In Tours, France

Welcome to France - the rest of it I mean.
Okay, we've done Paris and have yet another day to do a couple of things which include a Cabaret Show. But now we have spent two wonder-filled days in Normandy. We visited such lovely towns as Rouen, Ammeranches, the beaches of D-Day - Gold and Omaha - not Juno sadly as this was the Canadian beach but there are only 4 of us of the tour and finally yesterday, we stopped for an overnight on the island of Mont St. Michel where a huge abbey stands reaching to the sky and only 49 people live there in a little village that lies at the bottom of the abbey.
We have had rainy weather for these past few days but on the day when we went to the American grave site at Omaha Beach, it was pure sunshine - it just sort of poked itself through for that time. The Americans have done a wonderful job preserving and presenting the space dedicated to the fallen soldiers during D-Day missions. Even the Jewish soldiers have a Star of David instead of a cross. It was very sobbering and totally moving. We walked and walked among their graves and did the respectful thing of at least reading their names. I picked some wild daisies and put them up against one soldiers star. The entire piece of land was given to the states by the French government. It stands to give all of its visitors a reminder of that time. It is, thankfully, a very popular stopping point for the world.
G and I stood on the British landing beach and looked out at the ocean of deep gray and couldn't even imagine how hard it would have been to struggle over the landing gear and then run the sand to land, only to be torn down by bullets.
A chance in a lifetime.
Yesterday, we stopped in several small towns, having a look at northern french lifestyles. We stopped in one city and went into the cathedral only to end up in the middle of Good Friday's service which was totally sung during the 14 stations of the cross. Beautiful again.
We are now in Tours for two nights. G and I will shortly take the train- a 5 minute trip - into the city center to walk for a bit. Some of the others have taken a bus trip to two castles which we didn't want to do. So the day is ours.
We are feeling somewhat mellow after all this stuff. Who would have known that our trip would have done this to us.
Love to all, J and G