NORMANDY - France 2014 - page 429

0780-246-8599, from France dial 00-44/780-246-8599, www.d-daytours.com , info@d-
daytours.com ) .
Edward Robinson, Irish, informal, and chatty (a national trait?), has previously
guided for the Caen Memorial Museum and knows his way around the beaches. He
does a terrific tour of the Omaha Beach sector (particularly Pointe du Hoc) and fires
important information at you like a machine gun. Taking up to six passengers in his
minivan, he tailors each tour to his clients' needs and tries to get off the beaten track
( www.battleofnormandytours.com , [e-mail] ).
Eva Ruttger is young, smart, and energetic. She was raised in Germany and can
speak to that perspective when touring the beaches. She offers full- and half-day tours
in an eight-person minivan, or will join your car for less. For a multi-day tour, she
can pick you up in Paris and guide in Giverny, Honfleur, or other towns on the way
to the D-Day beaches (mobile [phone], www.visitnormandybeaches.com ,
[e-mail] ).
Victory Tours is run by friendly Dutchman Roel (pronounced “rule”), who gives
half-day, all-day, and two-day tours. His tours are informal and entertaining, but suf-
ficiently informative for most (departs from Bayeux only, tel. [phone],
www.victorytours.com , [e-mail] ) .
Lucie Hoffmann, hip,relaxed,andFrench,hasbeenguidingfor10yearsthroughout
Normandy. Having worked for four years at the Caen Memorial Museum, she knows
her WWII history. She also loves guiding kids (mobile [phone], luciehoff-
[e-mail] ).
Mathias Leclere brings a thoughtful, French perspective to his tour. Born four miles
from Juno Beach to a family with three centuries of roots in Normandy, he is part of its
soil. Mathias is a self-taught historian who leads half- and full-day tours in his minivan
( www.ddayguidedtours.com ) .
Countdown to D-Day
1939 On September 1, Adolf Hitler invades the Free City of Danzig (today's Gda ń sk, Poland),
sparking World War II.
1940 Germany's “Blitzkrieg” (“lightning war”) quickly overwhelms France, Nazis goose-step down
the Avenue des Champs-Elysées, and the country is divided into Occupied France (the north)
and Vichy France (the south, ruled by right-wing French). Just like that, nearly the entire
Continent is fascist.