Just back from a quick tour in Normandy on the 1994 Dawes Kickback Two MTB tandem with No2 son. Overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Ouistreham, 0530 awake and 0630 onto French soil:
A visit to the Atlantic Wall museum (with handy LCVP in the yard) and then off following the coast westwards to Corseuilles stopping frequently along the way for things like this (Churchill AVRE parked next to a heavy object), along with other fortifications, monuments, plaques etc.
Lunch in Corseuilles followed by the Juno beach museum,
plus a look over a Sherman DD took us to Arromanches 360 (very atmospheric) and the municipal campsite - slap bang in the town centre and a handy 100 yards from the bakery and restaurants.
The evening saw us walk on the beach at low tide to explore the remains of Mulberry Harbour.
And dinner of course!
The campsite was quiet and the long grass made it comfortable in a bike-only camping area. Fresh bread for breakfast:
Followed by a trip to Bayeux and the Tapestry - really good.
And on to the German Battery at Longues-sur-Mer:
More dinner, then the following morning we returned by an inland route - roads were quiet in general. It's easy to forget how big and empty rural France feels compared to the UK. At no time during the trip did we experience a close pass. Drivers were patient without exception! There are also plenty of marked quiet or traffic-free routes. France is far ahead of the UK. We passed the Canadian Cemetery and stopped to pay our respects. There were lots of Canadians on the whole way, making a trip of it along with the Vimy centenary.
Finally we ended up at Pegasus Bridge, the site of a glider assault on the night before D-Day. We also popped into the famous cafe Gondree, next to the bridge which was the first home liberated.
And so back home on the boat to Portsmouth.
The bike is fairly modified - original wheels with Riigda Rally rims, STX SE hubs. North Road type handlebars, Kona P2 fork, XT derailleurs and Deore thumbies. Panniers are ancient Karrimor ones, rack is Blackburn. Tyres Specialized Hemisphere 2.0 semi-slicks. I've been using the bike for touring for around 9 years now, so it's pretty sorted.
Camping kit: Terra Nova Voyager tent (replacing the 25 year old Voyager I wore out), Vango and Ultimate 3 season bags. Coleman Peak 1 white gasoline stove for cooking. Weather was kind - no rain and 6C at night.
Brittany Ferries were extremely helpful, likewise customs and immigration staff.
Do it! You won't regret it.
) so wondered if they kept you warm and dry enough?
