Christophe showed the documentary 'Sacrifice' this morning to set the tone for entering Normandy. Our first stop was at the Caen Memorial and museum. It's difficult to describe what mood this type of experience elicits from students. It is highly educational. It is also somber, serious, and surreal. Did this really happen? Were the atrocities really that widespread? They were particularly struck by the sacrifices made by so many young people. There were several student groups touring the museum at the same time, an international mix of learners and guides all watching, reading, and hopefully learning.
Many technical marvels enabled the D-Day invasion, including the floating bridges designed by the British to offload heavy artillery, additional troops, and supplies after an initial beachhead was established. It was foggy, but we stopped at Arromanches to view the remains of the temporary structure which a storm eventually destroyed.
We have now retired to our hotel in Grandcamp-Maisy. There is another EF group here--they are hard to miss in their pink EF bus! No elevators hasn't dampened the students' enthusiasm...it is easy to tell they are excited that home is only two days away. Some of them are homesick, others "pet"sick, and others are already asking how much it costs if your bag is over the weight limit on the return flight! In an ironic twist of fate, our final hotel may find more shampoo in the bathrooms after we leave rather than less. 😀
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