Wednesday Morning

We began yesterday with a visit to the Caen Memorial Museum, another well done WW2 museum.  This museum began with a very brief overview of WW1 and Hitler's rise to power.  Then you literally spiral downward while reading a timeline if events, viewing small videos, and seeing historical documents from the war.  

All "readings" are in French, German, and English.  One of the displays gave the numbers of military and civilian losses for each country.  Russia had by far the most with over 23 million total losses.

Throughout all the places that we have seen related to WW2, there has been bits and pieces about the French resistance movement.  Reading more about that is now on my summer reading list.  France capitulated within 6 weeks of the German invasion and essentially divided the country into the north, occupied by the Germans, and the south "free" with the Vichey government in control.  

This is taken into the window of the museum.

Rick Steve's recommended about two and a half hours for a visit here.  We spent about six hours and did not see all of it.  We are thorough readers!  It did get overwhelming, though, with the horror of the concentration camps.

We left Caen and drove down to Mont St. Michele to see the abbey.  We arrived early evening to learn that the local workers are on strike and did not get into the abbey, as it closed at 5:30 instead of 11:00.  We are staying longer this morning in order to go back and see it.  Again, this has been a nice change of pace from WW2 sadness.  After this, we will head to Paris and be there for 5 nights.