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04/01/07
France - September 2002
In the autumn of 2002 we decided to join my father on a one week motorcycle tour around western France. It was a great experience that we all enjoyed. We are glad we did it but I'm not sure it's something we will repeat on a sports bike! Then again, maybe I'm just going soft in my old age.
Just for the record my dad's bike is a Honda ST1100 (Pan European) and our bike is an ageing Honda CBR 1000F. Both capable tourers, but the Pan is a lot more comfortable than the CBR. You will also note that I'm a little vague on our exact route. This is simply because I can't remember! It was a year a go and I need to look up the directions. Basically, we took the ferry from Dover to Calais. We then rode past Rouen on our way to Tours. We traversed the Loire at Saumur and rode down to Poitiers. On the way back we went up to Le Mans, across to Caen and on to Bayeux. We then headed straight back up the coast to Calais. I'll add more detail when I find the old route map I created.
The first part of our trip took us down the west coast from Calais to a goat farm where the owner has converted the barn in to basic but comfortable accomodation. The evening meal was held with their family and was an educational experience as my french is very limited.
The Loire Valley
The second day took us down across the Loire Valley, through Tours and Saumur. Both are towns that I have visited before and they are full of history. I have to say that Saumur is probably my favourite place in France. We carried on past Saumur and travelled further South to a hamlet called Arcy. We stayed in the manor house which is run by a delightful if rather ageing lady who did not speak a word of English.
The interior of the house was ornately decorated and had a very homely atmosphere. The following morning we follwed directions to Poitiers and travelled East to our Southernmost destination - Futuroscope. This is a theme park with wild architecture. A structural engineers worse nightmare come true.
Futuroscope
Each of these buildings contains a cinema. There are no conventional rides. The cinema's are however far from conventional. In most cases you are strapped tightly in to your seat before the film starts. This is because each seat is on it's own set of hydraulic rams and you are thrown about quiet violently. Several people did see their lunch for the second time that day - not us though; us Brits are made of sterner stuff! The link to Futuroscope's site is at the bottom of the page.
Le Mans
I must say that Steph was very understanding on this part of our holiday. We had to go to Le Mans. We just had to. The race wasn't on, but the museum there is amazing. We couldn't just ride past and ignore it now - could we?
Update: Since this trip we have now been to Le Mans to watch the 24hr race. It's a bit mad but a lot of fun. Check out the Le Mans page here.
We then proceeded North towards our next destination, an old watermill that had been converted to a guest house. This was very picturesque and provided a welcome break after a hard day.
Normandy
Our next stop was the beaches of Normandy. Dad is very interested in modern history and we took time out to visit what were the landing sites at Juno and Gold beaches. We also visited a local museum dedicated to the second world war. It was pretty horrific. The local town (Creucy) was very attractive and we stayed at a hotel that was run by bikers. The food as ever was stunning.
The Way Home
The next day saw us move further North, retracing our steps. We had a minor issue with the exhaust on the Pan, but this was soon rectified by some rubber exhaust hose from a local chandler. Yes, I now know what the french for 'exhaust' is - really useful in everyday life that is. Our last night saw us at a pretty basic hotel, and we sat up late drinking brandy and playing cards. As you can see from the newspaper in the last picture, it was a year to the day of the Twin Towers disaster. As I write this it is now two years since the event, and still he is missing. Enough of the politics though, it was a good holiday. Next time we'll take a car, so we can bring back more wine and cheese!
Relevant links -
Futuroscope
Musee Automobile de la Sarthe
Musee Automobile de la Sarthe - Alternative info
Western France Tourist Board
Saumur
More Saumur
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