Cindy's Vacation in France

     I haven't been travelling for my "travel" blog, but Cindy has...and she's a better photographer. She and her college roommate, Peggy, an MD from Oklahoma, are currently spending a week in northern France. They are flying in and out of Paris, but the touring is mostly in Normandy. In addition to the WWII sites, Cindy is browsing around Perche where, eleven generations before me in 1590, was born a Zacharie Cloutier. Zacharie was truly a patriarch of the prolific Cloutier clan. He had six kids, four of whom lived past 67. He sailed to Nouvelle France (Quebec) and established the name in the new world. If the word Perche strikes a chord, it may be because it is the origin of the Percherons, a historic breed of large horses. Cindy found a plaque in a village church listing the members that made that migration to North America.
     The following are some of the pictures she has sent to me, and I thought you might enjoy her travels with me.

     This is Monet's church.

     A mill with an undershot waterwheel in Bayeux, France

     A stream in Giverny

     This is the American Cemetery in Normandy. Her caption was, "There are no words."

     This is Omaha Beach looking southwest toward Pointe du Hoc. It is hard to imagine climbing those cliffs in the face of emplaced machine guns.

     The night before the invasion the 82nd Airborne Division jumped in ahead of the force to secure bridges and such. Trooper Steele's chute snagged on a church steeple in St. Mere Eglise, resulting in his capture. He later escaped and rejoined his unit. Thanks to the French, a replica still hangs there.

     Cindy took this picture of a cafe window in Bayeux. In that part of the world we still have some allies.

    
 The fourth name down is Zacharie Clou(s)tier.

     This is the famed Mont St. Michel with its monastery. The next two shots were targets of opportunity. One is a lovely windmill. The other is a rainbow over Vernon where they spent one night.

     I think you'll agree that she takes a good picture.