When I first met Gary he shared his dreams with me. As a WW2 buff he had always wanted to go to Batterie Todt at Wissant; just outside Calais which,he had read about nearly 30 years ago; in the magazine "After the Battle". Well, we did that the second year we were together but since we combined it with a trip to the Loire Valley and Gary surprised me with an engagement ring in Saumur I have fond memories of that holiday! I thought that I was the answer to his dreams but soon discovered that one of dreams was 'to do' Normandy!

Gary insisted that I watch "The Longest Day" as my initiation and a trip to Borders book shop; gained me a Normandy 'bible' which proved to be invaluable.

As we discussed the trip I started to feel ashamed of my lack of knowledge of our history and soon was absorbed in the planning and researching to make our trip really worthwhile. We chose Bayeaux as our base since our perusal of the map showed it to be relatively central to all our proposed destinations.

We had considered taking the ferry to Caen but since we wanted to call in to Wissant at some point we settled for a Dover/ Calais crossing. Once out of Calais, which is becoming easier with every trip, we found the journey to Bayeaux less stressful than expected. We have both fallen in love with France and feel our cares float away as we cruise along their fabulous roads, absorbing the passing countryside and breathing in some clean air. Although it was July the roads were nowhere near as hectic as at home and the sun was shining and Gary was buzzing! We were eating up the kilometres on our way to Bayeaux.

What a fabulous choice! I had chosen the Chateau de Sully for our stay and I can highly recommend it. Set just to the north of the town it sits back in its grounds awaiting to welcome its guests with luxury, comfort, all possible facilities, a fabulous restaurant and hospitality that is second to none. We arrived a day early due to a slight change of plans and decided to call in to see if they could accommodate us. Our room wasn't available but we were offered a fabulous attic room for the night. Set in the eaves, with sloping ceilings, pink chintz everywhere, it was quaint and cosy. After the most amazing leisurely meal under glittering chandeliers we made our way up the two flights of stairs to our little attic room, crawled into the enormous welcoming bed and slept away our long journey.

It was eerie waking to near silence, the distant chirp of some sparrows and if you strained your ears the faint hum of passing cars. We sat in the window looking down the long drive and could just see Bayeaux beyond the trees. After a pleasant leisurely breakfast we felt ready to be tourists! We left our luggage in the capable hands of the Chateau's staff and were assured it would be in our new room when we returned.

We had decided to explore Bayeaux on our first day to give Gary a break from driving. As we drove into the town we passed a bustling market that seemed a good starting point so looked for somewhere to park. It didn't take long but it had brought us to the other side of town and conveniently near the information office. We went in and got our quota of leaflets and maps and decided to make our way to the market via the Cathedral which we had glimpsed on our way through.

The photo opportunities were plentiful as we wandered through picturesque streets, over the river and turned left towards the cathedral. We couldn't believe our eyes. We had gone back in time. The street was a medieval market place with stalls, tradesmen in traditional costumes, chickens in runs, rabbits in makeshift hutches, goats tethered to trees, a pig roasting on a spit. We had unwittingly booked our holiday the week of their annual fair. What a bonus! There was so much to do, to see, to photograph, to eat, to drink. I got four red wines when I'd asked for two white but what did it matter! We were going through films at an astonishing rate. The area around the cathedral had craftsmen doing restoration work, shaping huge cubes of stone with hand tools, repairing beautiful stained glass windows, planing wood into intricate shapes. A blacksmith was busy at his forge. What skills! Amazing! The inside of the cathedral left us in awe. We didn't want to miss a thing because the rest of the week was earmarked. What a fabulous day. No better start to our holiday! We never got to the first market though! We were happy strolling through the quaint streets, soaking up the atmosphere, living the life, breathing in the smells…………………

Of course one doesn't go to Bayeaux and not visit the tapestry, sorry, The Tapestry. Awesome! I felt honoured to look at it and had no idea just how long it actually was. Truly amazing!

Eventually we dragged ourselves away and made our way back to the Chateau. We were escorted to our new room, in an adjacent wing. It was bigger than our previous room and beautifully coordinated with an en suite bathroom and separate toilet. The block also housed the small but ample fitness room and swimming pool. I had the best intentions but only managed one solitary swim and my trainers never found the exercise bike. Gary had other plans for me and they weren't in the bedroom!

Yes, I had been lulled into a false sense of security! The holiday was over! There was a marathon trip ahead of museums, beaches, museums, museums, beaches and did I say museums? Now I love museums and I'd seen "The Longest Day" but !!!!!!!.

We had vowed not too be too rigid in the planning. We wanted to absorb and enjoy where we visited, not rush from one place to another. Gary was so thrilled at just being in the area and I was running on his adrenalin. If I tell you that we took twenty films and bought seven more it might give you some idea but it doesn't touch on the emotion!!!!!.

I defy anyone to go there and not be moved. At times I felt drained. Everywhere gives the human touch. While Gary was getting his fill of guns, machinery, uniforms, anything and everything military I was reading letters, building up pictures of people and places, feeling the pain, tormented by their misery and uplifted by their optimism, only to be devastated by the follow up report!.'killed in action age 17', 'this letter reached his mother a week after she had received the telegram'. So many people, so many lost lives, so much suffering. The enormity of it all hit me and threatened to overwhelm me. I felt humble and so sad!..

The American Cemetery and the German Cemetery left me reeling. A group of people were walking out of the American Cemetery laughing and I felt angry, felt they were being disrespectful. I'm sure they were just on holiday visiting a tourist spot but I was furious at their attitude. I could feel the tears whelming up. I had to go.

Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't have missed this holiday for the world. I was surprised at how it moved me but I am so glad that I went. There were many light moments, fascinating insights into the war and its people and of course the bullet !!!,but that's Gary's story!