On June 6th, 1944 the allies invaded the beaches at Normandy to regain control of France from the Nazi reign. Early this summer on July 12, 2019, I, along with Mrs. Weston and 47 others, embarked on a ten-day adventure traveling across the coast of France and an ocean away to the island of England to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. 

The WWII inspired trip was one that had been on mine, and many others, bucket lists for some time and the feeling of experiencing another culture and the atmosphere was a big learning experience. The first trek was across the famous city of lights and love – Paris, France. It took me a while to become accustomed to the chaotic cultural, especially while driving on the very confusing roads and the overall customer service. The entire atmosphere of Paris was hectic; there were thousands of people from all over the world trying to see the same landmarks. 

After we left Paris, we traveled to my favorite place, a coastal town of France where Omaha Beach is located. The amount of history could be felt in the salty air; it was like walking back in time. We visited beaches and bunkers and ate the best seafood I’ve ever had. Just getting to sit and watch the waves crash against the beautiful cliffs that Allied soldiers had to climb to claim victory was a feeling unlike anything else. 

Once we finished our France leg of the trip, we took a boat ride across the English Channel to the famous United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, where we got to walk through the historic halls of Windsor Castle and Winston Churchill’s famous War Rooms. The streets of London are far less confusing, despite the obvious difference in directions, there was a new sense of comfort when traveling within an English speaking country. 

The historic sites and sounds of London are also darkened with the true stories of London’s most famous murderer, Jack the Ripper. When the sunset, a walking tower of the famous scenes of Jack’s crimes were detailed by a very suspicious tour guide. As one of the most iconic sites of London, Picadilly Circus held so much, including a few train stops from the famous Platform 9 ¾ from Harry Potter.

From the beautiful museums and the view of an open ocean, this trip is definitely one for the books. It took walking several miles, rushing on and off countless trains, and sprinting to catch the buses to fit as many sights in, but in the end, every step was worth experiencing the sights and sometimes the unfortunate, smells of Europe and Great Britain.