Le Jour de Victoire (Victory Day)
 
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This morning, when we took Ziek to the Bercy park for a run, we noticed something different along our route. There are bouquets of flowers with miniature French flags placed on the plaques sur les ponts (on the bridges), against the walls and on the Champs Elysées.
On May 7, 1945, General Dwight Eisenhower accepted Germany’s unconditional surrender in Reims (North East France and the centre of champagne production), France. Germany surrendered to Russia in Berlin.
The surrender was ratified in Berlin on May 8 and marks the day of victory for Allies in WW2. Today marks the 61st anniversary of “Le jour de victoire”
Another important date to remember is June 6, 1944 (also known as Jour J or D-Day): The Allies invaded the European continent through Normandy. The British and American airborne forces landed behind the German coastal fortifications called the Atlantic Wall, followed by the seaborne troops who fought at Utah Beach and Omaha Beach, the scene of the fiercest fighting in the Cotentin peninsula.