France 2006
On 6th June 1944 2,727 ships sailed to the Normandy coast - on the 23rd June 2006 two car ferries sailed to the Normandy coast.  One from England with three bikers including an Aussie and a Yank and one from Ireland, full of the Irish battalion.

Day 1
Both groups established their bridgeheads on French soil at 15:30 at Cherbourg and Caen.  The Sherman tanks (aka Harley-Davidson motorcycles) roll out of Caen to Honfleur, guided by a new military secret weapon, the GPS navigator.  Many hours later after the H-D navigator got us lost several times, the two groups converge on the sleepy Chateau de la Roque, near St Lo.  That night became a story in itself as the boys played liars-dice while camped in the garden being served wine by the owner in his nightshirt while Len unloaded table lamps, espresso machines and God know what else from his Sherman tank. Let the good times roll!

Day 2
Ivor has been keeping a weather eye on that front - we must out-run the rain.  And we do, this time guided by the TOM TOM GPS we get lost again in a different part of France.  But after switching the bloody things off and using a map, we fast run it to Chateauroux.  We did out run the rain but the town was full - no problem as we found a 60s drive-in motel about 5k out of town that served great food, had some decent wine so we could celebrate - AFTER ALL: we've penetrated France and out-run the rain.   

Day 3
It's raining!  Has done all night and looks well set for the day.  Gloomily we set off in a constant heavy downpour, hearts low - then half an hour later, from out of the grey comes the sun - fantastic.  As we roll-on, the Sherman breaks down - the gear lever just fell off (see Day 9).  The Irish scrounge the local village and return with a coke can (plus several local girls, a barrel of wine and some gold coins - but in the spirit of friendship, we return them).  

Coke can repair finished - we're off, still out-running the rain until Ivor halts us, looking up at the blackest sky. We put our wet gear on and nine seconds later the heavens open - thunder, hail, torrents of rain.  We huddle together like penguins in the Antarctic and finally set-off, riding through some of the heaviest rain I have ever encountered.

Finally the sun breaks through and we settle in a flea-pit of a Hotel in St Etienne.

Day 4
Now we're in the sunshine and finally begin to discover French D roads at their best - on to Avignon, a pretty place where pigeons crap on bikes better than anywhere.  It's hot down here, in fact it's hot all across France.  The Sherman rumbles on, playing loud music - anyone see that great film Kelly's Heroes?

Day 5
Now we ride some of the very best twisty D roads in France, dancing our way to Beziers - a fantastic day in the saddle.  Roads like the D25 to Lodeve and D35 to St Pons and the D612 to Beziers, write them down, they're worth a visit.  The town itself is, well shall we say, OhKay?  

Day 6 & 7
On to Bergerac - some good stuff here too like the D907 Pons to Lacaune and the D607, D33 and D902 etc etc.  The countryside is pretty with lovely villages, chateaus and Bergerac itself is a lovely town.  We stay in the hotel "Le Family" a charming two star friendly hotel in the middle of town.  It's time to rest, so we stay for two days, drinking the local wine, playing pool, fishing and having a BBQ from heaven on the riverside.  Oh, and the fishing - did I mention the Yank's Texas wriggler or whatever he calls his long black thingy he uses as a lure?  But it took the finesse of the Irish to tickle the trout or whatever they were with cunning use of fly-fishing.  Paul caught four fish, each progressively larger until, for the big one, he jumped in the river to land it (see picture below)

Day 8
A run to Saumur - the roads here are getting a bit boring but the town is pretty and the Loire Hotel is a great place - pay the extra and get a room with the river view. Here we finally drank the massive 3 litre bottle of Bergerac red wine that Paul had found.

Day 9  
Our last full day and we head for Mt Saint Michelle - which is lovely but what a tourist rip-off and I doubt any of us will be recommending it.  The restaurant "Les Terrasses Poulard" on Mt St Michelle excelled itself with what we though was probably the worst food, served in the surliest manner, we have ever experienced and all for €286 

Oh, did I mention that the gear lever fell off the other Sherman tank?

Day 10
Back to our ports for the return trip.  The poor Irish had an 18 hour haul on a trucker's ferry in front of them, while those heading for Portsmouth on the fast ferry were there in three and a half hours.

Plans for the next Euro-invasion are already started but that one's not before the 100th anniversary IOM TT 2007. 

 

What nice young men	And so well behaved at a BBQ in Bergerac	Singing Boy Scouts songs in St Etienne
And he's only drinking water!	And he's in the water - it's called fishing, apparently!	You're never lost with a map
ET phoning home	The start of Day 3	The middle of Day 3
So:  you drink a little...	you fish a little...	and then you crash!