We weren’t quite sure what we were going to do today but it had to involve the Normandy beaches. After conflicting advice from Mark/Steve and Victoria we opted to start at one side and work our way across. Victoria kindly lent us a map and guide book, which were invaluable. We drove north, managing to take a few wrong turns in the city of Caens (either because of, or despite the Sat Nav, we’re unsure which), eventually arriving in Ranville and visiting the cemetery.
From there we had been advised that the Merville Battery was a good place to visit. Mostly outdoors in the, yet again, blazing sun, it was quite interesting. There is a video narrated by the guy who led the attack and it’s both concise and comprehensive. We got a real feel for the events of the day which started the D-Day invasion.
Next we stopped off at the Pegasus Bridge and had a spot of lunch at the Pegasus cafe. WWII buffs might know the significance of these places but for those who don’t I shall explain at length by saying watch ‘A Bridge Too Far’.
The museum there is quite modern and fairly interesting but the heat was still a little oppressive. It was getting late by then as we still had a 1.5h drive back. We thought we’d drive down the coast to see some of the actual beaches but it was painfully slow, like Blackpool during the Lights season, and we saw little except some very poor quality road surfaces.
So we headed back in land only to discovery we were hitting the towns at rush hour, which is as bad as anywhere in the UK. Eventually made it back, showered changed and went in search of food.
Bognoles d’lorne doesn’t sound much but it’s an almost completely Art Deco village with some great restaurants (including one with a Michelin star). The one we picked, after a bit of wandering around, La Normandie, was a little mixed. Was ok, wouldn’t go back. See the new Eating page for more details.
