France
Recent Articles
Eiffel Tower
There are certain landmarks across the world that have become instantly recognizable. Once you see them, you know exactly what they are and often where they stand. That is certainly true for the Eiffel Tower. The first time we visited Paris, of course we did what first-time visitors do: we took the ride up the […]
Sacre-Coeur Cathedral
Rising above the rooftops of Paris from the summit of Montmartre, the domes of Sacre-Coeur dominate the skyline. From almost anywhere in the city, the basilica’s white stone catches the light by day and glows softly at night, anchoring the northern horizon. The church was conceived in the emotional aftermath of France’s defeat in the […]
Arc de Triomphe
Few landmarks instantly signal a visit to Paris quite like the Arc de Triomphe. It appears again and again in family photographs, historic parade scenes and images of victory marches. Standing at the western end of the Champs-Elysees, the great arch stands where French history unfolded. The story of the Arc begins in 1806, when Napoleon […]
Omaha Beach
When we stood on the sands of Omaha Beach at Colleville-sur-Mer, it is hard to grasp the sheer scale of what occurred here on June 6, 1944. The shoreline is now peaceful, but on D-Day it was one of the most violent and deadly battlegrounds in modern history. In the early hours of that morning, […]
Normandy Cliffs and American Cemetery
There are few places more memorable to me than our visit to Normandy. No movie, photograph or history book could prepare us for the vastness of this coastline or the weight it still carries. It is impossible not to feel the immensity of what happened across these beaches on June 6, 1944. We started at […]
