End of Year
June 29, 2014 Andries Wilke
A new concept for ourselves is that the year actually ends in July and will start again in September (re-entre for the French). Our normal alignment with the calendar year from Jan to December does not count.
The school closes next week for the year, and I have already received numerous e-mails about school insurance for the 2014/2015 school year, a compulsory requirement…
And this last weekend the school had its annual school concert and Kermisse (any Afrikaans people, this is where the word "Kermis" comes from), because it is the end of the school year.
It included the concert, the games played at the Kermisse, a dinner and dancing (with some reshuffling due to rain), but a great time all around!
Enjoy the photos!
Pieter in his "all black" dress code, ready for the concert!
The Cherry Pie we baked for the cake sale at the Kermisse!
The Parents before the concert
The concert!
The games at the Kermisse
The cake Table
Kids enjoying the DJ's bubbles!
Last weeks best photos
Ok, last week included the visit to the Normandy beaches for the anniversary of D-Day, but also a visit to Mont St. Michel, one of the iconic buildings in Normandy. Enjoy he following photos covering both topics!
Trying to negotiate a lift!
Are they making fun of rising sea levels? (Just joking, trying to make the hotel look like a ship I think).
Hotel was happy to arrange transport (Abbey in the distance)
A bit closer!
Last kilometer on foot!
One of our few family photos!
The girls posing on a 750 year old canon
June 7, 2014 Andries Wilke
Despite all the excitement and new experiences the past few days, the reality is captured best by the introduction of a commemorative edition I bought at Cherbourg airport, adapted by myself as required.
From June the 5th (when preliminary bombardment started) till August the 28th (when the final German resistance was broken) the area of roughly 120 km by 70 km (size of Gauteng Province, roughly, but mostly rural) would see in approximately 100 days, the loss of 100 000 human lives, 20 000 of them local civilians. Some villages were captured by either side as often as 20 times, that means 39 successful attacks and counter attacks to conclude the matter.
Having read extensively on the subject previously, nothing quite expresses the horror and reality of war as well as the cold facts stated above.
May we and our children be able to learn from the folly of our ancestors.
D Day (Minus 1)
The plan for the day was to travel to Cherbroug, then a plane ride for Pieter and myself and a bit of shopping for the ladies. Time did not allow us to visit the Militaria sale in Carentan, a real pity, but maybe next time. At least after breakfast we were treated to a convoy of at least 50 vintage military vehicles (including a number of motorcycles with wailing syrens!) past our hotel.
Arriving in Cherbroug a few complications, but after a bit of trekking, walking and asking we figured best way to the airport is by taxi and this was duly done. With no luggage storage facilities available we took our suitcase (1 for the family) along and were able to store it at the organizers table (it was used to display t-Shirts for the rest of the afternoon).
A quick beer, lunch (boerewors rolls, or reasonable French equivalent) and then the long awaited flight in a Dakota. The flight crossed over the American landing beaches and Carentan, having spent the past two days there it was really terrific to see the town from the air!
Lunch!
Our flight (note Pieter and a Vetran from the Division Le Clerck – Jacques- whom we met at check-in).
About 2/3 through the flight the soft drone of the Dakoto proved more than a match for Pieter and he fell asleep. The taxi arrived punctually at 14:00 and with Pieter lying down I collected some T-shirts, only for him to run into the building – as he awoke disorientated in the taxi (believing he was still in the plane with me abandoning him) – straight to me of course! Excellent instincts and good reflexes by the driver who was 1 step behind him.
Normandy Beaches
Then to the station, to wait for the girls carrying large bags of shopping and a train to Mont St Michelle.
With most of the landing area closed for the 6th to all traffic we thought it best to leave the wartime endeavors for a cultural visit on the 6th, to the second most visited site in France, the Abbey of Mont St Michel.
A few boring, but interesting facts, Field Marshall Rommel was not in Normandy at the time of the invasion, he was at a meeting in Berlin, the Germans thinking conditions too bad for an invasion (and his wife's birthday was at the time).
D-Day was supposed to be the 5th, but it was delayed due to bad weather on the day (hence our jump did not work out on the 4th I think).
Most of the German command was not at the front but in Rennes for a war gaming session, the train we took to Mont St Michel terminated at Rennes two stations later, so we were unwittingly copying their behavior.
Arriving safely we got a bus and arrived at our lodgings. Dinner and all crashed rather late (it was still light at 10:10 when we admired the sunset).
D-Day (minus 2)
The planned schedule for the day included a visit to the Normandy Armour museum and watching the 1st round of parachute jumps to commemorate D-Day at Carentan.
Things started out slightly wobbly with Pieter being wet (running and slipping) before we managed to leave the hotel grounds, so we had to change his clothes as we entered the museum. Annabellé who followed him only suffered wet shoes. Dry pants and both in slippers we ventured into the museum.
It is small, but it does pack a punch in terms of diversity – a very worthwhile visit for the enthusiast and his/her family, Pieter loved taking photos throughout the visit.
The Family (photo be French stranger)
Outside were a few tents selling food and militaria, so we could get new shoes for both kids (camouflaged sneakers of course).
Accross the road for a beer and to order a taxi, we hit town for a worthwhile lunch across from the station and then a 2km walk (as advised by the tourism office, due to the congestion) to the drop zone at Carentan. This is to commemorate the jump by the 101st Airborne division in the early hours of the morning before the invasion.
We got to the zone, unfortunately the jump was delayed by an hour and half and Pieter and Annabellé decided that playing in the long grass was the best remedy!
Action photo!
Hurray up and wait! (The memories!)
At last the planes appeared, but alas the wind was too strong and the jump was cancelled. If you think the 2 000 or 3 000 spectators were disappointed, I can only imagine the feeling of deflation of the 250 odd jumpers that were in the fleet of nine Dakotas!
The jump converted to a fly past.
The rest of the afternoon included the unveiling of 2 monuments on the way back. The first commemorating the bayonet charge by Lt Winters at Carentan (as made famous in the Band of Brothers), and the second the liberation of the town by the 101st Airborne. Watching them aware not fun for the kids :). This was followed by a parade through the town by military personnel from 5 countries and a few bands, this they enjoyed a lot more and they got to play with the flags bought earlier the day.
At the Parade
Then, back to the Hotel for a dinner and crashing, we were all dead, especially the adults who carried the children (by then sleeping) back nearly all the way the 2km to town!