayers were finished, the flotilla headed back to the harbor. It was a very interesting and enjoyable experience.

“Adios y que tenga un grand dia”

France

Thiepval Monument

We went to see the Thiepval Memorial which is located near Thiepval France. The memorial commemorates the missing British and South African soldiers who died in the Battle of the Somme during the First World War.

Thiepval Memorial in France

The memorial was a large arched monument that was quite impressive.

Shelley at the Thiepval Monument

The monument was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and was built between 1928 and 1932. It is the largest Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing in the world.

Each the stone columns are inscribed with the names of missing soldiers during the Battle of Somme. There are 72,246 officers and soldiers names engraved on the columns.

Names inscribed on the column of the Thiepval Memorial

We read some of the names engraved on the wall and came across a few names which had a poppy beside them. When a soldier’s remains were recovered that was previously listed as missing a poppy is attached beside their name on the monument.

Poppy beside the soldier’s name, whose remains have been located.

Behind the monument is the Thiepval Anglo-French Cemetery.  The Thiepval Memorial also serves as an Anglo-French battle memorial.

View of the Thiepval Anglo-French Cemetery from the monument

We walked through the cemetery looking at some of the graves of the soldiers.  What we found very sad was the number of gravestones of unknown soldiers.

View of the Thiepval cemetery with French crosses on the left and British gravestones on the right

There were two different types of gravestones. One was rectangular and were for the British and the other one was a stone cross for the French. The British gravestones were simply marked with “A Soldier of the Great War/ Known unto God”. The French Cross gravestones were marked with “Inconnu”  which means “unknown”

It was a moving experience seeing the monument and the number of names listed as missing.

“Au revoir et passe une bonne journée”

France

Bayeux, France

We stopped in the small historic city of Bayeux France. This city was the first to be liberated by the Allies on June 16, 1944, after the invasion of Normandy.  This is also where General Charles de Gaulle made the first speech in Bayeux in which he made it clear that France sided with the Allies.

Bayeux France

We walked through the center of the old medieval town looking at the cobblestone streets and timbered buildings. There was a quaint watermill which was still working.

A working waterwheel in Bayeux, France

We came to a medieval plaza which was also the location of the local Museum.

Plaza in medieval center of Bayeux, France
18th-century seminary converted into Museum

The museum was converted from an 18th-century seminary. We decided to enter the museum and view the famous 68-meter “Tapisserie de Bayeux”. It is an 11th-century tapestry depicting the 1066 Norman invasion of England. It was very interesting and each section of the tapestry depicted a scene of the invasion of England.

Scene 22 of Bayeux Tapestry.
Bayeux Tapestry depicting Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, rallying Duke William’s troops during the Battle of Hastings in 1066

Although we only spent a few hours in Bayeux, it was a very enjoyable and interesting city.

“Au revoir et bonne journée”

France

Benouville Bridge, France

We arrived in Caen and began our journey along some of the WWII routes. Our first stop was at a small bridge at Benouville which was an important part of the D-Day operations. There were two bridges that were the key to moving troops and supplies forward once the Allies reached Normandy.  One was in Ranville and the other in Benouville.

Bridge at Benouville, France

The operation code-named “Pegasus” was to capture the two bridges and secure them until the Allies arrived. The bridges were fortified with machine guns.

One of the German Machine Guns used to protect the bridge

At 00:16 minutes after midnight on June 6, 1944, gliders with 30 soldiers of the 6th British Airborne landed behind enemy lines near the bridge of Benouville. They fought the Germans to control the bridges and were able to cut the leads to explosive charges that had been set by the Germans. They then defended the bridge from the Germans until reinforcements arrived at approximately 3 a.m.

We walked along the “Pegasus trail” near the riverbank looking at the bridge and trying to imagine what transpired here so many years ago.

View of Pegasus trail in Benouville, France

Along the trail, there were monuments identifying the battle and the soldiers involved in the operation.

Allied Flags and monuments on the “Pegasus Trail”
Statue and Monument of Major J. Howard who led the operation Pegasus and captured the Bridge

We walked the trail and looked at the monuments and plaques.

Ray and Shelley at the Monument at Benouville Bridge in France

It was one of the many operations during the war that were not well-known but had a major impact on the outcome of the D-Day operations. It was an interesting site.

“Au revoir et passez un bon jour”