BCF Battlefield Tour / Euro Weekend Trip Report [97MB DATA]

-Matt- · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2013 Karma :

So... For anyone that hasn't seen the previous thread

After the success of the first euro jolly earlier this year, Marmalade proposed another weekend trip - many of us from the first trip and some others who hadn't come were interested. A few of us were also interested in doing a trip to see some the many WW1/WW2 sites around France and planned a Battlefields Trip. We managed to merge them both together in the end. 6 of us left on the ferry from Poole to Cherbourg on Monday the 1st. We stayed at an F1 hotel in Saint-Lo until Friday. Then moved on to Boulogne-sur-Mer to meet the other 8 people that joined us late on Friday 5th for the weekend section of the trip.

Day 1 Monday
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We took the ferry from Poole to Cherbourg then rode down towards Saint-Lo where our hotel was. We stopped in Sainte-Mère-Église on the way but it was too late to enter the museum and see much of the town’s historic areas so we continued to the hotel. We then wandered into town to have a look round and have a drink in a bar before returning to a restaurant near the hotel.

Day 2 Tuesday
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We went back to Cherbourg to visit the Maritime Museum - this consisted of various Submarine sections in the entrance building, a walk-through tour of a decommissioned Nuclear Submarine from the 1970's, an Aquarium and also a Titanic exhibition. We returned to Sainte-Mère-Église but it was too late to enter the Museum and have time to properly look around again so decided to return the next morning. We then continued on to see Utah Beach a short distance down the coast.

Day 3 Wednesday
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Had an early start to reach Sainte-Mère-Église to. We got breakfast in a cafe opposite the famous church in the town square. We then went around the Airborne Museum for a couple of hours. After that we started travelling East down the coast, going to Pointe du Hoc where the Americans scaled the cliffs during the coastal assault, Omaha beach and the nearby American Cemetery, finishing up the day at the Artillery Battery at Longues-sur-Mer. We went back to the hotel via Bayeux where we walked through the town and saw the Cathedral. A very packed long day.

Day 4 Thursday
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We went to the British Cemetery in Bayeux, then onto Arromanches to see the Museum and remains of the Mulberry Floating Harbour used after the initial D-Day landings. Then again further East along the coast to some of the English landing beaches; Gold, Juno and Sword. Finally we pushed on to visit Pegasus Bridge.

Day 5 Friday
https://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag227/bcfeurojolly2014/5_zps6f9967ac.jpg
Early start - we left for Boulogne-sur-Mer to meet the other group. Went the a slightly longer way to avoid toll-roads [which almost worked the whole way], through Rouen and more rural-routes. Eventually we arrived and went to the nearby shopping centre for food/essentials and waited at the hotel for the rest to arrive - after getting lost for a massive two hours in the horrible maze that is Boulogne...

Day 6 Saturday
https://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag227/bcfeurojolly2014/6_zps993d45fa.jpg
We went to Etaples for a walk-about and breakfast/lunch. Then went on to Montreul where we walked around the Castle. We then did a long detour back to the hotel to get some riding time in.

Day 7 Sunday
https://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag227/bcfeurojolly2014/7_zps72e1ac23.jpg
Packed everything up on the bikes and headed for Le Blockhaus d'Éperlecques; A bunker complex in the Eperlecques Forest that was used for the construction and launch of V1 and V2 rockets during WW2. We stopped off at Saint-Omer on the way. Then after the bunker visit headed back to Calais to get the tunnel home.

-Matt- · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2013 Karma :

-Matt- · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2013 Karma :

-Matt- · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2013 Karma :

-Matt- · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2013 Karma :

Matt B · World Chat Champion Joined: 01 May 2012 Karma :

It was a weekend to remember. Really enjoyed it and we did have a laugh. I reckon it was all down to the great group of people I ended up riding with. Very Happy

Thanks for the pics Matt Thumbs Up

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Aff · World Chat Champion Joined: 05 May 2011 Karma :

Good job Matt.

Was a brilliant weekend everyone.

I would post my photos but my camera..err..died or something.

And everyone looks so gormless in this photo Laughing

N cee thirty · Banned Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Karma :

seems to cover everything i ever want to do for a battlefields trip, hopefully there's a repeat next year
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noobRider · World Chat Champion Joined: 23 Sep 2012 Karma :

Nice write-up Matt Thumbs Up

We got to just about everywhere on our list. We missed the Falaise Pocket / Chambois site, La Coupole is an even bigger V2 rocket site & we missed the official museum at Omaha beach, which we passed on the way out of town Smile

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-Matt- · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2013 Karma :

chickenstrip · Super Spammer Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :

Excellent write-up of what looks like a very enjoyable and interesting trip Matt Thumbs Up

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Aff · World Chat Champion Joined: 05 May 2011 Karma :

Did you get any pictures of our French Tutors Matt?
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Lupo · Trackday Trickster Joined: 12 Oct 2012 Karma :

Really enjoyed looking at the pictures and nice write up too, bookmarked for future reference, many thanks.
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malteser273 · Two Stroke Sniffer Joined: 02 Aug 2014 Karma :

You guys have done pretty much the same trip, mile for mile, me and a mate did a number of years ago, although not on bikes Crying or Very sad

, even to stopping at the cafe at St Mere Eglise (there was only one when we were there)

Looks like it was a good trip, and you all enjoyed it!
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Rogue_Shadow · World Chat Champion Joined: 10 May 2012 Karma :

Trip looks terrible glad I didn't attend Evil or Very Mad

Seriously, why were you all on your phones for the submarine tour?
No respect Laughing

Brilliant photos and type up Matt
Hopefully see you all on the next trip/meet

fatjames · World Chat Champion Joined: 09 Jul 2011 Karma :

Matt, you might have been able to squeeze one more post of that. Or did you think you'd already earned enough karma? One thread like this and I think you'll legally own BCF.

Looks like you had a great time and looks like the weather was great too. How many miles did you end up doing?

-Matt- · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2013 Karma :

jimspeed · World Chat Champion Joined: 05 Mar 2010 Karma :

Cracking week gutted I had to bail early as the weekend looked good, I covered 1150 miles from up here in Shropshire
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Aff · World Chat Champion Joined: 05 May 2011 Karma :

Think me and Matt done just over 2k.
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-Matt- · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2013 Karma :

Aff · World Chat Champion Joined: 05 May 2011 Karma :

fatjames · World Chat Champion Joined: 09 Jul 2011 Karma :

Marmalade · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2009 Karma :

so behaves like a cnut, won't stop, is rude and complains he doesn't get tips for the job he is paid to do.
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