Another day at the office: Arromanches, Normandy
"Pas mal, pas mal du tout" the tour guide declares, pinching herself.
Bonjour, c’est Véro
Arromanches-les-Bains, Normandy. Arromanches, for short, a fishing village by the English Channel turned popular seaside resort in the late 19th century. Back then, many flocked to Arromanches-les-Bains to enjoy the alleged benefits of sea water (and some entertainment at the local casino.)
Fast forward to 1944.
Arromanches became “Port Winston,” a mulberry harbor, its components built in England, towed across the Channel and assembled in France to form an artificial harbor bound to play a crucial role after D-Day when English and Canadian troops and equipment could unload without too much trouble as the campaign of Normandy raged in the region.
Today Arromanches is once again a peaceful village (population: 450) along the Normandy coast. The casino is long gone though some “old ladies” (stately mansions peppering the waterfront) have survived and remind us of the town’s past.
Vacationers and tourists have returned. On sunny days it is hard to find a seat at the handful of local cafés and eateries.
They come for the expansive beach, the breathtaking sunsets, the newly remodeled D-Day landing museum, or just to peek at the fast-disappearing vestiges of an engineering and tactical feat over 80 years ago.
On June 7, 1944 (one day after D-Day) once allied planes had gone through the area, only a few buildings in the village were still standing. Normandy paid a heavy toll for the liberation of France.
Lest we forget.
Arromanches is one of my favorite stops on the 11-day tour I lead several times a year. Our groups stay at the “Hôtel de la Marine.” It’s like taking a trip back in time, thanks to vintage photos on the restaurant walls.
The weather doesn’t always cooperate. This is Normandy after all. Still, I try and steal an early morning walk before the breakfast service starts and watch the sun rise.
So much to take in, the majestic beauty of the site and the spectacular bay, the soothing rhythms of the sea, a lone fishing boat launching from the pier and heading out for the day, the old “Phoenix caissons” (hollow cement blocks) in the distance, reminders of the events that unfolded here over 80 years ago.
As I strolled along the waterfront at 6:30am today, my bags packed, ready to head back to Paris at the end of our itinerant adventures it dawned on me Arromanches may very well be one of the best “offices” I have ever worked from.
A bientôt, Arromanches. J’ai hâte. (See you soon Arromanches. I can’t wait.)
You're a fine writer, Véro, giving such an evocative sense of place, weaving past and present, helping us to understand and appreciate that there is much more than meets the eye.
Arromanches is one of my favorite places of memory. I agree that it is "pas mal, pas mal du tout". And your photo of the sunset is almost like a painting. Thanks for sharing.