The cemeteries of Normandy

We have a series of still photos here which help show our arrival at the D-Day (June 6th 1944) beaches where the U.S armies landed on what was named Omaha Beach.
As you approach the beaches the remnants of the hedgerows leading to the beach front areas remind us of the horrendous killing fields these hedgerows became for the U.S, British and Canadian troops moving forward from the beaches once they had established a beachhead.
The close battles in these hedgerows are synonymous of the close hand to hand combat that occurred there. The famous story of the Band Of Brothers series was heavily focused in some of their earlier episodes on these hedgerow battles.
When you actually reach the beaches, they are so clean, well maintained and orderly that only the numerous memorials scattered over all the beaches including Utah beach, the 2nd U.S army landing beach. Sword and Juno beaches where the British and Canadian troops landed were further north.
Unfortunately, for the Americans Omaha Beach was the most defended and the most difficult geographically to move forward against.
We were very fortunate to stumble across the small hotel when we did. It was one of the best lodgings we had the whole trip. I walked into reception and asked the young lady for a room for the night for the two of us and she refused to give us a room till we had inspected the room and approved it.
When I walked into the spacious room I couldn't believe my eyes. It was gorgeous, spotlessly clean and fully modernised. I always thought it was actually TOO good for a couple of bikers like us.
We had a home cooked dinner in their office, bar and grill rooms. Dinner was prepared by the young lady's father and was delicious.
I think we realised that we would be unlikely to have service and lodgings like this very often on the rest of our trip.
In the morning the rain was falling, the weather had turned and the winds were freezing cold. Off we rode the 500 meters to the U.S Military Cemetery sitting above Omaha Beach. This was in fact exactly where the German fortifications were situated reigning terror down on the landing troops.
A very emotional 24 hours.
As we rode off in the pouring rain and became quickly disoriented in the small rural side roads covered with mud and water. I felt even more emotional.
It was no time for that now and eventually Sol found the way out of the maze of roads and tracks to get us onto the main highway to head north east towards Caen.