Seeing Omaha Beach was one of the major elements of the trip, and the visit did not disappoint. We began the day in Bayeux, at the 
Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy. With excellent displays and exhibits, the museum tells the story of the Second World War, beginning with the painful aftermath of the Great War, and continuing through the rise of fascism 
and anti-semitism, Hitler’s domination of Europe, and eventually, the outbreak of global conflict and the holocaust. A major focus of 
the museum, naturally, is the Battle of Normandy, which began on D-Day, and culminated on August 25, 1944, when the Allies 
liberated Paris. Afterwards, we went to the American cemetery, a place both somber and majestic, and then on to Omaha Beach. It’s an odd place. It’s not a recreational beach; we saw no swimmers or sunbathers. But neither it is a preserved battlefield, despite the carnage that took place here. There is some statuary, but no battlefield markers explicating unit maneuvers. I understand that at some points in the Overlord beaches, you can see deserted pillboxes and abandoned armor. We didn’t get any of that–just some thoughtful memorials.