Day 2555 (Thursday) 6th June 2024
This is Menton
and this is Grasse.
I forgot to mention yesterday that we spent a few hours watching YouTube videos trying to get my saree on (I realised yesterday that I’ve been spelling saree (sari) wrong) but I’m afraid it’s beaten us – I looked ridiculous! How I wish that lovely Indian lady who helped me last time was here. Instead, I will wear my wedding outfit, a long red sparkly skirt and a purple top.
There was another cruise ship in the bay this morning and town was full of Americans again.
It was quite overcast today but it’s still pretty warm.
As we were getting Kisbee 2 ready we saw that the private beach, Deli Bo, here in Villefranche is open. The beach in Nice is long enough to support these monstrosities but our little beach isn’t, it takes over a third of the beach.
This is a private beach in Nice
and this is the public part.
Nice was full of tourists as well, again, lots of Americans. We went to the Cours Salaya (flower market) in Nice to get some chillies and geraniums and enjoyed the atmosphere of the market.
I love the stalls, even if I have at least one of everything and many, many bars of
soap. I have been buying them for years and years and I still get excited when I see them.
These are various oils
and of course, the lavender.
When we got home Badger helped Huw pot the new plants
Huw’s sister Amanda put this photo of their dad on Facebook because he was in Normandy one or two days after D-Day. Huw hadn’t known this story before.
1944 – 2024: 80th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy
1944 – 2024: 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY AND THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY
1 - 16 June 2024 (D-Day Festival)
Normandy will forever be marked by the D-Day Landings and the Battle of Normandy that led to the liberation of France and Europe. 2024 will mark the 80th Anniversary of this historic event, and with it, a momentous occasion to celebrate peace, liberty and reconciliation. A rich and unprecedented programme of events will be put together to bring the memory of this tragic period of world history to life, all while emphasising the spirit of hope.
THE MEMORY LIVES ON
On 6th June 1944, and during the long summer which followed, soldiers from the world over came to fight in Normandy to defeat Nazism and to re-establish freedom. Normandy will bear the scars of the moment in history forever, and every year we remember and pay tribute to the veterans from America, Britain, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Holland, Norway, Poland, Australia, France and their brothers in arms, to those many heroes who lost their lives here during that summer, and are at rest in the cemeteries to be found throughout the area. It is often forgotten that the people of Normandy also paid a heavy price in those terrible battles. Each anniversary year is the occasion to pay tribute to the fallen and to the veterans who will come to attend the commemorative events and celebrations organised in Normandy. Lest we forget.
AN IMPORTANT ANNIVERSARY
In 2024, Normandy will honour the memory of these events and the men and women who came from all over the world to liberate us. A regional mobilisation will take place to celebrate this major anniversary. It will be the perfect occasion for visitors to discover, or rediscover, the main memorial sites, the cemeteries, the key places and the museums which bear witness to this tragic period of time. These important places are today imbued with fundamental and universal values such as Reconciliation, Peace and Freedom. Our hope is that your visit will present a special moment for you to share with your loved ones.
A UNIQUE EVENT
For this very special occasion, Normandy’s ambition is to offer a major family-friendly event, aimed at Normans and visitors alike, who have little or no access to official ceremonies. The date of Saturday 1st June, at nightfall, has been chosen for this event, on the weekend ahead of 6th June. Over 20 huge firework displays will light up the sky simultaneously over the 5 Landing Beaches. A beautiful family-friendly and free event.
THE INTERNATIONAL CEREMONY
The official international ceremony will take place on Thursday 6th June 2024 on Omaha Beach. Many heads of state, veterans and officials will commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day (by invitation only).
On this day, please take note that for security reasons many beaches and sectors will be cordoned off with no access to visitors, vehicles etc.
Other ceremonies include the following:
5th June: International Ceremony in tribute to the civilian victims, Saint-Lô
6th June: Franco-American Ceremony in Colleville-sur-Mer, before the official International Ceremony
6th June: Franco-Canadian Ceremony in Courseulles-sur-Mer, after the official International Ceremony
7th June: Ceremony with American President Joe Biden in Cherbourg
7th June: Bayeux Liberation Ceremony with President Macron in Bayeux
A VERY SPECIAL FESTIVAL
Each year from end May to mid-June, the tourist offices of the Landing Beaches area invite you to celebrate freedom. During the D-Day Festival Normandy, visitors will enjoy a popular programme of festive and cultural events to mark the anniversary of the Allied Landings. The D-Day Festival Normandy takes place along the entire coastline of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, from Pegasus Bridge to Sainte-Mère-Eglise, including Ouistreham, Arromanches, Pointe du Hoc, and of course the five iconic sectors of Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, Gold Beach, Juno Beach and Sword Beach. Parachuting, parades, concerts, historical re-enactments, fireworks, exhibitions, projections… The festival offers over 100 events, and promises to be bigger and better than ever before in 2024.
EVENTS CERTIFIED BY THE NORMANDY REGION
To put together a schedule of events that will take place throughout Normandy during this anniversary year, the Normandy Region has worked on a label to certify several hundreds of them, over a period stretching from 1st March to 15th October 2024.
Synchronised fireworks at the major D-Day sites, giant picnic on Omaha Beach, Liberation balls, bagpipe parades, international parachuting of hundreds of soldiers above Sainte-Mère-Église, etc. The festivities will take place throughout the year and particularly in fine weather. A great way for everyone to join in this spirit of fraternity.
STANDING WITH GIANTS INSTALLATION
A total of 1,475 silhouettes by ‘Standing with Giants’ have appeared at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer, representing the number of fatalities under British command on 6th June 1944. This art installation is part of D-Day 80 commemorations at the Memorial and will be available to visit throughout Summer. Standing with Giants is a community project, set up in 2019 by Oxfordshire community artist, Dan Barton, and a group of local volunteers. They create large scale art installations using recycled building materials and provide meaningful spaces for people to visit and reflect.
NORMANDY FOR PEACE
The Normandy for Peace World Forum was created in 2016 on the back of an initiative to promote the values of peace and freedom to the general public and in particular with the young in mind. It now takes place every year at the Women’s Abbey in Caen and consists of a series of conferences that bring together leading international thinkers and Nobel Peace Prize winners. The programme also includes cultural activities and social events.
Comments
Post a Comment