The next morning we were off to the ancient city of Caen and the beaches of Normandy. Rail Europe provides several convenient trains a day, and in less than two hours, we were exploring the ancient cathedrals and cobblestone alleyways. A trip by city bus out to the new Memorial de Caen (Peace Museum) put the ravages of war in perspective and set the mood for our journey the next day when our guide, Anne Marie, drove us 25 miles out of town toward the beaches.

The weather was appropriately cool and rainy — setting the stage for a solemn day. Our first stop, much to our surprise, was the German cemetery. The German plot is much smaller and more austere than its American counterpart. One headstone marker is used for every five soldiers buried here and the crosses that mark each section are black.