This time though I’m on the bike. My stepdaughter wanted to see the invasion beaches and asked if I would like to go with her (cos I know stuff). Very honoured to be asked!
Here we are leaving Newbury at 5.30 am Friday to catch the 8.00 am Portsmouth to Caen ferry.
Don’t be this guy! Tried to push in everywhere with hazard warning lights on all the time. Kept edging forward even when it was clearly another lanes turn. Here he’s gone way over the line - the bloke directing traffic said that as a priority boarder he’s told to use his hazards but now he’s annoyed me. He then waved us and a dozen more bikes passed him saying " They’ve said priority boarding next, but I just heard motorbikes!"
Your first day brings back some good memories from when me and one of my grandson did the beaches a while ago. Le Mans is a beautiful, the old town is a fantastic spot to appreciate the history of the town. Not sure if it is still done, but when we were there a light show at 22:00hs on the cathedral wall was well worth a look.
We’ve planned a visit to Le Mans when my son arrives tomorrow but may not be there in the evening. Good memories of the bar under the cathedral though from when I’ve been there for the 24 hour race.
Nice Lovatt! I was there last year but around the anniversary of the landings and the place was full of people dressed up as GI’s playing at being war heros. Weather looks better too. If you get a chance have a stop in Hornfleur, lovely fishing town with loads of history and some fantastic buildings including the Église Sainte-Catherine.
We will definitely be visiting le Vieux Mans, I can (mostly) remember it from three previous visits to the 24 hour race - some alcohol may have been consumed. Will look out for la maison au pilier rouge though.
Hello mate - yeah I can imagine! Still a few random jeeps and the odd truck trundling about. Shame there isn’t more British hardware, but I don’t think as much survived.
Stayed in Honfleur on my last visit to Normandy when on the old Tiger 800 - what a fabulous place, especially around the harbour.
The British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer overlooking Gold Beach. This wasn’t here the last time I came so definitely on the list this trip.
The names of the 22,540 servicemen and women who fell on D-Day and in the following battles are recorded here. I couldn’t get a suitable photo of all of it so you can’t really see the scale of the place.
Next stop was Arromanches where the remains of the Mulberry Harbour can be seen, sadly not in my photos as the tide was in and I couldn’t get close enough. These concrete sections were towed across the channel from England - we gave one to the Yanks but they didn’t secure it properly and it broke up in a storm. Google images to thank for the pic.
Plenty of bike parking provided - we got the last two spaces. Loads more bikes crammed in when we got back but that gave us a chance to talk to two Dutch guys and answer questions about touring Scotland for them.
These are 150mm TbtsK c36 naval guns made at the Skoda works in former Czechoslovakia in 1937. They were built for the type 36 German Navy destroyer, but basically proved too heavy and so found themselves in the Atlantic Wall. Range of 12 miles and a rate of fire of 6 to 8 shells per minute. They were knocked out on D Day by British, French and American ships.
Final stop for the day was Port-en-Bessin, which sits between Omaha and Gold beaches.
Great place for lunch or as in our case excellent ice cream - just say at this point, the weather was around a perfect 24º with a gentle sea breeze (it didn’t stay that way though)
Our final day in Normandy involved a run over to Utah beach. We stopped off at Isigny-sur-Mer for breakfast, the town is famous for the production of cream, butter and Camembert. Plenty of bike parking in the square.
Still enjoying the endless sunshine because it hasn’t got too hot yet! The next stop was lunch, as breakfast was only really coffee, in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont a lovely village where we parked by the church.
We parked near the Utah beach museum, which was quite busy so we didn’t bother going in, also the weather was too nice but there’s a well preserved Mk4 Sherman tank outside.
Travelled further along the beach to the memorial dedicated to General Lerclercs 2nd French Armoured Division, who also landed alongside the Americans. (Not that you’d know it!).
Our last night spent in Courseulle-sur-Mer before we head south to Beaumont-sur-Sarthe - here we are leaving our very much appreciated underground parking!
Yes, too hot to ride mate, parked up the bikes in Beaumont-sur-Sarthe and this is where they stayed! Left a day early and we’re in an air conditioned hotel room in Caen
My grandfather was in the 2nd DB. But he didn’t came from UK, he landed in Provence and the Americans provided Sherman 4 tanks. My grandfather was one of the officers at the head of a tank, and they drove up to Paris with General Leclerc. I have those bits of history from my grandfather himself as he saw me as a kid playing with a small Sherman 4 and plastic soldiers..
Things might get awkward…
