THE 2010 GOLDWING D-DAY TOUR DE FRANCE

17th to 26th September 2010

This year the wanderer’s tour is based in Normandy France, it’s an ideal tour for the first time riders who wish to venture abroad, easy riding, quiet roads, places of interest, and good company.

Normandy’s beaches were the key to the Allied forces getting a foot-hold back in Europe, the summer of 1944. We will be visiting many of the key sites of that time in our history, but Normandy has much more to offer and experience for you the traveller.

The history of the area goes back to prehistoric times, and with castles, towns and villages which all have stories to tell in history, there is plenty to see and enjoy.

For the first time ‘wingers abroad, Dave and I will be on hand to guide you with advice; plus we will be chaperoning you on many of the ride-outs and transit days giving you the advantage of having experienced riders travelling with you.

For the more experienced among you, who wish to join us, you’re more than welcome.

Enjoy the company of your fellow riders over a meal or a few beers in the evenings, to talk over the days events, join us on our visits to places of interest, ride with the group, or enjoy the ride out by yourself, or with a smaller group of riders. The choice is yours.

Prices are still being arranged but they will be in the region of £800 / £1000 pounds per couple. This covers ferry, accomodation and some meals. If you wish to join us, complete the provisional booking form below.

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Tour Itinerary

Friday 17^th

Meet at the designated hotel in Maidstone 4.00pm onwards for evening meal and social get-together. The hotel is a Premier Inn just off J5 (2 miles) at Allington, Maidstone.

Saturday 18^th

As a group, we will head for the Dover–Calais ferry (ferry crossing time 9.30am approx.) We then have 275 miles approx. to our hotel in Bayeux town. Our arrival time at hotel 4.30 ish. Your evening is your own, eat in or out.

Sunday 19^th – Utah Beach

The first group will ride out to visit the American D-Day beachhead, codenamed “UTAH” right on the far west of the landing grounds. Those of you who have seen the TV serial “Band of Brothers”, you will remember in the second episode when the unit destroyed a gun battery, this was a true event and the tactics are still taught today at the US Officer Training College at West Point, the farm is still there (Brecourt Manor) and we will have a look at this.

We will visit the village of St Mere Eglise. The U.S Airborne forces landed here by parachute to capture vital crossroads, in the film “The Longest Day” you will recall that actor Red Buttons got stuck on the church steeple and was deafened by the church bells whilst the battle raged around him, when I visited some years ago there was still a model of a paratrooper hung on the church! The village is small but was very important on the day of the invasion.

Monday 20^th – Sword Beach

We ride in the opposite direction, eastwards this time to “Pegasus Bridge” near Caen.

The capture of this strategically placed bridge was upmost to the Allies’ plans in securing the eastern flank. English Glider troops landed around 02.00hrs, in a bold attack and captured it. This is a fascinating visit, it’s a very English affair, we will be most welcome I’m sure. Hopefully, we can land as close as the gliders did!

Café Gondre is still a small café and a museum full of interesting artifacts, this was the first building reputed to be liberated on D-Day, just a mile or so away is the remains of a huge battery at Merville, stormed at great cost by British troops, nearby Ranville has a quaint church and holds many of the fallen glider troops, including Mr Brotherton, the first English officer to fall on D-Day (they landed several hours before the sea invasion began).

Just along the coast eastwards a few miles lies the small, but extremely beautiful small coastal holiday towns of Houlgate, Cabourg and Honfleur, after lunch we turn back towards the bridge and visit Oiustreham, now a busy little port and a small ferry terminal for Brittany Ferries Portsmouth to Caen route.

We continue along the coastal resorts passing the British and Canadian “JUNO” and “GOLD” beaches, arriving at Arromanches, here are the remains of the Mulberry docks which sit quietly now at the waters edge, a great 360 degree museum is here and a must see, this small coastal town is worth a look round, with lots of cafes to eat and drink. Bayeux and the hotel lies just a few miles inland from here.

Tuesday 21^st

Relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of Bayeux, with shops, museums, and historical sights all in walking distance, it’s a day off the bikes. The Bayeux Tapestry is a fascinating visit, as is the WWII museum. I have never seen as many tanks and vehicles in one area before. The old part of town is still standing and very beautiful. It wasn’t bombed in the invasion at all and was the first town to be liberated by British forces.

Wednesday 23^rd - Omaha Beach

A ride-out is proposed to the coast again, this time to the huge U.S memorial site at the cliff top overlooking the “OMAHA” beach landing site near Coalville and Port an-Bessin. This place is vast and does take one’s breath away. It is both serene, beautiful and very humbling. A short ride further along the coast brings us Point Du Hoc. Again in the film “The Longest Day”, you will recall US Rangers scaling cliffs with grapple hooks and ropes, the actual cliff is roped off but the land is a still as it was with huge broken gun bunkers, the area is dotted with hundreds of shell holes, it’s quite moonlike, however they were all covered in grass on my last visit. You are free to wander around the area. There is also a small museum and café. We may venture inland and visit St LO before returning to Bayeux.

Thursday 24^th – Le Mont St Michel

Today we will ride to the west coast near Avranches via the motoway network and pay a visit to the French version of Lindisfarne, it is a church built by hardy monks at the end of a causeway, this is covered by the sea when the tide comes in, it’s a very popular busy place but worth the effort.

Friday 25^th - Free day

As it says, today is a free day. Might you want to explore on your own a little? Revisit a beach or two, navigate (drag) “hubbie” back to that shop where the perfect gift was! Maybe take a personal journey and find family, I found an uncle quite by chance several years ago in one of the many small village museums in Normandy.

On the evening, as is traditional with APPY WANDERERS tours, you will be invited to “the last supper” where an account might be read out of the week’s tour, prizes are presented for best rider, best dressed lady, funniest gaffe, etc etc. It’s a funny evening and everyone gets a mention in “The Log”. I can’t believe the stuff “The Scribe” writes…. the final version will be published on this website.

Saturday 26^th – Homeward Bound

Today, we have an easy morning and make our way back up the coast to Calais to catch the ferry home… we may call at the hypermarket for some ‘refreshments’ just outside of Calais, though this depends on the ride up and the ferry time.