If there's a bustle in your hedgerow

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September 4, 2007

By Christina

Two points to anyone who can name the song from which the above line comes. Dan and I sang it throughout our time in Normandy as we passed by hedgerows lining the country roads and forming the perimeters of small villages. These hedgerows served as a brutal reminder of what our guys encountered when they arrived here on June 6, 1944. Driving along, you can’t help but think about the battles that occurred in the area and the blood that was shed. There are reminders of the war everywhere. Grayson was particularly keen about visiting Brecourt Manor, where Easy Company of the 101^st Army Airborne (paratroopers depicted in the Band of Brothers) encountered their first battle. Incredibly, he found a spent bullet casing on the ground. He is convinced it is from the 101^st and will treasure it forever.

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Speaking of Grayson, I have to say, he was pretty amazing. Dan and I were blown away by how much he knew about the battles, the artillery, the villages, etc. (It helps that he has read nearly every book on D-day, be it for children or adults). We hired a private guide for a full day tour of the battle sites who was truly excellent. Between Matthieu and Grayson we learned more than on could ever want to know about the battles, the area and Normandy in general. (Mathieu was so cool that he even told us about the different cows of the region -- which were for beef, dairy, etc.)

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The contrast between the beauty of the Normandy countryside and the history of what went on here is startling. We loved driving along and looking at the Norman architecture and the rolling hills with the cows and horses calmly munching on grass*. Then, rounding a corner, we would encounter a bunker, monument, or cemetery from the war. We saw all of the usual spots: St. Mere Eglise (who can name the guy who hung from the church steeple for 2 hours while the battle raged below him? Both kids knew the answer for the pop quiz.), Utah Beach, Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach, the German cemetery, and the American cemetery. We also spent about an hour at the only reconstructed German battery in the area, with bunkers for the kids to explore and huge guns to examine.

Believe or not, Dan, Abby and I liked the American cemetery the best. It is stunningly beautiful. Perched above Omaha Beach with the ocean extending the horizon, the contrast between the sculptured pine trees and bright red flowers with the white crosses and Stars of David is truly heart aching. There is a beautiful monument and sculpture at one end where the names of the missing in action are posted. It is a somber and very special place that captures the essence of the Americans’ involvement in D-day and Normandy perfectly.

*Note: we also enjoyed looking for dead hedgehogs in the road. For those of you who know Abby, she is an absolute fanatic about hedgehogs, owning scores of stuffed animals and other hedgehog-related trinkets. Evidently, a dead hedgehog is as good as a live one in her book, and seeing them on the road didn’t trouble her in the least. We will post a picture on the blog for those of you who are also into carrion.