We awoke on different time clocks with Viv, Linton Rick & Noel still operating on Australian time (early a.m.) and Henley and self well and truly set on Holiday time (any time we felt !)
A quick breakfast in our beautiful 17th Chateaux accommodation and we put plan B into action after the days forecast appeared to be by far the best of the next 3 days. With a route in mind we ventured with pannier reduced bikes first into Carentan for a morning coffee, enjoying the smoke filled ambience of a small cafe (Henley not) before heading off in the general direction of Utah beach.
6 kms out of town we dropped into the D Day experience museum at Dead Mans Corner so named because of a destroyed tank that sat here in June 1944.
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| Straight into Cafe mode ! |
6 kms out of town we dropped into the D Day experience museum at Dead Mans Corner so named because of a destroyed tank that sat here in June 1944.
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| Dead Mans Corner today ! |
The museum was inevitably moving highlighting the plight of airborne paratroopers during the battle of Nornandy. As part of our visit we took to a replica Dakota for a simulated flight to Normandy during the battle. This realism soon had us ducking as bullets pinged our plane causing us to crash with hydraulics and visuals giving us a real sense of moment.
Back on the road again we cycled to Saint Marie du Mont a quaint town right in the middle of the D Day battles with shootouts between American and German troops. Most of this was lost on Harro whose first vision of the town was someone walking along the street with a foot long Baquette.
No sooner was the question asked about stopping for lunch than Harro was off his bike racing for the relevant Boulongerie !
No sooner was the question asked about stopping for lunch than Harro was off his bike racing for the relevant Boulongerie !
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| It's Boulangerie time ! |
With stomachs abaited we were about to move off when H cried out that he'd lost his helmet. Much to his relief a quick search soon revealed that he had in fact placed it in his pannier at our last stop and forgotten to put it back on !
We soon arrived at Utah Beach and took in the museum and the surrounds. Utah holds a special place for Americans as over 21, 000 soldiers landed here on D Day 6 June 1944. Despite the beach being pretty non descript this was still a moving experience and it was great to see that the area had not been over comercialised !
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| Utah Beach Museum |
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| Utah Beach ! |
We cycled further along the coast before cutting inland to Saint Mere Eglise a 14 km ride mainly into a headwind down country lanes again under Ricks great guidance (what a delight to have some surety in directional planning !)
St Mere Eglise provided us a glimpse of a pretty yet touristy town with its famed church and dangling paratrooper (immortalised in the film the Longest Day) being its focal point. We took coffee here before heading back to Carentan to stock up on supplies for Master Chef Harro !
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| Famous St Mere Eglise and its paratrooper ! |
To date the group have really gelled well. Rick with his great navigational work, Viv and Linton taking a key role in the food and the "love"department, Noel our chief accountant and part time logistics manager and Henley Minister of Back up Policies (whatever that means).
The only issue of discussion so fare has been whether Viv and Linton or Noel and Rick should get the double bed (as they did in Poole) !
Supplies bought our trip back to Brevands was a quick one in a failed attempt to outpace an ominous back cloud. A touch wet we rode back in style to our lovely chateaux satisfied after a great days ride in good company.
Time now to settle in for a quiet red provided by our Minister of wine and late night entertainment !
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