Port-En-Bessin

The coast of Normandy is strikingly beautiful. I've seen it in all kinds of weather over the years and it's just as dramatic in lousy weather as it is on a bright sunny day. When you can look along the coast for any distance you are struck by the flat table of land that just ends in cliffs diving down into the channel. Every now and then, where a small river or stream drains the land, the coastline dips gently down to the water's edge . These are the places where the port towns are built.

The Norman coast near Port-en-Bessin.

From Trouville, we drove west along the coast to Cabourg, then dipped down to Caen. I don't remember what we did in Caen - probably just drove around a bit. Then it was back up to the coast at St.-Aubin and westward through Arromanches to one of the smaller port towns called Port-en-Bessin.

Port-en-Bessin is almost austere in its setting between land and sea.

I remember that it was very windy and cold - this was January after all. Somewhere along the way we picked up the fixin's for a picnic, but it was just too cold to eat outside. We parked on the quai next to the little port in town and ate our lunch in the car while watching the waves crash up and over the concrete breakwater.

Ken prefers the shelter of the little Fiat we rented while I take pictures in the wind.

And I took some photos. After a short time we headed to nearby Omaha Beach, one of the famous WWII invasion sites.