Arromanches

We've had a wonderful day at Arromanches today.  Last year we went on D-Day and the tide was completely in so we couldn't go on the beach; visibility was down to about ten feet due to the thick fog and there were about fifty million people there and it was heaving.
Today was much better!!
The tide was almost fully out when we got there and the sun was shining so it was straight onto the beach with us. And the three mad English dogs!
As the dogs ran about Miss L climbed up the cliff (!), Miss E collected razor clam shells and we looked out at the Mulberry harbour and watched WW2 jeeps careering over the sand. 
It's hard to imagine the scene on that beach almost seventy three years ago. The noise, the death, the fear and pain. And bravery and heroism.
Now my children can play on the beach.
And stuff their faces with scrummy ice cream from a shop on the front. Once they'd taken an age to choose from the hundreds of flavours!!
A bit of souvenir shopping (a fridge magnet for our collection, a glass dolphin for Miss E and some postcards for me which will look lovely framed) then it was back up the hill to my mum and dad's camper van for a lovely lunch of French bread, cheese, paté, ham, salami, celeriac remoulade and sausage. My dad was most keen that we all partook of the sausage!!!
He was less keen on the dreadful vegetable salad he'd bought.
The Little Misses sat outside on a picnic blanket while we had tea, coffee and biscuits. Miss L was giddy to find €2 on the grass. Then she was distraught at losing it in the grass!
Miss E came into the camper and asked did I have another €2 coin that she could drop in the grass for Miss L to find. 
It was so funny watching Miss E trying to drop it surreptitiously, then trying to get Miss L to stop wailing for long enough to look for it, then shepherding her in the right direction to find it! Very sweet.
From Arromanches we went to the very beautiful Ferme de la Ranconniere - a country hotel dating in parts to the thirteenth century. My mum and dad have been wanting to take us there for ages - it's one of their favourite places.
We sat in the courtyard soaking up some more sun. The Little Misses played giant garden chess with Mr K and we drank beer, cider and lemonade. Wonderful!
Then it was back to our gite for dinner. The others had got back before us after their lovely day out with friends and Mrs N kindly cooked baked potatoes for us all. The kids were packed off to bed and we had another lovely evening chatting and laughing. 
I can't believe it's our last night!!