France

I am so horribly sorry to have left without a word.

We went on vacation and the promised internet connection didn't work, at all! But we did have a great time, and boy, do I ever have some pictures for you.

Maybe first the story behind the trip. My dad likes tanks, military ships, airplanes and all that. And he has a certain fondness for D-day. He wanted to go to France and see the sites, but didn't have anyone to travel with, and the idea of travelling alone didn't appeal to him. So sister Anne and me gracefully offered our services as travelling companions. Naturally with the addition of two handsome and awesome children.

How could anyone possible refuse?

So after planning it for a while and having to move it back a few times, we finally managed to get all five us off to Normandy for a ten day trip.

It was lovely!

Pointe du hoc - the stuff that happened here on D-day is horrifying, crazy and had me in tears. But in short 250 men came in from the seaside with large ladders, put it up against the cliffs and started climbing up. Naturally it was easy for the defending people on top to take them out one by one. However, somehow they made it and even held the position for two days, before finally receiving backup.

All around there was huge holes, which I first took to be some sort of interesting landscaping. It was craters from the bombs coming in from the sea. On d-day the allies landed on a 80 km stretch of the French coastline, slowing fighting their way into the country. 5300 ships took part in the operation.

My dad told us of a German soldier who was on the lookout on June 6th. We were standing in the tower where he had been standing that day, and supposedly he had been looking the other way, and as he turned he saw the horizon filled with ships. And he said. "It is not possible. That many ships doesn't exist." I can only imagine the horror he might have felt seeing that, and the horror the people sitting in those ships felt.

Pointe du hoc, along with many other areas nearby, is now a memorial to the people that gave their lives to free France - and subsequently a few other countries, including Denmark.

I am married to a German which most of you know, and let me once and for all state that I do not harbor any resentment towards the Germans. I actually quite like them. Nor do I believe that the men who died on the battlefields got "what they deserved". No man deserves to die in war, or even be in a war. And I believe there was heroes on both sides, fighting to keep themselves and their men and friends safe. I think war is a horrible business, and more than once did I find myself tearing up, hugging my children tight and hoping that they would never have to see or experience anything like that.

I do, however, believe that occupying other countries is not okay, save it be in very specific situations. 2nd world war does not fit those specific exceptions.

I am, also, grateful that someone came and made sure my homecountry is now a free country, where we can decide for ourselves. Not that we are necessarily good at it, but I am grateful that we can. 

And with that speech over, let's proceed to a picture of the kids, sharing the stroller on a particular rainy day.

My dad close to the appartment where we stayed. He is more excited than he looks.

And this is what we did. My dad can tell you the caliber and so forth. I can just tell you it was a sunny day, light wind and the grass was green, the wildflowers so beautiful and Samuel had a great time running around the area, into the bunkers and just taking the whole thing in.

We also did this. Oh yes!

My dad was in charge of the different sites he wanted to see. I was in charge of the cakes we were to eat along the way. Horray for French pastry!