Bruges
Scenic Flanders and coastal village of Knokke-Heist
Roger and I had stayed in and toured Bruges when we drove through Belgium and Holland years ago, after picking up and touring with Mindy when she lived in London for four months while she was in the BYU abroad program. So we signed up to drive through Flanders and walk through the streets of Knokke-Heist, a seaside vacationland of the wealthy Belgians.
Lovely countryside in Flanders
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Famous Church of our Lady in Bruges is in the distance
In the summertime, wealthy Belgians rent these beach shelters when they visit the beach, as it is almost always windy.
When we think of Belgium, we think of chocolate. This bakery and chocolate shop was along our walk and we took pics of some of the delicious treats that were inside.
Normandy and the D-Day Landing
Bridge we crossed on the way to Omaha Beach
The landings on the Omaha, Utah, Juno and Gold Beaches by the Allied forces changed the course of WW2, leading to the defeat of Hitler and his forces. Roger is such a great patriot and we have always wanted to see for ourselves the landing sites, the memorials and crosses. I have read so many books about this horrific war. 9,400 American servicemen and women are buried here.
Amphibious Duplex Drive "D" Sherman tanks delivered the soldiers to shore.
Overlooking Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach
Memorial at the American Cemetery
Roger took some beautiful shots of the cemetery, even though it was raining.
Near the town of Saint-Laurent-by-the-sea
Monument on Omaha Beach
They took our tour to a French cafe (that our guide kept telling us was the best food of the cafes where they took tour groups) and her hype was accurate. We had a delicious roast chicken dinner with apple tarts for dessert, and, of course, the famous French baguettes. The food was outstanding. Wish we had taken a pic of it.
We walked around Vierville and this candy shop was selling fresh nougat, a favorite candy we discovered on another trip. Note the surly French proprietor.
Portsmouth, England
Portsdown Hill
Village of Southwick
From Southwick, General Dwight D. Eisenhower led the planning for Operation Overlord, which resulted in the successful D-Day attack on Normandy's beaches. Portsmouth is about 100 nautical miles from Normandy.
Note the thatched roof
Southsea apartments
Portsmouth - Gunwharf Quay
Southsea Resort and beach
These Brits must have been desperate for some beach time. It was chilly and the beach was pure rocks.
I loved this sculpture of the little boy poking the crab.
We climbed up to this fort/castle, built in 1544.
This British phone booth is operational.
(Our ship was scheduled to stop at the port of Falmouth, England, important harbor, tourist resort and gateway to scenic Cornwall, where Poldark was filmed. The rough weather (Bummer!) didn't allow us to dock, so we had another day at sea.
Vigo, Spain
Wild horses sculpture by local artist, Manuel Oliveira
Vigo is known as the "Gateway to the Atlantic," and has an ancient history. Their "claim to fame," which some are actually ashamed of, is Vigo is the birthplace of WW11 leader, Francisco Franco.
Monte del Castro viewpoint
Parque del Castrelos - a lovely garden
Jardines Pazo Quinones de Leon
Water catcher tower
Seashore at Vigo
Malaga
Malaga is one of the oldest cities in the world. It is the birthplace of Pablo Picasso.
City Hall
Cabralfaro Castle
The ruins of a Roman theater
Iglesia de Santiago Apostol - church where Pablo Picasso was baptized
Roger having a rest with Pablo
One of Picasso's famous portraits - Dona amb Barret
Picasso's birthplace
Inside the church
Charming narrow street in Malaga
Tempting-looking bakery
In Spain, they encourage picturesque grafitti
Alcazaba Fortress
Popular beach in Malaga
Cartagena
Nick-named "Europe's fertile orchard," Cartagena is a fertile corner of Spain.
Downtown City Center
La Manga del Mar Manor
A picturesque cove on the Mediterranean taken from the lighthouse at Cape Palos
This is a 6,000-seat Roman theater, built in the 1st Century BC. Houses built through the centuries had to be removed when this ruin was discovered underneath them.
A government building with beautiful architecture
More lovely architecture
Tiled main shopping street
Harbor at Cartagena
After seeing so many beautiful port cities, we continued sailing toward our last stop, the much-anticipated Barcelona. . .
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful trip! We also loved Omaha and Utah beaches. I will never forget the sober feelings of gratitude I had there. Too bad you didn't get to go to Falmouth. That was one of our favorite stops on our cruise. It was so cute and the people so very nice. Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures!