American War Cemetery , Normandy , France
SCANDINAVIA & THE BRITISH ISLES
Bruges , Belgium M / V Clio , Copenhagen , Denmark
ITINERARY
DAY 1 • Depart U . S . Depart the U . S . today on your overnight flight to Paris .
DAY 2 • Paris , France Arrive in Paris , where you ’ ll be met at the airport and transfer to your hotel . Get acquainted with the area around your hotel during an orientation walk . This evening , enjoy a Welcome Drink with your fellow travelers , including those who took our London : England ’ s Regal Capital pre-trip extension .
Hotel Crowne Plaza Republique or similar
DAY 3 • Paris • Caen • Cider farm • Caen Memorial Museum • Embark ship
Visit a local cider farm for a tour and tasting . Then , get an in-depth look into the battle for Normandy at the Caen Memorial Museum , which honors soldiers and civilians who lost their lives during World War II , and examines the fragility of 20th-century peace . Afterward , we ’ ll board the M / V Clio .
Meals : B , L , D | M / V Clio
DAY 4 • Caen • Omaha Beach & Normandy American Cemetery
Today begins on the beaches of Normandy , where we ’ ll honor the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion . We ’ ll see the cliffs of La Pointe du Hoc and learn about the daring Army Ranger raid that took place here before visiting Omaha Beach , where some of D-Day ’ s most brutal fighting took place .
The U . S . Army was tasked with securing Omaha , and when they arrived on shore at dawn on June 6 , 1944 ,
they were met with a deafening barrage of German gunfire . As Nazis soldiers shot from secure concrete pillboxes built high above the open sand , and shells screeched down from the sky , American infantry were devastated while exiting their landing craft , paying for every inch of progress in blood and sweat .
Our day concludes at the American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer .
Meals : B , L , D | M / V Clio
DAY 5 • Dunkirk Beach With the help of a local guide , we ’ ll set out to explore Dunkirk Beach , site of the Battle of Dunkirk . We ’ ll then visit the Dunkirk 1940 Museum to learn about the evacuation that took place here .
Meals : B , L , D | M / V Clio
DAY 6 • Bruges , Belgium With the help of a local guide , we ’ ll set out to explore Dunkirk Beach , site of the Battle of Dunkirk . This afternoon , you may choose to join a Trip Experience Leader on an excursion to the local nuclear power plant to learn about energy production , or to the construction site of a 17th-century wooden warship .
Meals : B , L , D | M / V Clio
DAY 7 • Antwerp • Chocolate tasting • Conversation about Belgian colonialism
Explore Antwerp , beginning with a stroll through its Old Town . We ’ ll also taste one of its sweetest exports — chocolate — at a local shop . This evening , we ’ ll learn about King Leopold II ’ s brutal administration of his Congo Free State colony in Africa . In the late 19th century , Belgian King Leopold II took control of the
Congo Free State ( today known as the Democratic Republic of Congo ) as his personal colonial asset . The territory was rich in natural resources — including rubber and ivory — which Leopold exploited for his own financial enrichment , at an enormous human cost . In recent years , Leopold ’ s brutal legacy is being scrutinized , and activists have taken it upon themselves to remove him from public view — defacing and toppling statues in a half-dozen cities , including Antwerp .
Meals : B , L , D | M / V Clio
ADVENTURE HIGHLIGHT
2024 marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings — and on Day 4 , we ’ ll visit the beaches of Normandy to honor the fallen
Information & Reservations 1-800-955-1925 www . oattravel . com / clc 97