Bateman
Registered user
I took the ferry to Normandy on Sunday to spend a few hours riding the coastal road on the Cherbourg Peninsula and taking in some of the D-Day beaches. Whilst the photos aren't particularly good, it was well worth it. Some great roads and interesting stop offs that can all be done in a day fom either Cherbourg or Caen, or even Le Havre.
On leaving Cherbourg we headed east and stayed on the little coastal road to Barfleur and, at every junction, ust tried to ensure the sea was always to the left of us. First stop was Utah beach and coffe at the superb little cafe that has all the D-Day bits and bobs.
We then headed past Omaha beach and on to Pointe De Hoc where the US Rangers scaled the cliff faces to attack the German Battery. The area took a real pounding from the aerial bombardment as you can see:
Me stood in one of the bomb craters....
From there, it was a 30 minute or so ride down to Arromanches on some really nice twisty lanes. Somehow we managed to miss the area that still has the guns but I'll see that on another trip. Saw the remains of the Mulberry Harbour and grabbed a baguette. Unfortunately the museum had closed by the time we got there.
It was a short ride, 10km, to bayeaux but given that we running out of time we decided to head back up to Cherbourg, stopping en-route at St Mere Eglise to see the church. Apparently the guy that was caught up with his parachute later returned and opened up a restaurant in the town.
From start to finish took about 8 hours, with lots of stops at the different points of interest, and a lunch. ferry was only 35 pounds for a day return although that was the fastcraft from Poole which has now stopped running for the winter. However, you could also do it by taking the ferry from portsmouth to Caen, and heading up to Cherbourg for the return, via all the beaches. Right, time to watch Saving Private Ryan again.....
On leaving Cherbourg we headed east and stayed on the little coastal road to Barfleur and, at every junction, ust tried to ensure the sea was always to the left of us. First stop was Utah beach and coffe at the superb little cafe that has all the D-Day bits and bobs.
We then headed past Omaha beach and on to Pointe De Hoc where the US Rangers scaled the cliff faces to attack the German Battery. The area took a real pounding from the aerial bombardment as you can see:
Me stood in one of the bomb craters....
From there, it was a 30 minute or so ride down to Arromanches on some really nice twisty lanes. Somehow we managed to miss the area that still has the guns but I'll see that on another trip. Saw the remains of the Mulberry Harbour and grabbed a baguette. Unfortunately the museum had closed by the time we got there.
It was a short ride, 10km, to bayeaux but given that we running out of time we decided to head back up to Cherbourg, stopping en-route at St Mere Eglise to see the church. Apparently the guy that was caught up with his parachute later returned and opened up a restaurant in the town.
From start to finish took about 8 hours, with lots of stops at the different points of interest, and a lunch. ferry was only 35 pounds for a day return although that was the fastcraft from Poole which has now stopped running for the winter. However, you could also do it by taking the ferry from portsmouth to Caen, and heading up to Cherbourg for the return, via all the beaches. Right, time to watch Saving Private Ryan again.....
