American D Day Beaches and landing sites and le mont St Michel

This tour will include, Omaha Beach, an enormous task but overcome by the Rangers 'Lead the way', the 29th inf Div and the Big Red One 1st Inf division, Utah Beach where Theo Roosevelt 'Began His War', and the American Cemetery at Colleville which sits peacefully and poignantly above Omaha Beach, a stark reminder of the huge sacrifice made by so many brave young men for the freedom that we still enjoy today. Sainte-Mère-Église, the vital town on the Caen Cherbourg road, captured by Matthew Ridgeway Colonel Krause and Lt. Colonel Vandervoort and the 82nd airborne made famous by John Steele, caught by his parachute chords on the church steeple. Known as Mont Tombe, from the Roman name Tumba, Le Mont St Michel is a granite outcrop, a tidal island, that was formed 525 million years ago. The first community was formed by an Irish Hermit. But it was the Bishop of Avranches who built the first church. Which became the Gothic splendour we see today. Surviving the 100 years war, religious wars and the revolution.

This tour begins at the American Cemetery above Omaha Beach, it's a perfect place to begin to pay our respects to the fallen heroes and examine the superb maps on the memorial walls to explain Operation Overlord. We then spend some time from the east to west on omaha beach to examine the German defenses and discuss the American and German strategies. Heading north west to Utah Beach, where Theodore Roosevelt Landed and began his war. In keeping with the American advance we head west to join up with the airborne forces, crossing the 101st dropping zones where Dick Winters began his heroic struggle and to the historical town of Sainte mere Eglise where around 30 airborne troops were dropped off course into the town. After lunch we head south west through St lo to le mont St Michel, arriving at the port culis, we climb the narrow cobbled Street with timber framed houses towards the Abbey. I am not permitted to tour the Abbey, official guides only. You may tour the Abbey with the official guide or headset.