Normandy Weekender
Posted: Tue May 06, 2014 5:47 pm
BunnyZ, GotaZ1B and me went over to Normandy for the weekend. Out on Friday on the shuttle and then 240 miles south to Arromanches Les Bains.
Stopped for a spot of lunch on the way at a "real" café - our first chance to get to grips with the language as no one spoke English...
Then onto Arromanches via some excellent roads. The riding gets better as you go further west.
Site-seeing included the 360 degree cinema at Arromanches - this Sherman was located on the way
Then on to the batteries at Longues Sur Mer
Then onto Omaha Beach - one of the American landing sites. Good modern sculpture in the sea and an excellent café for food and getting sunburnt.
Onto American Cemetery at Collville Sur Mer - kept in pristine condition and well used by family, veterans and tourists
Then Utah beach - the other American landing site.
Garth and Paul consider their next restoration project
Next day the local equivalent of the VJMC turn up with some great bikes - a Laverda, a Suzuki GT250A, 4 x Norton Commandos, a couple of early H@nda CB750s, this 500 triple and a Z1300
Went to see the Tapestry - to see how the English got stitched up... This is the inside of the Cathederal
And then to the Pegasus bridge - named after the Paratroop Regiment insignia, followed by Sword, Juno and Gold beaches - more bucket and spade tourist bias here with less to see.
Then home on Monday - another 240 mile blast to Calais for the ferry and another 120 miles home from Dover - the last 250 miles were done with a bloody great nail in my back tyre
Many thanks to Garth and Paul for their company - it was a blast.
Stopped for a spot of lunch on the way at a "real" café - our first chance to get to grips with the language as no one spoke English...
Then onto Arromanches via some excellent roads. The riding gets better as you go further west.
Site-seeing included the 360 degree cinema at Arromanches - this Sherman was located on the way
Then on to the batteries at Longues Sur Mer
Then onto Omaha Beach - one of the American landing sites. Good modern sculpture in the sea and an excellent café for food and getting sunburnt.
Onto American Cemetery at Collville Sur Mer - kept in pristine condition and well used by family, veterans and tourists
Then Utah beach - the other American landing site.
Garth and Paul consider their next restoration project
Next day the local equivalent of the VJMC turn up with some great bikes - a Laverda, a Suzuki GT250A, 4 x Norton Commandos, a couple of early H@nda CB750s, this 500 triple and a Z1300
Went to see the Tapestry - to see how the English got stitched up... This is the inside of the Cathederal
And then to the Pegasus bridge - named after the Paratroop Regiment insignia, followed by Sword, Juno and Gold beaches - more bucket and spade tourist bias here with less to see.
Then home on Monday - another 240 mile blast to Calais for the ferry and another 120 miles home from Dover - the last 250 miles were done with a bloody great nail in my back tyre
Many thanks to Garth and Paul for their company - it was a blast.
