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Unmissable family time-travel in historic Normandy, France

Family history adventure in France

Who remembers William the Conqueror? The fierce French nobleman who was promised the English throne by Edward the Confessor, only to be thwarted by the cunning Harold Godwinson, leaving William to lead his army to the Battle of Hastings to defeat Harold and take back the promised English crown in 1066.

Our daughter is learning about this fascinating piece of history at school and embarrassingly, I was struggling to remember my history facts, so I did what any travel planner worth their salt would do – packed the family up, loaded up the car and set off for 36 hours in Normandy to go back in time

Getting there

Travelling to Normandy from the south coast of England is really easy. Head down to Portsmouth and sail with Brittany Ferriesto St Malo (just on the Brittany/Normandy border) or sail to Caen (directly in Normandy).

Mont St Michel cruise ferry en route to St Malo, France

Mont St Michel ferry en route to St Malo

Our overnight sailing started in French culinary bliss; a 3 course meal in the restaurant, before heading to our cabin to tuck up under snug duvets and puffy pillows. The children were super excited to be in at sea in bunk beds and there was much squealing with excitement before they finally settled down to sleep.

Awaking early the next morning we sailed into in the town of St Malo, where we disembarked and headed straight to the nearest cafe in town for breakfast and hot chocolates. We could have lingered a lot longer in St Malo, as there was so much to explore, but we had a history lesson to discover!

The walled medieval town of St Malo in Brittany, France

St Malo – well worth it’s own short break

First stop, the incredible Mont St Michel – 8th Century

The Mont St Michel island is fabulous and truly takes your breath away because it’s one of the great architectural wonders in France. It was built by Saint Aubert, Bishop of Avranches in the 8th Century, who saw in dreams Archangel Michael, who ordered him to build a sanctuary on Mount Tomb which was a rocky outcrop at the mouth of the Couesnon river.

Aerial shot of the Mont St Michel

This stunning abbey was built in phases over period of years, continuing to build up and up culminating in the bell tower at the top of the Abbey. Great consideration had to be given to the weight of the Abbey, given the buildings below it had to support the upper structures which is always a marvel when you consider medieval building tools. Today, Mont St Michel consists of homes, shops, restaurants, churches and the Abbey itself.

If you’re visiting allow a good 4 or 5 hours to enjoy it in full – the history is rich, the views are spectacular and it’s a very enjoyable family attraction to visit, whilst learning about life in the 8th Century Abbey along the way.

View of the cloisters in the Abbey

When you leave Mont St Michel, be sure to stop in at any cafe in the local region to buy freshly made Madeleines – delicious with fresh orange juice, coffee or hot chocolate and I’m sure the ones freshly made in France seem to taste so much better than the ones we get in the UK!

Yummy Madeleines!

World War Two Normandy D-Day landings – 6th June 1944

The D-Day landing beaches are a must if you’re in this part of Normandy to reflect on the great sacrifice given by our soldiers to help end the second world war. Our children are 10 and 11 and we thought it was good time to introduce them to the history of the second world war, as played out on the Normandy beaches.

WW2 War Cemetery

There are 2 excellent museums at Arromanches – the one at the top of the hill has a circular cinema that explains the build up to the D-Day landings and the following weeks, which was easy for the children to follow as its mainly video images and covers the first 100 days following the D-Day landings. The other museum is at the bottom of the hill, overlooking the beach and is also well worth a visit.

View over Arromanche beach

After we had visited the museums and explored the beaches, the children had lots of questions to ask about what they had seen and heard. The children compared the young age of some of the soldiers to their cousins and couldn’t believe how young they were and I’m pleased that the foundations for this historic period are laid so that when this topic is covered in school, the children can reflect on what they saw and learned from this trip.

One of the gun batteries at Utah beach, France

One of the gun batteries at Utah beach Wounded soldier memorial in Normandy, France

Wounded soldier memorial

William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy – 1066

This chap is the real reason we’re in Normandy – to find out more about who he was and why he was such a big influence on England and the British Crown. We headed off to his ancestral home at his Castle in Falaise. The children loved it – lots to learn, fun to run around on the ramparts with it’s 15 towers and a great way to experience what it was like to live in Medieval France. And the best thing – according to my 10 year old? The Dungeons!

William the Conqueror’s Castle

Bayeux Tapestry – 1070

If you’ve been learning about William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings in 1066, then you must come and see this incredibly story of events leading up to and immediately following the battle, in the Bayeux Tapestry. At 70 meters in length, there are 50 scenes depicting the events leading to the Norman Conquest of England. Take the audio headphones and follow the story along the tapestry. It really is well worth a visit to bring this part of history to life for school children.

The Bayeux Tapestry

I hope you enjoy exploring Normandy, book early to get great deals on the ferry crossing and accommodation. We stayed in Caen which was pretty central for everything we visited. Good luck with your history lesson – do let me know how you get on!

Susie

https://susieplanner.blog/holiday-ideas/unmissable-time-travel-in-historic-normandy-france/

#DDay

The Battle of Normandy was executed under the codename Operation Overlord and became known as the beginning of the end of World War II. The Battle took place was along a 50 mile stretch of beaches, including Utah and Omaha Beach. While many explanations exist for the name, many believe the word "Day" means nothing more than what it is and the countdown the day and hour of the assault.

The U.S., Britain, and Canada sent more than 160,000 Allied troops under the leadership of General Dwight Eisenhower. The troops manned more than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft the day of the initial landing and is considered one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history. An amphibious military operation requires the use of naval ships to project ground and air power at a designated landing beach. Due to the sheer numbers of troops, ships, and aircraft involved, Operation Overlord required extensive planning. The Battle of Normandy liberated Northern France, but more importantly, began the liberation of millions of people across Europe.

Message to the troops of Normandy: “You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you.”

Dwight Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, 1944

6 Interesting D-Day Facts

About 150,000 Allied troops successfully carried out their mission to storm the beaches of Normandy. Unfortunately, nearly 10,000 lives were lost on that single day.

The Normandy invasion was a vital turn in the war and turned the tide in the war against the Nazis. The successful mission was a huge blow to Hitler.

The Normandy Invasion is one of the most significant events of WWII.

Allied forces consisted of troops from U.S., Australia, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Greece, New Zealand, Norway, and Poland.

Over 18,000 Allied paratroopers were dropped into the invasion area.

A few months before D-Day, General Eisenhower threatened to quit due to being at odds with Winston Churchill over a controversial plan.

HONORING D-Day

On June 6 across the world, World War II museums, memorials, and ceremonies honor the Allied forces who landed along the 50 mile stretch of beaches in 1944. There are several ways to honor D-Day and the impact it had on WWII.

Learn more about the Battle of Normandy by exploring World War II museums.

Visit the National D-Day Memorial to attend the D-Day Commemoration at the WWII Memorial.

Fly the American flag in honor of the sacrifices made during WWII.

Visit with a combat veteran and learn about their experiences. Document their stories to share with future generations.

Watch Band of Brothers, which is a true story of U.S. Army's Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division.

Read books about the Battle of Normandy or listen to a podcast such as: D-Day Girls: The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis, and Helped Win World War II by Sarah Rose. The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan. Normandy '44: D-Day and the Battle for France by James Holland. Pegasus Bridge by Stephen E. Ambrose. The Bedford Boys by Alex Kershaw. History Extra Podcast.

Share your family stories, photos, and family history about WWII on social media using the hashtag #DDay.

D-DAY HISTORY

The landing of troops on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, is known around the world as D-Day and was given the name Operation Overlord. Leading up to the attack, plans of deception were carried out to mislead Germany about the intended invasion target. They led the Germans to believe that the invasion target would be at Pas-de-Calais. This was the narrowest point between Britain and France. In addition, they also led the Germans to believe that others areas, such as Norway, would be invaded. Phantom armies, fake equipment, double agents, and fraudulent radio transmissions were all used to carry out the deceptive tactics of the Allies.

June 6th Celebrated History

1844 - A twenty-two-year-old George Williams founded the Young Men's Christian Association in London, England.

1933 - Richard M. Hollingshead Jr. of Camden, New Jersey created the first drive-in theater.

1944 - Allied forces land on the beaches of Normandy, France during World War II.

2004 - Phylicia Rashad's performance in Loraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun earned her the Tony Award for Best Actress. She was the first African American to win the Best Actress category.

June 6th Celebrated Birthdays

Nathan Hale (1755 - 1776) -In 1776, at the age of 21, Captain Nathan Hale volunteered to carry out a mission ordered by General George Washington. Hale was charged with gathering information on the British troops. When the British revealed the Patriot’s identity, they swiftly placed a noose around Hale's neck. According to legend, Hale declared before being hung, “I regret that I have but one life to give for my country.”

Sarah Parker Remond (1826 - 1894) was born into freedom and became an African-American abolitionist and suffragist spoke to audiences around the world. In 1853, a theatre owner denied Remond and two of her two companions entry to the Opera, and the police responded. Remond brought charges against Henry Palmer, the theatre operator, and C.P. Philbrick, the officer who responded. Judge Russell found for the plaintiff, ordering the theatre to “stand by their contract, and give to every ticket holder of whatever nation, color or condition, the place which he has brought.”

David Scott (1932 - ) is an American astronaut who flew several missions during the space race, including a 1971 Moon landing. During the mission on July 31, 1971, Scott drove the Lunar Roving Vehicle, becoming the first person to drive on the Moon.

Phillip A. Sharp (1944) In 1993, American molecular biologist Phillip Sharpe and Richard J. Roberts shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. Their study of DNA and split genes inspired new research into mRNA and evolutionary biology.