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On this specially crafted National Geographic expedition travel from London to Portsmouth, then cross the English Channel by ferry. Follow in the wake of the invading armies to walk the beaches at Normandy where the soldiers landed, and visit places of extraordinary heroism. Lay a wreath at the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, and enjoy a private reception at the Chateau de Cruelly.
Day 1 and 2 New York/London, England
Depart for London. Arrive the following day and check into your hotel. Explore the H.M.S. Belfast, the 11,500-ton battle cruiser that served throughout World War II and was one of the first to open fire on German positions on June 6, 1944. This evening, enjoy a welcome reception and dinner. On the 2005 departure, accommodations will be at the Jury's Great Russell Street Hotel.
Rubens Hotel
(D)
Day 3 London
Visit St. Paul’s Cathedral to pay respects at the American Memorial Chapel. Senior staff introduce the Imperial War Museum’s collections chronicling World War II in imaginative interactive displays. Enjoy lunch in a private room of the Imperial War Museum. Discover the real story behind the legend of the Enigma code breakers at intriguing Bletchley Park.
(B,L)
Day 4 London/Winchester
Visit the Cabinet War Rooms, where Winston Churchill directed the British war effort. See maps, telephones, and bunks preserved since 1945. Explore the newly opened Churchill Museum before traveling to Winchester. Lunch will be provided on the 2005 departure.
Royal Hotel
(B)
Day 5 Southsea/Portsmouth
Join the curator of military history at the D-Day Museum in Southsea. We’ve arranged for a special tour of the Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth. Here, Mulberry harbours—enormous portable platforms crucial in transferring troops to the other side of the Channel—were constructed. This was also where the wounded from the beaches were received. Retrace the dramatic night of embarkation during a cruise in Portsmouth Harbour with a naval historian.
(B,D)
Day 6 Portsmouth/Cherbourg, France/Creully
This morning, take a guided visit through Southwick House, Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force, where Eisenhower made the “let’s go!” decision. Lunch is at the Golden Lion Pub, an officer’s mess during the planning stages of the invasion. Board a ferry for the Channel crossing to Cherbourg (ferry crossing point subject to change). During the passage, remember the rough seas and the flat-bottomed landing craft experienced by the Allied Expeditionary Force. Lunch will not be provided on the 2005 departure.
Ferme de la Rançonnière
(B,L,D)
Day 7 Utah Beach/Sainte-Mère-Église
Visit the Utah Beach museum and the monuments along the shore. In Sainte-Mère-Église, wander the picturesque market square, church, and streets where American paratroopers landed in a hail of gunfire. A parachute has been attached to the steeple of the church and special stained-glass panes inserted in the chapel, commemorating this heroic commando action. Visit the museum for a dramatic exhibition about the night the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions dropped from the sky.
(B,D)
Day 8 Pointe du Hoc/Omaha Beach/Colleville-sur-Mer
Stand on the high bluffs overlooking Pointe du Hoc; walk Omaha Beach, site of the bloodiest fighting of the invasion day; and lay a wreath at the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer. Be welcomed by the owners of the Château de Creully, where BBC correspondents began reporting the war operations.
(B,D)
Day 9 Gold, Juno, and Sword Beaches/Arromanches/Caen/Paris
See the Mulberry harbour at Arromanches—known as Port Winston—a remaining prefabricated concrete platform designed to assist in landing Allied supplies. This afternoon, explore the Caen Memorial Museum, where exhibits and a series of films trace the period following WWI, through the Depression and the rise of Hitler to the Battle for Normandy and the end of the war. Later, transfer to Paris, and bid farewell to your travel companions during a dinner at our hotel.
Radisson SAS
(B,D)
Day 10 Paris/New York
Depart Paris for the return flight to New York via London.
(B)
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