Well, once again, we're off to Le Mans for the 24hr race. However, decided to get there on the Thursday for the evening practice, and take advantage of the pit walkabout on the Friday. It was also an opportunity to meet up with Chasmill and Wapping of this parish to whom I should say thanks for the London Pride. Good to meet you fellas
Well, weather was it's usual self down here, but what would it be like in Le Mans?
On the Route Napoleon, between Castellane and Dignes
Serres on the D1075 north of Dignes-les-Bains and Sisteron.
Got to the campsite and they'd set up our luxury tent complete with patio overlooking the lake....nice
Bikes along with Si's 916-6 with lovely sounding 911 engine
One of the nice things about the campsite, along with running showers and a decent bar, is the food....just what me cardiologist ordered
One of the bikes on the Mulsanne chicane on Friday.
Had a laugh in the pits when this lot went past and I asked "excuse me, but where are you guys from?" First bloke said "Holland" before he realised I was taking the piss and was the subject of much piss-taking from the rest of the group.
Anyway, Le Mans was the usual brilliant spectacle of cars belting round for a whole day and night, so onto Normandy.
We'd booked into the Ibis on the quay in Port-en-Bessin Huppain, which is a gorgeous little working fishing town with a good selection of great value restaurants.
View from the vehicle unloading bay
Into the restaurant for the first 'Plateau du fruits de Mer'....mmmmmmm Lovely.
Gav looks 'shell' shocked...
General view of the harbour in Port-en-Bessin
In case anyone is looking for a lovely hotel. Highly recommend this place. Sure there was another GS'er there at the same time, as somebody had a sticker on their 1150gs, but didn't get a chance to chat with them.
Lots of free ashtrays on the beach too, shame I quit smoking
Won't put all my photos of the tragic scale of the Omaha American cemetery, but here's one of the Niland brothers whom "Saving Private Ryan" is apparently based on. There's also a father and son buried side by side too, which is poignant.
Omaha beach was quiet the day we were there. It's only when you're there and you see the enormity of what these men achieved, it's staggeringly humbling.
First of many of the obligatory bike/tank piccies
Statue on the beach at Vierville I seem to remember
Just up the road there's a section of bridge you can't drive on
View from the battery at Pointe du Hoc
This coulda been badly flame throwered
Doesn't look as high in the photos, but the US Rangers had to get from the beach, up ladders to the top of these cliffs, all the while, being sprayed with machine gun fire
Memorial to Dick Winters on the way to Utah beach.
A not very heroic specimen at Utah Beach
70 years old and the finish is standing up better the yer average GS
Utah beach musuem well worth a visit
Next stop Saint Mere Eglise where the model of the paratrooper still hangs from the church.
Went into the German cemetery at La Cambe on the way back. This is the biggest cemetery in the region with over 21,000 burials it's twice as big as the American one, but hey, they started it.
They get so many in there as they double up. The Brits didn't have the monopoly on young sacrifice though. This guy died at 17 years old
One of the batteries at Longues sur Mer. Worth a visit on the way to Arromaches. It's free and ye can buy a sticker for the panniers "Les amis de Batterie"
You lookin at me punk?
Nice and quiet at Longues sur Mer these days.
Observation post at Longues sur Mer.
Then it was onto Ranville, where I paid my respects to my Dad's Uncle Andrew, or my great-uncle who died in the battle for Caen.
Like all commonwealth cemeteries, this is beautifully kept.
Not as stark as the American graves as they've all got flowers growing in front of them.
Then off a couple of Kms up the road to the Pegasus museum.
The real bridge, moved adjacent to the musuem as it was replaced.
The replacement bridge, in operation.
Photie taken with Arlette Gondree of Pegasus Bridge Cafe fame....
The plaque is built on the site of where the first glider landed with Major John Howard. Amazing accuracy considering it was dark
There were a few GS's at Pegasus cafe leaving when we arrived? Anyone from here? There were a load of personnel from the French Navy there having champagne at the same time.
Dakota at Merville battery
Merville battery, sound and light experience. Made so you get a sense of how it felt like to be in the battery whilst it was being bombed.
Bike/Tank
Bikes/Tank
Monuments like this are everywhere.
View from the roof of the Juno beach museum which is highly recommended. We took a tour with the guide who was 18 years old, much like a lot of the boys who gave their lives back then. Pretty shocking when he said that
The Canadian museum at Juno beach
We then headed off to the Canadian cemetary on the way home.
Again, beautifully tended.
Taken from the bar terrace, on me iphone
On the beach at Arromaches
Fair old amount of the Mulberry harbour left...
Another bunker between Ouistreham and Courseulles
Another Tank
Courseulles-sur-Mer, restaurant directly behind this is built on an old bunkhouse. Great food and good value.
Gav enjoying the sun at above-mentioned restaurant.
Courseulles sur Mer high street
German tank at the museum in Bayeux
Bayeux cemetary, another where it brings you to tears
That's it. Great weather, and much cooler than down here. Perfect really, 21C with a sea breeze, and it was dry for 99% of the time.
I did get caught in some horrendous storms on the way back between Bayeaux and Lyon....
That's another story though
Rob
Well, weather was it's usual self down here, but what would it be like in Le Mans?
On the Route Napoleon, between Castellane and Dignes
Serres on the D1075 north of Dignes-les-Bains and Sisteron.
Got to the campsite and they'd set up our luxury tent complete with patio overlooking the lake....nice
Bikes along with Si's 916-6 with lovely sounding 911 engine
One of the nice things about the campsite, along with running showers and a decent bar, is the food....just what me cardiologist ordered
One of the bikes on the Mulsanne chicane on Friday.
Had a laugh in the pits when this lot went past and I asked "excuse me, but where are you guys from?" First bloke said "Holland" before he realised I was taking the piss and was the subject of much piss-taking from the rest of the group.
Anyway, Le Mans was the usual brilliant spectacle of cars belting round for a whole day and night, so onto Normandy.
We'd booked into the Ibis on the quay in Port-en-Bessin Huppain, which is a gorgeous little working fishing town with a good selection of great value restaurants.
View from the vehicle unloading bay
Into the restaurant for the first 'Plateau du fruits de Mer'....mmmmmmm Lovely.
Gav looks 'shell' shocked...
General view of the harbour in Port-en-Bessin
In case anyone is looking for a lovely hotel. Highly recommend this place. Sure there was another GS'er there at the same time, as somebody had a sticker on their 1150gs, but didn't get a chance to chat with them.
Lots of free ashtrays on the beach too, shame I quit smoking
Won't put all my photos of the tragic scale of the Omaha American cemetery, but here's one of the Niland brothers whom "Saving Private Ryan" is apparently based on. There's also a father and son buried side by side too, which is poignant.
Omaha beach was quiet the day we were there. It's only when you're there and you see the enormity of what these men achieved, it's staggeringly humbling.
First of many of the obligatory bike/tank piccies
Statue on the beach at Vierville I seem to remember
Just up the road there's a section of bridge you can't drive on
View from the battery at Pointe du Hoc
This coulda been badly flame throwered
Doesn't look as high in the photos, but the US Rangers had to get from the beach, up ladders to the top of these cliffs, all the while, being sprayed with machine gun fire
Memorial to Dick Winters on the way to Utah beach.
A not very heroic specimen at Utah Beach
70 years old and the finish is standing up better the yer average GS
Utah beach musuem well worth a visit
Next stop Saint Mere Eglise where the model of the paratrooper still hangs from the church.
Went into the German cemetery at La Cambe on the way back. This is the biggest cemetery in the region with over 21,000 burials it's twice as big as the American one, but hey, they started it.
They get so many in there as they double up. The Brits didn't have the monopoly on young sacrifice though. This guy died at 17 years old
One of the batteries at Longues sur Mer. Worth a visit on the way to Arromaches. It's free and ye can buy a sticker for the panniers "Les amis de Batterie"
You lookin at me punk?
Nice and quiet at Longues sur Mer these days.
Observation post at Longues sur Mer.
Then it was onto Ranville, where I paid my respects to my Dad's Uncle Andrew, or my great-uncle who died in the battle for Caen.
Like all commonwealth cemeteries, this is beautifully kept.
Not as stark as the American graves as they've all got flowers growing in front of them.
Then off a couple of Kms up the road to the Pegasus museum.
The real bridge, moved adjacent to the musuem as it was replaced.
The replacement bridge, in operation.
Photie taken with Arlette Gondree of Pegasus Bridge Cafe fame....
The plaque is built on the site of where the first glider landed with Major John Howard. Amazing accuracy considering it was dark
There were a few GS's at Pegasus cafe leaving when we arrived? Anyone from here? There were a load of personnel from the French Navy there having champagne at the same time.
Dakota at Merville battery
Merville battery, sound and light experience. Made so you get a sense of how it felt like to be in the battery whilst it was being bombed.
Bike/Tank
Bikes/Tank
Monuments like this are everywhere.
View from the roof of the Juno beach museum which is highly recommended. We took a tour with the guide who was 18 years old, much like a lot of the boys who gave their lives back then. Pretty shocking when he said that
The Canadian museum at Juno beach
We then headed off to the Canadian cemetary on the way home.
Again, beautifully tended.
Taken from the bar terrace, on me iphone
On the beach at Arromaches
Fair old amount of the Mulberry harbour left...
Another bunker between Ouistreham and Courseulles
Another Tank
Courseulles-sur-Mer, restaurant directly behind this is built on an old bunkhouse. Great food and good value.
Gav enjoying the sun at above-mentioned restaurant.
Courseulles sur Mer high street
German tank at the museum in Bayeux
Bayeux cemetary, another where it brings you to tears
That's it. Great weather, and much cooler than down here. Perfect really, 21C with a sea breeze, and it was dry for 99% of the time.
I did get caught in some horrendous storms on the way back between Bayeaux and Lyon....
That's another story though
Rob
