After spending a very comfortable night at our hostel (which just happened to be a chateau built in 1758!), we set off on the morning of March 3 for a tour of several D-Day landmarks. After meeting our tour guide in Bayeux, we drove to Pointe du Hoc, the highest point between Omaha and Utah beaches. US Army Rangers successfully scaled the 100 ft. high cliffs on the morning of 6 June 1944 and assaulted the German fortification.
After a brief stop at Omaha Beach, we made our way to the American Military Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, which was a very moving experience for all of us.
Our last stop was the Mémorial de Caen, an extremely well done museum that explores the history of violent conflict in the 20th century (with a particular emphasis on WWII) in the interests of promoting peace through understanding. Then it was back to the hostel for dinner and a rousing karaoke session, which provided a good antidote to the more somber tenor of the day.