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Hmmmmm, have to say I have slept in a different size bed every night so far must be a b***** to find sheet sets here..... this bed was cozy but if I was not thinking I could have fallen out of it rolling over....it was a pretty small one but it was long so I was pretty cozy actually. Slept goo but was time to get up and figure out where the heck I was going today. First I needed to figure out where the heck I was going to stay...settled on Trouvaille....just a bit north of the D-Day Invasion beaches. That being done....I was in no panic to get there so packed up......and toddled off on me way.
Must say....it is fun driving the roads here....there are so many villages....and small towns. I am letting the GPS get me there....and it seems to know I want to minimize me time on the major highways...or....the fact that nothing runs straight.....it puts me in the windy country roads....no worries as its fun and when I did hit the highway...its speed limit is 130 so the norm is about 140...I like to pass a bit...so 145 it was....the bike likes the speed but it does not handle the wind as well as the RT....makes no sense the K1600 is the flagship.
Either way in no time I was in Trouvaille. Its a cool town. right on the ocean...and has a river running through it. First stop.... a cafe in centre ville for a beer. I sat there for a bit doing some people watching and sipping away...and decided to go for a walk. Its a cool town...so not like back home. Not sure how old it is...but it reeked of history. the side streets are narrow and the buildings are like 500 years old or more...tres froi! In my wander I found the tourist center and there are a ton of brochures inside. For those not in the know...it is the 100th anniversary of the start of the WWI...and the 70th of D-day. Okay in case you did not know that was when the allies invaded France to kick Hitler out. It was and still is the largest Armada of ships and aircraft ever put together in the world and the record still holds. I saw an interesting brochure titled Pegasus...and my memory lit up. Pegasus was an operation to take a bridge in the earliest hours of the invasion. It was conducted by the British and they did it by landing gliders within 50 m of the bridge in the middle of the pitch black night. It is well documented in the classic movie....The Longest Day... a fave...and its on Netflix these days...just happened to watch it just before me trip one night lol.....John Wayne and a bevy of other stars....if you haven't seen it.....you have been under a rock.
so anyways...I decided I have got to see that....and I got time in the day. so hopped on me steed and off I went. Soon it was evident.....I was in Normandy...where the Allies liberated France....everywhere are flags of CANADA, Britain and the USA. It was to the North of sword beach so not too far. So for those not in the know....the invasion was comprised of the Brits, Americans, and Canadians, and the free French. the beaches invaded were called from the south to the north Utah, Omaha (USA), Gold (Brits and USA), Juno (Canucks) and Sword (British). In the wee hours of the morning the night before the invasion several raids occurred....The 101 and 82 airborne (USA) parachuted in inland to disrupt the roads and communications....and the British used gliders to silently land (with a bang) and take critical bridges until reinforced. Pegasus was a major one. It was spectacular to say the least...they landed gliders in pitch black within 50 m of the bridge and took it. then had to defend it from numerous counter attacks until relieved. Got to see that....so off I went.
As I was riding there....all the roads had some form of signage about some D-Day site.... it was wild and it gave a sense of scale...freakin huge........Can not believe I am actually here....big bucket list item.
The roads are narrow and winding and the villages are old with narrower streets...so cool.....the weather is perfect...a little too hot actually. So the GPS did not fail me....eventually after a bit....there it was Pegasus memorial and museum. Parked and off I went to explore....must say...cool. The actual bridge is in the museum and a newer one is in its place now... has bullet holes in it and when you look at where it was and where the gliders landed....amazing.....not sure how the hell they did it so close...no room for error. The museum is really cool and had some neat artifacts....actual parts of the gliders...individual stories....etc etc. After I had taken that in...I decided to maybe see Gold beach....and I had to cross the new Pegasus bridge to do that. Sooooo I had to stop...there was a bar...in the front of a house right next to the bridge...turns out....it is the first house to be liberated in France. Neat place to sip a beer I thought. perhaps I am too sentimental, but I discretely hoisted a toast to those that did what they did and those that paid the ultimate price.
Off I went....found Gold beach.....seen it in the black and white movies...and to be here for real was something. I just took it all in. I dig history...remember...those who don't know their history are doomed to repeat it! I wandered was too cool..... I found a museum...bit cheesy but it had a lot of artifacts....I did not have a lot of time so I just kept wandering after I left the museum. I found the beach....and the memorial....was really something to be there. I too it in and the sun was setting so it was time to find me hotel and some food.
The ride is so cool...windy roads....lil villages....and eventually I found me way to me hotel...Hopped off...and wandered to a restaurant. Found a Creperie....OMG!!!!! Was it ever good.....some drinks and time to find the hotel bar to relax.....needless to say I staggered to me room and sleep was pretty easy to find. What a day.....
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