Visiting the D-day beaches part II: Juno Beach

 

On August 24th we went to visit Juno Beach...the Normandic beach zones amidst Omaha Beach and Sword beach, which had been liberated by Canadian troops on D-Day in 44. 

We drove to Courcelles-sur-Mer where the Juno Beach Center is located and visited that first. 

Juno Beach Center - the museum

It opened in 2003 right behind the beach to commemorate the 140000 Canadian troups that took part in operation Overlord on D-Day.  We were welcomed in the museum by a strong Québecois accent and I remembered from my visit in 2009 that this is truly opened by Canadians and a place of Canadian internships. 

Naturally the museum focusses on D-Day again but this time the entire focus is from Canadian viewpoint: what was the economic and society situation like in Canada in the first half of previous century.  I realised for the first time the impact of the economic recession in the '30ies in Canada and the fact that my own grandparents and both aunts who had fled to Canada after WWI, returned back to Belgium in '31 right in that Great Depression. I was never told that it was one of the reasons but maybe it had had an impact. 

We learned also about life in Canada during the war and the impact there on economy, farmlife, schools, Asian population, ... Quite interesting.  Beside the invasion in Normandy it followed the troups up to the end of the war, so the liberation of the west of Belgium and the Schelde was also covered. 

For the children, there was a child circuit with a little badge that gave access to a quiz in each room to gather "poppies".  On the multitude of displays, there was always a simplified child summary marked with a special symbol that helped to give input for the quizzes.  Quite interactive and well done.  Cool!

I never realised what Beertje had unconsciouslly configured at that very moment until when I saw the pictures at home...quite a coincidence 

I felt quite connected with Canada in and around the museum up to the point I made the confused remark about the political correctness of Canada that even miles away across the world they'd ensure all information was bilingual English - French....ok dugh, maybe it's obvious for a museum in France to have French displays ;). 

An Inuit memorial

Outside we could explore many memorials, war material and bunkers again while roaming the dunes. Since it was also the day that my father had died 2 years before, I felt quite emotional and burst into tears while watching the waves crash the beach.  I sent my mom a message and she replied that it was exactly at that very moment we had lost him 2 years ago. I did not know, I had not checked the time. 

While I missed both Canada as my dad, I felt quite displaced and yet very appropriate to be there at that exact moment, at a spot of remembrance that felt like home. 

We continued to walk to the croix de Lorraine that is erected at the spot that Charles De Gaulle took foot in free France again but where also the English king, Churchill and the american generals had arrived. Quite the VIP spot.  A little of reading learned however that this cross wasn't so neutral but a very political "gaulistic" sign.   In just a km we went from Canada to European politics again. 

In Courcelles-sur-Mer were only quite elaborated lunch restaurants while we just felt like a easy snack, so we ended up buying seafood for home and a picnic that we ate in one of the next towns along Juno Beach.   The wind was so strong that we were cold and blown away so it was a quite quick lunch and then we headed home to enjoy the sun and our pool a bit shielded from the wind. 

In the evening I needed some alone remembrance time and I returned by myself to the Canadian War cemetery a little inland.  In contrast to the American War Memorial and Cemetery, this one was almost deserted, smaller but as impressive.  

Big maples at the entrance.