Normandy: a decapitated pigeon, rivers of blood, all on a white day/Normandië: ‘n onthoofde duif, riviere van bloed, alles op ‘n wit dag

Bayeux

When we exited the cathedral in Bayeux, a pigeon’s head lay on the ground. Still so fresh, the eyes still open and shiny. The bells were ringing and I think a bell must have decapitated the poor creature.

Shortly before we had visited the famous Bayeux tapestry and the Battle of Hastings (1066 AD) was still fresh in our minds. That dreadful battle is depicted in the tapestry, with many chopped off heads lying about.

And now, the pigeon.

It’s simple to interpret the tapestry. After all, it was designed to tell the story to an illiterate population and to keep it alive – and it was displayed annually in the cathedral from the time of its creation. It is like a 70m long cartoon, empathetic, colourful, daring, filled with detail, giving much information of the customs of the time, and then the blood, simply rivers of it. And many chopped off heads.

It tells the story of the events leading to the Norman victory over England. The crossing of William the Conqueror, duke of Normandy (whose castle we had visited the previous day in Caen), if the English channel is depicted in detail. Then the battle and the resulting events. All in coloured wool on linen.

We were intrigued by the simplicity, clarity, intrigues, narrative, and all the detail. And the fact that you are drawn into the story as you move along the 70m long tapestry with your audio guide. The battle scenes are bloody and cruel.

Afterwards, in brisk spring weather, we walked through the lovely heart of the town to the Bayeux cathedral. Where William the Conqueror received Harald of England’s pledge of allegiance which the latter then broke – leading to the Battle of Hastings.

And then that pigeon, right in front of the main entrance.

I also thought of the cruel Vikings who invaded this region. More heads rolled. Finally the region was named Normandy when Rollo was granted its dukedom.

Pegasus Bridge

The previous day we had visited the Pegasus Bridge where the first landings on the night of 6 June 1944 took place which was the start of the D-day invasion. We stood on the banks of the river, a stone’s throw from the bridge where three Horsa gliders landed just after midnight in an area barely the size of a rugby field. And they were big! Could carry two pilots, 28 men, two jeeps, canons and carriers each. Amazing.

The scale, timing and logistics of the invasion is too much to comprehend.

Juno Beach

After Bayeux, we rode to Juno Beach where the Canadian divisions landed with 12 350 soldiers on 6 June1944. We rode in cold weather through fields of white spring flowers. The beach is wide and long and one cannot imagine what it looked like on that day. The only reminders here are the concrete remains of German bunkers. We wandered about, read the information boards and visited the limited museum in a modern building.

Arromanches

We struggled to get going the next morning and only left late. That day was to be the day of the great battlefields. After Bayeux we travelled through beautiful green landscapes and little back roads to Arromanches. The avenues, farm boundaries of white Maythorn in full bloom were overwhelming.

Here the Allies, under great pressure of time, constructed a giant harbour out of metal platforms (so-called Mulberry elements), which still lies partially in place deep into the bay. For the first time it felt as if the war was a reality. The well-known cliffs are there, and the little town which we have seen so many times in documentaries and Hollywood films. We sat on an elevated site and discussed and considered the enormity of the invasion, saw the armada of 7000 ships which crossed the English Channel that day of 6 June, and enjoyed our baguette and cheese.

The pigeon haunted me. The eyes that hadn’t dulled yet.

Omaha Beach

We turned away here ad there to small coastal towns and places that played important roles during the invasion, but the main focus was Omaha Beach.

It is wide, expansive, and the mud flats easily stretch 2km into the sea. Beyond the muddy water the sea was an ice blue-green. This is where hundreds of soldiers drowned that day during the landings. A peacefulness reigns over the entire beach. As if no blood flowed. To emphasise the irony even further, holidaymakers were scooting across the beach in their wind carts.

But here, against these ridges, against the little round stones pushed unrelentingly in and out by the sea, they were pegged down. Young boys, fathers. And mowed down in huge numbers by the Germans. I looked at the stones and wondered whether they can remember. And how you can still be stone when so much blood has washed over you.

The decapitated pigeon.

We walked to the large American cemetery where there are 9387 graves. We have visited many war cemeteries, but this one left us cold. Perhaps too many visitors? Perhaps because we couldn’t get close to the graves? Or because we couldn’t read the names? Perhaps we were tired? There just wasn’t the same atmosphere as in other cemeteries.

Another fork in the road lead us to dunes where we lay down on the sand between grasses bent by the wind. We ate lunch and looked and looked at the sea and the big bay.

Yet another turnoff to the sea. We walked in a sensitive nature conservation area. Hope I got a good photo of the lonely little house on the cliff edge.

It was a white day. White flowers everywhere. Maythorn. Lace flowers. Chestnut trees in full flower.

Normandië: ‘n onthoofde duif, riviere van bloed, alles in ‘n wit dag

Toe ons die katedraal in Bayeux uitstap, lê daar ‘n duifkop op die grond. Morsaf. So vars nog, die oë nog oop en blink. Die kerklokke was aan die lui, en ek dink ‘n klok het die arme dier onthoof.

Ons het kort tevore die beroemde Bayeux tapeserie gaan kyk en die Slag van Hastings (1066NC) nog vars in ons koppe. Daardie verskriklike veldslag word in die tapeserie uitgebeeld met vele afgekapte koppe wat rondlê.

En nou die duif.

Dit is maklik om die tapeserie te verduidelik. Dit is immers ontwerp om die storie aan ‘n ongeletterde bevolking te vertel en dit lewendig te hou – en is dit vanaf die skep daarvan jaarliks in die katedraal uitgerol. Dit is soos ‘n 70m lange strokiesprent, empatiek, kleurvol, gewaagd, vol detail, gee baie inligting deur van gebruike van die tyd, en dan die bloed, sommer riviere vol. En baie afgekapte koppe.

Dit vertel die storie van die gebeure wat gelei het tot die Normandiese oorwinning oor Engeland. Willem die Veroweraar, die hertog van Normandië, (wie se kasteel ons die vorige dag in Caen besoek het), se oorvaart oor die Engelse kanaal word in detail uitgebeeld. Dan die veldslag, en die afloop. Alles op linne met gekleurde wol.

Ons is aangegryp deur die eenvoud, klaarheid, intriges, naratief, en al die detail. En die feit dat jy in die verhaal ingetrek word soos jy al langs die 70m-lange tapeserie beweeg met oudiobegeleiding. Die oorlogstonele is bloeddorstig en wreed.

Daarna stap ons in fris lenteweer deur die mooi ou hart van die dorp na die Bayeux katedraal. Waar Willem die Veroweraar die eed van ondersteuning van Harald van Engeland otvang het – hy het later sy eed verbreek, wat die oorsaak van die Slag van Hastings was.

En met die uitstap, die duif, reg voor die hoofingang.

Dan dink ek ook aan die wrede Wikings wat hierdie streek ingeval het. Met nog meer koppe wat rol, en uiteindelik die naam Normandië gekry het nadat dit onder die heerskappy van Rollo gekom het.

Pegagsusbrug

Die vorige dag het ons alreeds die Pegasusbrug besoek waar die eerste landings die nag van 6 Junie 1944 plaasgevind het wat die D-dag inval ingelei het. Ons staan op die bank van die rivier, klipgooi van die brug waar 3 Horsa sweeftuie  net na middernag geland het op ‘n ruimte skaars groter as twee tennisbane. En hulle was groot! Kon twee loodse, 28 manskappe, twee jeeps, kanonne en sleepwaens elk dra. Verbasend.

Die omvang, tydsberekening en logistiek van die inval gaan ons verstand te bowe.

Junostrand

Na Bayeux is ons in koue weer en deur wit lenteblommevelde na Junostrand waar die Kanadese divisies op 6 Junie met 12 350 soldate geland het. Die strand is uitgestrek en kan ‘n mens jou nie indink hoe dit daardie dag gelyk het nie. Al oorblyfsels hier is die betonreste van Duitse bunkers. Ons dwaal rond, lees die kennisgewings en besoek die skraps museum in ‘n moderne gebou.

Dit raak laat en ons ry na Caen waar ons ‘n gerieflike woonstel vir die nag het, reg in die middel van die oustad. Naby die kasteel van Willem die Veroweraar wat ons besoek. Die ramparts het mooi uitsigte op die tuine en die res van die oustad. Die rustige tuine staan vol Rodin en ander beelde wat ons bewonder.

Arromanches

Ons sukkel die volgende oggend om aan die gang te kom, en vertrek eers laat. Vandag die dag van die groot slagvelde. Na Bayeux is ons deur mooi groen landskappe en klein agterpaaie na Arromanches. Die lanings, plaasgrense van wit Meidorings in volle blom oorweldig.

Hier het die Gealliëerdes inderhaas ‘n reuse hawe met ysterplatvorms (die sogenaamde Mulberry elemente) gebou, wat plek-plek nog tot diep die see instrek. Vir die eerste keer voel dit asof die oorlog ‘n werklikheid was. Die bekende cliffs is daar, en die klein dorpie wat ons al in vele dokumentêre en Hollywoodfilms gesien het. Ons het daar op ‘n hoogte gaan sit, die grootsheid van die inval bespreek en bepeins, die armada van 7000 skepe gesien wat die Engelse kanaal daardie dag van 6 Junie oorgesteek het, en lekker aan ons baguette en kaas geëet.

Die duif bly spook. Die oë wat nog nie gebreek het nie.

Omahastrand

Ons draai hier en daar af na klein hawedorpies en plekke wat belangrike rolle tydens die inval gespeel het, maar die groot mikpunt is Omahastrand.

Dit is wyd, uitgestrek, en die moddervlaktes strek maklik 2km die see in. Agter die modderwater is die see ‘n ysblou groen. Dit is waar honderde soldate daardie dag tydens die landing verdrink het. Oor die hele strand is daar ‘n rustigheid. Asof daar geen bloed gevloei het nie. Om die ironie verder te beklemtoon jaag vakansiegangers met seilkarretjies die strand vol.

Maar hier, teen hierdie walle, teen die klippies wat die see meedoënloos in en uitstoot, is hulle vasgevang. Jong seuns, vaders. En in hope deur die Duitsers afgemaai. Ek kyk die klippies so, en wonder of hulle kan onthou. En hoe jy nog klip kan wees na soveel bloed oor jou gespoel het.

Die onthoofde duif.

Ons stap na die groot Amerikaanse begraafplaas waar daar 9387 grafte is. Ons het al baie oorlogsbegraafplase besoek, maar hierdie een laat ons koud. Dalk te veel besoekers? Dalk omdat ons nie naby die grafte kan kom nie? Dalk omdat ons nie die  name kon lees nie? Dalk is ons moeg? Daar is net nie die atmosfeer wat oor ander begraafplase hang nie.

Tussen duine by ‘n ander afdraaipad gaan lê ons op die sand tussen grasse wat die wind buig. Eet ons middagete, en kyk en kyk vir die see en die groot baai.

Nog ‘n afraaipad na die see. Ons gaan stap in ‘n sensitiewe natuurbewaringsgebied. Hoop ek het ‘n goeie foto van die eensame huisie op die afgrond geneem.

Dit was ‘n wit dag. Wit blomme oral Meidorings. Kantblomme. Kastaaingbome in volle drag.

Bayeux Tapestries

Bayeux Cathedral

Pegasus Bridge

The Hora gliders landed in this small area.

We have seen this bar in so many movies. Right next to the bridge.

Juno Beach

Very little has remained of the German batteries.

Caen

Rodin everywhere

Arromanche

Part of the instant Mulberry harbour still to be seen.

Huge German bunkers. Now a popular picnic area.

Omaha Beach

The beautiful Port-en-Bessin, on the way to Omaha Beach.

And then the playground… Omaha Beach.

It was against this embankment…

The trenches and bunkers are still there.

So tranquil today

The belvedere at the cemetery. From there you can see the beaches for miles and miles.

And further along the road

A magnificent chestnut tree. Slightly out of focus…

Hawthorns, Mayflowers, Meidoringbome, everywhere. The farmers plant them as hedges.

Picnic on a Normandy beach

We always try to eat local products. Lovely cheese from area.

A belvedere just outside Granville. The mudbanks stretch for kilometers into the sea. Eerie and ugly.

Overwhelmed by all the white blossoms and flowers.

The lonely cottage of Vaubin

First sighting of Mont Saint Michel! It came as a shock. So huge!

Another shock. Suddenly this gorgeous church in front of us when we came around a corner.

Our home for two nights in this old farmhouse near Mont Saint Michel