Andreas Haugstrup Pedersen | solitude.dk

In 1998 (I think, it was the year France won the World Cup) my parents took me and my brother on a vacation to Bretagne in France. On the way there you have to drive through Normandy, and I suspect my dad to be behind the detour to the beach. I had to dig through old cds with backups to find these scans. They aren't particulary good, nor was the camera — I think the motives make up for the technical difficulties.

The photo above is of Omaha Beach looking west. The large structure in the middle of the photo is one of many concrete pontoons that were used to support the beachhead. I remember being annoyed with the people who wouldn't get out of the viewfinder, but today — six years later — I think it makes for a more powerful photo.

The other photo is from Colleville sur Mer, the American cemetery above the beach where Presidents Chirac and Bush have been speaking today.

At my parents I have more photos from Normandy. I may not remember the exact names of all the places I saw in Normandy, but it is something I will never forget having seen. To me that's what matters. Chirac said in his speech that “France will never forget”. Neither will I.