This year is the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings, and the events surrounding the celebrations on D-Day have brought a wealth of resources to the region. My husband has a special interest and connection to the area as his father landed on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944 and went on to fight in the Normandy campaign through St. Lo and beyond. We first visited the area in 1999 and worked our way along the beaches and battlefields in our rental car, visiting the museum at Caen and stopping at the cemeteries, American, British and German. Our base at that time was a B&B in the little town of Longues sur Mer, right by the German batterie of cannons.
For this trip we decided to stay longer and station ourselves at a midpoint along the coast but a bit inland so that we could also get to Bayeux and view the tapestry, which will be inaccessible starting next year due to planned renovation of the museum. We found the perfect accommodation at Domaine de Prune in the small village of Tour en Bessin where Nathalie and Dominique greeted us with a welcome drink and charming suite in their rural "farm" with spacious lawns and plants and a greenhouse that was the source of strawberries the next morning at breakfast along with the usual delicious pastries, yogurt, etc.
Nathalie used to have another B&B in Dordogne, but Normandy is home to the couple, so they are perfectly situated to give advice on how and where to see the latest museums and the historic sites, many of which have appeared in the years since our first trip. Nathalie greets everyone with great humor and enthusiasm and in just about perfect American English. Not at all reserved! She loves Americans and has traveled extensively in the U.S. and around the globe. We found ourselves at home away from home with a warm welcome each evening to recap the day, or retreat to our room if we were tired.
It was a poignant visit in some ways, bringing back memories of a terrible time but also a triumphant time. My father-in-law survived to start a family and even once made the return trip himself where he was treated royally in every pub in Normandy. He's gone now, but I remember him grinning as he reported, "I never had to buy a drink."