The Howrah Bridge spans the Hooghly River in Kolkata, a familiar sight for commuters and locals. Its cantilever structure, built in 1943, supports daily traffic without using any nuts or bolts, an astonishing engineering accomplishment. This somewhat cliched angle is from the Mullick Ghat Flower Market, which I’ll post about later.
If you’ve watched “Band of Brothers”, you know of Major Dick Winters. He was known for his leadership of Easy-Company, part of 101st Airborne Division, throughout the Normandy campaign. And if you have not watched “Band of Brothers”, I highly recommend it as a very accurate telling of the story of Easy-Company. Better yet, read the book.
I don’t know what is about cemetery’s that fascinate me, I guess it’s a reminder of our mortality. The Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris (along with the Central Cemetery in Vienna is one of the most interesting cemeteries that I’ve explored. This was my second visit to PPère Lachaise.
Established in 1804, it is the largest cemetery in Paris and a notable resting place for many prominent figures.
Oscar Wilde (Irish playwright and poet)
Frédéric Chopin (Polish composer and pianist)
Édith Piaf (French singer)
Jim Morrison (lead singer of The Doors)
Marcel Proust (French novelist)
Honoré de Balzac (French writer)
Chopin is high on my list, since I am such a huge fan of his. His heart is interned in Warsaw, and here lies the rest of him, so now I am happy to have paid my respects to the whole of him.
Arman was an an artist that did unusual things with musical instruments, among other things.
Édith Piaf, and tragically her daughter Marcelle
An unusual grave, I would love to know the backstory
The Bayeux War Cemetery is one of many solemn reminders of the sacrifices made during World War II. Rows of white headstones stretch across the well-kept grounds, each marking a life lost too soon, giving everything for freedom.
This is the content of the post.
Pointe du Hoc is a prominent cliff on the Normandy coast in France, famous for its role in World War II during the D-Day invasion. It’s roughly 30m tall (about 5 stories to add context), and the US Army Rangers scaled it under heavy German fire. It was strategic, because it could fire on both Obama and Utah beaches, which were the two American landing beaches, so disabling it was critical to the Normandy invasion. Today, Pointe du Hoc stands as a reminder of the bravery and sacrifice of those who fought there, with a preserved battlefield, memorials, and breathtaking views of the English Channel.
A mildly interesting side-node: some of the ladders they used to scale the cliff were on loan from the London fire brigade!
One of the many reinforced gun emplacements
Lookout point over the channel
Gun emplacement that was never completed.
I love seeing street art when I travel, and on this particular occasion it was purely by chance that I saw it. Lois and I got lost (ok, I did the “getting lost” bit), and we found this fun street on some pillars alongside the Seine. I love the expressions on their faces.
One thing I love to find when I travel is good street art, and Paris is no exception. There are some fantastic artworks by exceptional artists. I don’t know if these works have real names, so I just made them up.
Zebra man and Onyx (one of my dogs is also Onyx)
Water-colour lady
Man on wall
Pixelated Daffy-duck
Retro detective
Pen-art girl with pram
Little shop of horrors
Aimé Césaire (former président of Martinique)
The pathfinders were the first to arrive in Normandy as part of the D-Day landings. Parachuting into Normandy just after midnight, their role was to map out the drop-zones for the main landings.
In total, 13400 airborne soldiers landed in Normandy, including E-company – the legendary Band of Brothers.
Mont Saint-Michel is a tiny Island off the Normandy coast, but it feels like something out of a fairy tale. This tiny island is home to a beautiful abbey that seems to float above the sea, especially during high tide when the waters surround it completely.
The streets are steep, narrow and winding, but the view from the abbey is breathtaking, offering a panorama of the surrounding bay.
The history dates back to the 8th century, and over the years the abbey has grown into a massive cathedral. It has survived wars and sieges. During the French revolution, it was even converted into a prision.
At high tide, Mont Saint-Michel becomes an island fortress, making it a truly magical and historically significant destination to explore.
The Cornille Havard Bell Foundry in Normandy is a fascinating place. Firstly there is a play area where you can bang on a selection of bells of different sizes.
And secondly, it is the foundry where nine of the ten bells from Notre Damme Cathedral in Paris were cast. The bells have been made in the same manner since the foundry started in the mid 1800’s.
Inside the foundry.
You have no idea how loud this bell rings when you are standing in front of it.
If you look closely at the roof you can see a selection of small bells, They are rung every 15 minutes, each time playing a different tune,
Leave a Comment