Day 15 - Saturday September 15

Day to disembark the ship, it has been a wonderful place to stay for the past ten days. Being a bit pampered with bed being made, chocolates on the pillow and wonderful meals.

 Suitcases in all directions. Thankfully they hauled out the big bags, we only had to worry about our carry-on stuff. All the bags were color coded with tags for those of us going on to the post trip extension, versus those going to Paris and then home.

 

 The crew, minus the housekeeping staff on top to wave goodbye. The 30 people on board who served us were fabulous people. No rest for these people, the new group of passengers would be boarding later in the day. So all the cabins had to be cleaned and readied.

Officially the trip was not yet over, we had one more stop in Caen at the Memorial. So an hour long trip and then into the museum.

 The Caen Memorial museum had four major areas of exhibition. The time between the two World Wars, D-Day, the period since WW II and the whole place is built over a German bunker that is open for exhibit. The building lobby area is bright and open which is a welcome change over the darker exhibition areas. Interesting to was that the languages used in the museum were French, English and German. Seems many of today's Germans are going back to learn more about what happened at that time.

 

 

 

 

 

 Sections of the Berlin Wall that came down in 1989, this was part of the cold war era exhibit which included a short bit even on Vietnam. A gun with the barrel knotted off to hopefully signify that violence is not the answer.

 

 Flags of the various countries that were involved in World War II, along with the French and European Union flags.

After a quick lunch on our own at the museum it was time to get back in the bus. There were 6 buses of the tour company in the parking area. Three with the new passengers, and our three who were leaving. Two headed to Paris, mine was headed to Brittany and St. Malo. 

 My bed for the next few nights, actually two twin beds shoved together, not an actual king sized mattress!

 My room had a bidet, but the toilet was not in the main bathroom, it was in its own little room just off of where you entered the room. Otherwise the bathroom was updated and modern.

 

 

 We got a short walk in to let us know where things were. We were just off the beach by two blocks and there was a long esplanade to walk from the walled city down to our hotel area. It was about a mile between the two.

 

 

 Also in the area, little shops including a patisserie and a small food market. For me, after all of the rich meals of the past days I opted for peaches and some sliced ham for dinner. 

Early night and could sleep with open windows for the first time in 10 days.