More American Cemeteries, Brittany and Somme

Our tour of European American Cemeteries continues; we have visited 8 of them. Their quantity is haunting and inconceivable. The thought of so many young soldiers buried far away is jarring and compelling. It is incomprehensible that each cross represents a person with a story and a family who gave his life for our collective freedom. But as I said before, visiting these makes us feel closer to home. Connor runs to find "her flag" and the white crosses beckon our respect and reverence.

The Brittany Cemetery is on 28 acres with 4,410 graves. They identify lives lost in the campaign of 1944 in WWII.

The Somme Cemetary near Bonne, France marks losses in WWI with 1844 graves. This one was smaller but still too big.

We are usually the only ones at the American Cemeteries. Us and the one employee manning the grounds. It is comforting to step on these small, pristine manicured patches of American soil and say Hello in a Southern accent without wondering if they speak English.

We found a Medal of Honor winner here.
A friend recently remarked, "Don't all those cemeteries look the same after a while?" They do. They run together and it is hard to take it all in. Yet we still feel as if we must.

Annie

Life is funny with twists and turns and small world connections, ya know? Last December we received an email from one of Kirk's brother's friend's sisters. I know it takes a while to think about that. Annie seemed very nice via email and told us she would be shortly moving to Brussels. As a brand new college grad she landed a marketing job with the Department of Defense, pretty impressive! And she was moving to Brussels not knowing a soul. We knew we wanted to help in any and every way. It is an enormous challenge moving abroad alone so we offered her a place to stay while she found her footing.

What a remarkable and courageous young lady we met. Annie ended up staying with us for nearly six weeks, but since it was over the holidays it was not much trouble - we were rarely home at the same time. Annie worked hard, long days at her new job while apartment hunting in the evenings. This chick has guts and a phenomenal work ethic. I remain inspired by her poise and perseverance.Connor thought Annie was the cat's meow! When Annie moved away to her permanent place we knew we would miss her yet had a strange pride for the life she was building here.
Thankfully Annie has been kind enough to return to babysit in exchange for the time we housed her. It has been one of the greatest gifts. One night Kirk and I went to out for a movie and drinks. It was the first adult date night we had in over a year. I forgot the renewal and nourishment nights out alone can give a marriage. We are planning a few more before we leave to some restaurants we have been eying but never able to go to with Connor.

I cannot wait to track Annie's professional path as she makes her way here. She is going places! And I am thankful she is a new friend to our family.

Brittany, France - Part 4, St. Malo and Emerald Coast

As a Junior in High School, 16 years old, I was given the gift of a lifetime...my very first trip to Europe. I was dedicated to my French studies and had the opportunity to live in France for several weeks with a family on an exchange program. The travel bug entered me and I was swept away by the world around me. I felt empowered practicing a foreign language and captivated by a culture that pushed my comfort zone. The trip was with our teacher, Monsieur Dubois, and 20 other classmates. I have vivid memories still of our side trips away from the "school" we attended - the coastal town of St. Malo was one of my favorites. We were there on Palm Sunday and walked the wall, waved palms, ate gummy candy, and basked in sunshine of this Breton beach resort. Ahh, those teenage days when boys, clothes, and school set the rhythm of life!I knew we needed to relive St. Malo as a family while in Brittany. So Sunday morning we basically had the island to ourselves. No Easter palms waving this time, but the sun was shining and we felt connected and happy together.
Walking the walls high above and around St. Malo provided a unique treat. Connor sang the entire way at the top of her lungs.Classic seaside views.
And a brisk bit of exercise around the medieval fortifications.

The bird friends were bold and brazen, letting me snap up close and personal.
Our family trio in St. Malo!The St. Malo rocky coast took on a classic Brittany stereotype. The entire setting fit together beautifully. If it had been warm enough I would have donned a bathing suit, skipped down to the beach, and romped in the water.
St. Malo is a tourist hot spot in the summer. We saw the ripples of the tourism with all the restaurants and cute colorful cafes.
Returning via an "Emerald Coast" detour there were some goosebump views.

Always heart-warming to see your husband and daughter walk arm and arm with this type of backdrop. Connor is shaping up into a promising little hiker!
We squinted across from the Emerald Coast sun and look what we spied! That's the Mont Saint Michel floating way out there!
Thank you Brittany. You completed our tour of the regions of France.

What a country! Tres Bien!

Click here for full album photos from our Brittany Road Trip

Brittany, France - Part 3, Quimper and Dinan

Last stop for this day we drove out to the town of Quimper. One of our favorite Davidson basketball players is now on a professional team that plays here, so we had to check it out! By this time I formed an impression of Brittany of small and understated. That is before I made it to Quimper. It was a charming, bustling town brimming with ornate architecture and half-timbered lookers. People were coming and going with purpose and panache.The cathedral wasn't too shabby either. Funny thing though about this church - the altar and aisle aren't aligned straight. The church was formed around some existing buildings, hence the curvature. It looks like some time of optical illusion mind game.

Connor napped in the car so I got to step out solo in Quimper while Kirk stayed back. A magical destination to explore stroller-free.

Quimper shopping proved an effective lure. I picked up a few small Valentine's surprises for my loved ones and window shopped the day away. What a content, happy feeling in Quimper! I came across this toy store window with the bikers in the window and immediately thought of Connor's exclamations from the Tour de France of the "Men on Bikes! Men on Bikes!"
Quimper is supposedly famous for its pottery. I saw it everywhere. But it didn't really speak to me and tell me I needed to take any home.Quimper was a definite highlight. We returned to our hotel in Dinan and enjoyed sunset after a busy, Brittany day.
The next day was Valentine's! Indeed a "happy date"!
I love our Valentine's. Everyone had a card and small treats.
Connor's treats from her Dad...
Kirk's treats for me...
I found this Glittery Heart barrette in Quimper. It didn't stay in her hair very long, but looked good while it lasted.
We took a Valentine's breakfast walk around Dinan, picking up croissants at the boulangerie and enjoying the morning air.
Dinan is a picturesque little town. No one was out and about yet. Those French don't get going til later in the day. But our benefit to be able to wander the town ourselves.
This window dressing seemed especially festive and Valentine-y on this day.
It was a lovely morning to this love day!

Brittany, France - Part 2, Pont-Aven

My favorite part of Brittany was a spot we went on a whim. It sounded cool in our guidebook so we detoured to check it out. Paul Gauguin loved this village, with white houses along the gently flowing Aven River. In the late-19th century, many painters followed him here. The theories and techniques developed at the time have been known ever since as the School of Pont-Aven.We were drawn into this warm cafe for lunch. It was filled with character and a seaside motif. Brittany is known for crepes and cider. So we pulled up to a table next to a crackling fire and ordered exactly that.

Connor was particularly photogenic this meal in the sweater Aunt Howard knitted for her.



This photo is too funny. In France dogs are cherished and brought everywhere. Connor wasn't sure about this one (under the chair below).




After lunch we strolled through the tiny town. Gauguin reminders and the overall love of art rang throughout storefront windows!


It seems this is what Brittany is all about. Moving slowly, artistically, and thoughtfully.