Brittany/Normandy

Just arrived back from a quick tour of Brittany and Normandy. Highlights included the little fishing port of Le Conquet, west of Brest, the U-boat pens at Lorient, the artificial harbour at Arromanches, Pegasus Bridge and the gun battery at Azeville. Also the German war cemetery at La Cambe was strangely more moving than the Allied ones I visited. Mont St Michel was OK but nearby town was Tackyville-Sur-Mer IMHO.

Bike performed faultlessly; it fell over twice, once fully-loaded on a downslope and once when I got off without putting the sidestand down properly. Operator error on both occasions. Engine bars saved the day.

Irish Ferries from Rosslare were poor – huge queue to embark at Cherbourg, two kiosks out of six open. Also stood for half an hour in dock at Rosslare waiting to get off the boat.

All in all, a fun trip; hope to get back again next year.

shuck raider said:

a fun trip; hope to get back again.

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Yep, next year for me too with luck. Normandy is a great area to go and visit if you're into war stuff.

Looks like a good trip Shuck, nice pics and sharp too

Thanks, Alte. You'd have enjoyed the U-boat base at Lorient, been very well done up as a museum. Great underwater pix of remains of U171. Also saw the chateau which Doenitz nicked for his HQ. Kind of eerie, though, definite sense of Kretschmer and Prien and the boys hanging about the place

Two interesting facts re above pix:

1. The headstones in the German cemetery are black. The Allies said that only the winners were allowed to have white headstones.

2. The Horsa gliders were made from wood. They were made by two UK wood-working companies during WW2 - (a) the Co-Op, who at the time specialised in production of coffins and (b) Mullard Furniture Industries, a group still in existence (take the initial letters to see who they are)