Your right Mats, there are boat trips, i've seen them when i've been on the clifftop at Pointe Du Hoc, although I'm not sure which port they sail from.

I don't have very good sea legs-I can just about stomach the ferry crossing from Portsmouth to Ouistreham-so a small boat bobbing about in the channel is out of the question for me I'm afraid...

T-Minus 17 days and counting until I'm back in Normandy...

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Regards
John

"It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see" - Winston Churchill

yeah I've heard that before, I visit Naples, my parents are there. It's on the gulf and I go there to go fishing! Just got home today actually! Fishing was great!
Anywhere in florida in July is going to be HOT! Humidity is the problem down there, but at Orlando I'm pretty sure you won't find crowds there! So that is a bonus! Plus I'm sure there are tons of water parks!!
Have fun!!!

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This is a pair of Dutch resistance crystal radios, built into a small metal can, and a matchbox. The image is from a postcard bought at a Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam. The matchbox is marked in Swedish, but Swedish matches were sold in Holland for many years..
Scott

Ahhhh...ready for the 'off'.....

Walking boots cleaned, maps, battlefield guidebooks, various After The Battles, a copy of Tieke's 'In The Firestorm...', camera.....and a small trowel, just in case I find anything 'interesting'.

And an RV arranged for a WWII Forums get-together

I need a holiday......

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

Again? You were just in Alsace a few months ago and if I remember we can add a trip to the Ardennes too .

Eastern Florida you say Bigfun. Isn't that where Spring Break happens? I went there at Panama City.

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Ardennes ? No, I think that was Owen.... I've been to Normandy since Alsace and so, I think, have FalkeEins and JP44......we'll have to start a splinter-group of WWII Forums Battlefield Tourists.....

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

Oops, I thought so because you posted "now and thens" with pictures of the Bulge aera. I must be mistaken with an earlier trip.

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Hey Skipper!
Not really, down that far south there is really nothing but a few kids visiting grandparents, and old people everywhere! Spring break happens in Ft Meyers Beach, a little north of Naples!

I don't think I'll ever get to Europe, just looked at the excahnge rate again!
Not good!

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This is a pair of Dutch resistance crystal radios, built into a small metal can, and a matchbox. The image is from a postcard bought at a Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam. The matchbox is marked in Swedish, but Swedish matches were sold in Holland for many years..
Scott

Same here...all packed and ready to go.

However, I'm not looking forward to the three and a half hour drive down to Portsmouth nor the ferry crossing...

British Summer Time begins at 1.00am Sunday morning, that means the clocks go forward one hour, so I will have to set out even earlier...

Normandy...here I (we) come...

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Regards
John

"It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see" - Winston Churchill

Safe travels guys!!
Keep us updated!!

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This is a pair of Dutch resistance crystal radios, built into a small metal can, and a matchbox. The image is from a postcard bought at a Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam. The matchbox is marked in Swedish, but Swedish matches were sold in Holland for many years..
Scott

Thanks Scott, I'm taking my laptop along with me, so i'll try to post some updates.

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Regards
John

"It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see" - Winston Churchill

Great!! I'll be looking for them!

(if you get too busy with all the great stuff you'll be seeing, we understand)

btw have I mentioned that I'm extremely jealous!

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This is a pair of Dutch resistance crystal radios, built into a small metal can, and a matchbox. The image is from a postcard bought at a Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam. The matchbox is marked in Swedish, but Swedish matches were sold in Holland for many years..
Scott

Have a great trip guys. Hey Bigfun, I'm afraid the exchange rate will only get worse over the years, so better in 2009 than never as you say.

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It works both ways Scott, I would love to meet the WW2 vets that you have spoke to recently.

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Regards
John

"It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see" - Winston Churchill

That's a good point John!!

I think you are right too Skipper, it's not looking like it will swing my way!

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This is a pair of Dutch resistance crystal radios, built into a small metal can, and a matchbox. The image is from a postcard bought at a Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam. The matchbox is marked in Swedish, but Swedish matches were sold in Holland for many years..
Scott

Hello from Normandy !

On Tuesday, as arranged, I had the pleasure of meeting up with Martin Bull and his wife, here in Normandy.

After a coffee at the local bar in Chambois, we (Martin and I, along with my 12yr old son and dad) set off along the path leading down to the Moissy Ford area for an afternoon of battlfield relic hunting .

My son and dad went on ahead at their own pace while Martin and I scanned each side of the path for war relics. It wasn't long before we each found a number of 7.92 calibre cartridge cases as well as 2cm flak shells, Martin also 'sniffed' out a very nice porcelain ball from a German stick grenade. A local farmer also beckoned me over to his farm and gave me a strange piece of 'metal' which he claimed was from a German tank?...I'll post pics of it later.

Better was to follow...when both 'search teams' met back up, my son produced an 88mm shell that he had found in one of the farmers fields, although only the base and part of the casing remained, it was still a fantastic find and I was proud that my son had found such a great piece.

It's back home to Blighty tomorrow...

The attached photo shows a professional relic hunter in action...

(The Moissy Ford is amongst the trees in the top right hand corner of the photograph.)

Attached Images

dscn15511024x768kt8.jpg (152.2 KB, 19 views)

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Regards
John

"It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see" - Winston Churchill

Hmmm, I'm turning green...

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Patriotism is where the love of your country comes first, nationalism is where the hate of other countries comes first.-Charles De Gaulle.

no kidding and incredible weather to boot as well, ideal for scouraging the countryside

post the pics ~

Great stuff martin and John , i'm there in June but by then the foliage and crops will be up and things will be harder to find !!

regards

Paul

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Nikto ne Zabyt . Nichto ne Zabyto.

Let no one forget . Let nothing be forgotten.

I'm back !

We arrived back home yesterday evening after battling our way through the typically heavy traffic on UK motorways...

The weather for most of our stay in Normandy was excellent-which most of my photos reflect.

So, to kick off, here is a photo taken whilst standing on the Dog Green sector of Omaha Beach and looking towards Easy Red sector. The trees that can be seen at the top of the bluff form part of the U.S. military cemetary at Colleville-sur-mer.

Attached Images

dscn16211024x768zo7.jpg (43.5 KB, 15 views)

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Regards
John

"It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see" - Winston Churchill