After four months at sea we are home again in Alliston, Ontario and have the cottage open for the summer season.  It was a fantastic trip with many great memories of places visited and friends made.  Most important was the realization and the knowledge that we are very thankful for all that we have in this life.  Many places we visited were deep into poverty and contrasted with the opulent high end settings of other countries visited and the almost obscene wealth displayed.  Much can be learned about our world on such a trip and it was truly mind boggling in this respect.

As I write this last post of our 2019 trip I am reminded that today and tomorrow (June 6)  marks the 75th anniversary of D Day and the invasion by the allied forces into Normandy.  Our visit to the Normandy beaches was a highlight of the trip.

The victory was a turning point in World War II and led to the liberation of Europe and the defeat of Nazi Germany. The sacrifices made by many young soldiers who never returned from this battle were remembered in vivid detail as we walked the American cemetery at OMAHA Beach and the multiple Canadian and British cemeteries around FLANDERS FIELDS and JUNO Beach.  Those were sights we will never forget.  On this the 75th anniversary, we remember and give thanks for those who served that we might be free.