Goodbye France, Hello Ireland

A few days have passed since the last entry. We woke up at Cap Fréhel. Despite the beautiful but windy weather, we were able to admire the Cap. The wild cliffs, the rough sea, and the many birds.

Afterward, we made our way to Mont-Saint-Michel. It is a very impressive sight, but it is completely overrun by mass tourism. We were fortunate to visit it in May when it was not too crowded. Mont-Saint-Michel dates back to the 7th century. We had originally planned to learn more about the historical part, but sometimes when traveling, there is not enough time. In the afternoon, we decided to drive 2.5 hours to Étretat. There are also impressive cliffs there. Last year, during our vacation in Croatia and Bosnia, we chased waterfalls, and now we are chasing sea cliffs.

We stayed overnight at a camper pitch and woke up early. The weather was not as good today, with intermittent rain. However, that did not stop us from visiting the cliffs on both sides. It was interesting to learn that during World War II, the beach was filled with mines. Over 1500 mines were hidden all over the beach.

After admiring the beauty of nature, we headed to our first nearby WWII site, Sword Beach, the landing site for the British. We don't need to say much about World War II here. Throughout the day, we visited the locations of the D-Day events: Longue-sur-Mer, the American Cemetery, and Omaha Beach. Omaha Beach was the landing site for the Americans, and it was evident during our visit. There were security personnel everywhere, as well as plaques honoring heroes and celebrations. If we wanted to visit the museum, we would have had to go through a security check, similar to that at an airport. However, the cemetery was particularly well-maintained and beautiful.

Near Omaha Beach, we spent the night at a campground, and the next day we went to Pointe-du-Hoc. This is where 250 soldiers climbed the cliffs and managed to defeat the Germans. As tourists, this place was very interesting for us, as there were many information boards to read.

The last place we visited was Utah Beach. Here, too, there were many monuments and preserved wrecks to admire. Afterward, it was time for us to drive to Cherbourg, as our ferry to Ireland departed in the afternoon. Sarah was a little afraid of getting seasick, but fortunately, the sea was very calm. In the morning, we arrived in Dublin 20 minutes early. Lukas had to quickly adjust to driving on the left side of the road and navigating city traffic. But after only 15 minutes, we arrived at Sarah's aunt and uncle's house in Sandymount. After lunch, we spent about 2 hours in the city, and in the evening, it was time for family time.