CPO2502 Normandie and the D-Day Beaches
Three of our guests from the USA arrived a few days early to explore Paris with tour guide Angela. We spent most of the morning on the Île de la Cité, visiting sights such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, the small Sainte-Chapelle, and the statue of King Henry IV. Paris was founded on the Île de la Cité, so to speak. In the distant past, the inhabitants had obviously recognised and taken advantage of the Seine River as a natural border. This protected them from enemy invasions on both sides. After a refreshing coffee and chocolate croissant, our city tour continued to the Louvre and the famous glass pyramids, and then on to the Place de la Concorde and the Flame of Liberty. From here, you have a great view of the Eiffel Tower, the symbol of Paris.
After a great first night at the hotel, our first breakfast together, and the obligatory daily briefing, it was finally time to set off. We drove leisurely through the suburbs, quickly leaving the city behind us and reached our first stop after about an hour. There, we were able to experience the French way of life for ourselves for the first time. All you need is sunshine, a street café, great coffee and a parked motorcycle in front of it. Our first attraction, and longer stop, was the Chartres Cathedral. An impressive 12th-century building and UNESCO World Heritage Site. After the tour, we took advantage of the beautiful surroundings and the sun-warmed seats in the surrounding cafes for our lunch. Another 90 km later, we reached the Château de Chambrod. A 16th-century hunting lodge built by King Francis I, no less than 150 years before the construction of the Palace of Versailles. It is considered the most magnificent castle along the Loire. After that, we ended the day's ride on gently winding roads.
Our second riding day takes us to Le Mans, home of the famous 24-hour race. But first, we ride along the Loire River, whose sides are dotted with beautiful castles, most of which date back to the 16th century, when the French kings and upper class of the time discovered the beautiful Loire Valley. First, we stop at Château Chambord for a quick photo. Then we park at Château Amboise, whose chapel houses the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci. Last but not least, we visit the smallest castle in our selection—Château Azay-le-Rideau. It is a moated castle, to be precise, as it is located in the middle of a small lake. After our delicious lunch there, we ride directly to Le Mans to visit the 24-hour race museum. However, since the museum is currently undergoing renovation, we can only visit a scaled-down version of it at the south entrance to the race track.
After everyone had boosted themselves with breakfast, unfortunately we had to put on our rain gear straight away today. After a short but very pleasant ride through Le Mans, we were soon out in the countryside and were able to enjoy the meadows and fields without rain. Of course, we took the opportunity to enjoy our morning Café Ole in Sable-sur-Sarthe again today. Then we continued along small roads along the river Sarthe to Angers. There, some visited the monumental fortress, Chateau de Angers, with its 17 towers, while others enjoyed another Café Ole and reserved tables and seats for lunch in a small café around the corner. Afterwards, we set off along the Loire towards Nantes, our destination for the day. We enjoyed beautiful views of the Loire, rode through many small, picturesque villages, and stopped where it was particularly beautiful to enjoy the surroundings.
Today, the wind in France is taking us once more further west. But first, we head a little further southwest to the Passage de Gois. According to the tide calendar, the best time to ride on the road that appears in that spot at low tide is around 9:12 am today. So let's go! We leave our hotel a little earlier in the morning to get there in time before the tide comes back in. As simple as the story about high and low tide and the road sounds, all the more impressive it was when we actually stood in front of it. To ride across this road without any problems, you have to keep an eye on the time. The returning water “swallows” the road about 1.5 hours after it had reached its lowest point. Needless to say, we are aiming to arrive on time. After we are safely back “on solid roads,” our journey continues to Saint-Nazaire and the World War II submarine bunker there. We visit the exceptionally impressive submarine from the outside and inside. From the roof of the former “submarine garage,” we have a fantastic view of the bridge we drove over a few minutes ago and the entire harbor area. The sight of the unimaginably huge wings of the offshore wind turbines is deeply impressive! When we passed right by them just before, we voluntarily drove at 30 km/h. You don't get to see something like that every day! During our lunch, which was once again very tasty, we witnessed another curiosity! When ships want to pass from the sea to the submarine bunker, they have to get past the road bridge somehow. To do this, the road is raised vertically by this unusual construction. A pretty impressive sight! Since we had set off so early today, we managed to also ride through the salt fields at the end of the day.
Blue skies, sunshine, a great breakfast and an extra hour of sleep—could a day get any better? Since today was supposed to be a rest day, we took it a little easier. However, almost everyone in the group decided to go on a short half-day ride anyway. So, we rode in perfect weather to the main attraction in Carnac, the megaliths. We were the first visitors there and therefore we were able to enjoy the impressive stone rows from around 3500 BC in peace. Afterwards, small remote roads led us to KERBIHAN where we enjoyed our obligatory coffee. This time, however, with a view of the small-town harbor. Our next destination was the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-d'Auray, the second most important pilgrimage site in France after Lourdes. After the visit, we found a small sandwich and pizza restaurant. Delicious, local, and cozy. After another short ride on small back country roads, this short but beautiful trip came to an end.
It was hard for everyone to leave our wonderful hotel after two days. But the prospect of a great day of riding, with no rain and lots of sun, made us excited. Of course, we had our small-town coffee in the morning again, but the lunch stop was the highlight. Fish, mussels, oysters, and shrimp fresh from the sea in a small restaurant right by the ocean. Simply wonderful and delicious. In the afternoon, we visited Cap Frehel. As expected, it was sunny but very windy. The view over the cliffs and the rough sea was breathtaking. Afterwards, we quickly arrived in St. Malo, so some of us decided to take a short tour of the city. The day ended on the beach with dinner and wine together
After about 45 minutes ride from Saint-Malo we reached our most important and biggest highlight of the day. Mont Saint-Michel is a popular tourist attraction worldwide and therefore we decided to set off early again. As it turned out later, this was a good choice. After a little over two hours walking around on the Mont and inside its Cathedral, we gathered again at the motorcycle. For a good reason, of course: Ron was already waiting for us with an extremely delicious picnic lunch for us! Towards the afternoon, we approached the area that is closely linked to the history of World War II. We stopped at one of the bridges that were heavily fought over towards the end of the war. Tomorrow, on our rest day in Bayeux, we will learn in detail about Normandy's historic past.
That's exactly why everyone came to northern France: to spend a whole day tracing history in Normandy. Our tour started with a 3D film about the events of June 4, 1944. It was a great way to get us in the mood for the day and provided an excellent explanation of the things and places we were about to see. Before lunch, we visited two more stops, the Airborne Museum in Saint-Mere-Eglise and Utah Beach. An Edelweiss picnic awaited us at Omaha Beach. Homemade quiche right by the sea was a very special treat. Well fed, we continued on our way via Pointe du Hoc to the final highlight of the day, the US Normandy War Cemetery. A very impressive complex with an included museum, views of Omaha Beach, and plenty of opportunities to reflect on the past and the place. A long and often emotional day, which was worth every kilometer, came to an end far too quickly over dinner together.
Once again, the weather was on our side, and we set off under sunny and blue skies. Today's plan was a short drive, interrupted only by the obligatory coffee and lunch breaks. We stopped for coffee at a historic site. On June 6, 1944, three gliders landed near the Pegasus Bridge to capture it. This operation was unique and sensational. The local café was set up like a museum and memorial for the members of the 6th Airborne Division (UK). Atmospheric and moving. We reached Honfleur just in time for lunch. Probably the most beautiful coastal town in Normandy. We had enough time to explore the town and have lunch right by the small-town harbor. Less than 40 km later, we reached our destination for the day, Etretat. The town is famous for its white chalk cliffs, some of which are 130 meters high.
It's hard to believe that we'll be back in Paris/Versailles again tonight! As always, time flies by far too quickly on tour. Probably because we've all enjoyed our time together so much! We roll out of Étretat and ride along country roads past small, typical French villages to Jumiège Abbey. Even though the abbey is in ruins, it is still an imposing building. The remains clearly show the prosperity of times past. Shortly afterwards, we continue along the famous and much-praised Seine. The day before, we were able to marvel at its huge estuary into the sea. Even with its many bends, the river is relatively wide. However, due to striking ferrymen, we have to change our route along the eastern bank. But that doesn't matter, because the country roads to Giverny are also beautiful to ride on. In Giverny, we visit Claude Monet's gardens and house. The garden in full bloom offers breathtaking views. A short ride brings us closer to the main artery of France's capital and Versailles. Thank you very much for the many great experiences and encounters with you! Until next time, we wish you a safe journey at all times. Your tour guides Angela and Ron