Paris 2022: Day 6

We started by renting a car, which was a whole thing. Holy shit...driving in Paris has to be one of the most stressful things someone can do. But it was worth it to get out of the city and see other places. We stopped in Rouen, the city made famous by both its cathedral and Joan of Arc sites. But the main reason for renting a car was to be able to drive to the beaches at Normandy. Josh's grandfather, like many other brave men, landed on D-Day at Omaha Beach. It was hard to imagine the serene landscape as the hellscape from WWII. Visiting the American Cemetery was a beautiful and powerful experience. Looking out at the massive arrays of grave markers was overwhelming. I kept thinking, "All these soldiers died in a matter of a couple days...and these were just the Americans". We walked past the ruined German fortifications and down to the beach to put our feet in the English Channel. It felt important to be able to make the walk up from the beach, stopping to honor in our own way, the sacrifices that people made to ensure freedom from fascism.