Two Happy Travelers!

This is the famous daughter and father team of Nancy Ann Wright and Charles Elbert Monson. We have been on a great trip to England and France since May 15. There have been mishaps. Nancy fell and broke a rib. She walked to the emergency room! Lost one day resting in her room. She can not lift anything but otherwise is carrying on. Stiff upper lip, you know. Chuck came down with a bad cold and lost a day resting in the room in England, but soon got over it.

The best part of the trip, I think, is the extended visit that the two travelers have had. I think that they have bonded again. I have been living with my beloved youngest daughter, Kerry Lee Adams, for several years in Ruston, Louisiana.

I have two wonderfull daughters. I have also been blessed with two wonderful sons! My heart is full of love and gratitude for my wife, Jackie.

Needless to say, this has been a trip of a lifetime. I will always treasure the memory.

Museum of the Battle of Normandy.

There is a good war museum in Bayeux that commemorates the Battle of Normandy. It is really well done and has a good film.

Farmers Market in Bayeux, France

What pretty and interesting things for sale. It was a fun walk by.

Melons

Cheese. France has more than 400 kinds of cheese. I thought all cheese was Monterey Jack.

Escargot. Snails I think.

Fish. Some weird looking.

Cider. Hard.

Flowers

Vegetables  The lettuce is so good.

Meat and sausages

They have andouille in France!

D-day Beaches

They seem so just like pretty beach towns of anywhere. There is a special feeling to beach air. But what horrible things happened here.

1944 was a busy year. Jackie married me on June 3, D-day was June 6, and I was wounded on Peleliu in September. If I think selfishly, my wedding was the most important.

A visit to the abbey at Mont St Michael

A walk up the hill to this abbey is really a climb. I am proud that I made it. It took many rest stops along the way.

This abbey dates to the 700s which is awhile ago. In the battles of France, it has never fallen to the enemy.

The American Cemetery

Yesterday I visited The American Cemetery in Normandy. I was impressed to learn that the ground that the cemetery is on is American soil. The French Government gave the land to America and it is administered by an agency of the US Government. The cemetery only holds 30 per cent of our casualties, as the heirs of 70 per cent elected for burial at home in America.

 The photographer got in the picture again.

The area in the Pacific where I was wounded during WW II was depicted in the monument at the cemetery. I was wounded on Peleliu Island. It is shown in the center of the picture below. 

Trip day 15. See you in 7.

Next Tuesday Nancy and I fly out of Paris. Nancy will fly non stop to Los Angeles. I will fly to Heathrow/London, from there to Dallas, from Dallas to Shreveport. I am scheduled to arrive in Shreveport at 10:25 pm. On Wednesday morning at 5 am I expect to be at Jefferson Corner hugging Rhonda. Gee, I hope that she works that day.

This is Tuesday which is my vital statistics check in day. I only have my steps available. Last week I walked 48000 steps or 21.8 miles or an average of 3.1 miles per day. Well today I outdid myself! While my daughter, Nancy Ann rested her body with a broken rib in the hotel room I went on a all day tour bus trip. In the morning was a trip to the Mont St Michael Abbey. In the afternoon was a D-day Beaches tour. I got a little bit mixed up at Mont St Michael and walked some extra steps. But here is the total for the day. 17000 steps or 7.7 miles! Boy am I stiff and sore. I have been training for months for the trip and I believe that it paid off in being able to make it to the top of Mont St Michael.

The Cathedral of Bayeux.

This building is one the most photogenic things that I have seen on this trip. Nancy and I walked around it last night. Then we went inside and walked around the outer aisle. There was beautiful chanting being sung while we walked. I must have taken a hundred picture.