August 7, 2013
Carbourg to Bayeux: We meet up with Alison and Eddy
Last night we both felt starving so had a much bigger meal than usual. For an entre we had sea snails followed by andoliette (tripe sausage)with frites and salad then tarte tartine to finish. Lots of different flavours all delicious. This was washed down by the usual Cidre, we will be out of Normandy soon and then I suppose our drinks will change to the more usual wine.
The weather didn’t look the best today, it was very overcast and there was a strong wind blowing. We were very lucky however as it was a direct head wind for only a very short part of the time and in fact gave us a terrific boast at other times. The first part of the trip was the same as the one we had done yesterday. How very different it was with the sun gone and the rain and the wind lashing. All the little snack bars were shut and only the odd very hardy soul on the beach. The surf pounded in dramatically. I love the look of the sea in weather like this. Yesterday we had to ride through dry sand on the track but today it had all turned to mush. By the time we came to Luc-sur-Mer it was apparent that I really should put my wet weather gear on. We stopped for a coffee in a café packed with people who yesterday would have been on the beaches and got talking to a French couple of about our age who were travelling two up on a motorbike. I donned my rain coat and off we went again. This was a good indication to the weather gods that the rain should stop. By the time we got to Arromanches and the Mulberry Harbours it was beginning to get quite sunny. I went in to the cinema to look at the very moving film of the 100 days war of Normandy. It was a spectacular presentation on 9 screens composed entirely of films taken at the time with the commentary being recordings of Churchill, Eisenhower, de Gualle and Roosefelt. It is amazingly powerful I certainly think that no one could fail to be moved by it.
From there it was only 9km to Bayeux where we found this hotel easily. The big excitement of the day was that we hoped to meet Alison and Eddy Addicks here. I had been following there trip since they started several months ago and it would be great to meet the real people. I texted them that we were at the hotel and which one it was and immediately got one back saying they were about an hour and a half away . Off we went to visit the tapestries, a visit well worth it. The accompanying audio guide is very good indeed and surprisingly in some ways the whole experience reminded me of the film at Arromanches as it recorded graphically for future generations a part of history that shouldn’t be forgotten. As we came out there was another text from Alison and Eddy to say they had arrived and we should meet in about an hour then go out to dinner. This we did and an extremely pleasant evening was had, there is always plenty to talk about when both lots have a similar obsession. They had had a very hard and long day today and I feel quite touched that they had made the effort to get here to meet up with us
Today's ride: 83 km (52 miles)
Total: 480 km (298 miles)
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