Brittany – Ranouet Castle
On the way back from Saint Nazaire I stopped off at Ranouet Castle. Located at Herbignac, just south of La Roche-Bernard, it was built around 1250 and was updated in the 14th, 15th and 17th …
France
Brittany – Sainte Nazaire
Today I visited Saint Nazaire, which before WW2 was a new and modern port. With its basin dating from 1856 and lock gates into the basin, it could accommodate ships easily and became the gateway …
Brittany – Vannes
Today I visited Vannes. It’s a big town, but the original part of Vannes still exists within the old battlements of the citadel. Built between the 15th and 16th century, within the town walls there …
Brittany – Lorient
Lorient is further north up the coast. It’s a large modern city with a bustling port and a thriving industry in yacht making. There’s little of the original Lorient left, as it was heavily damaged …
Normandy – Museums and Cherbourg
I’m staying at a campsite in the village of Saint Mere Eglise, just a few miles from Juno Beach. It’s 13 eu a night and it’s a really good campsite. Nearby is the 101st Airborne …
France – Arras
I spent about an hour riding over to Arras and the small town of Givenchy-en-Gohelle to visit the WW1 trenches and then to see the stunning Vimy Ridge memorial. The memorial was built to commemorate …
France – La Coupole
La Coupole Centre D’histoire is about 25 km south of Calais. It was a system of tunnels and a large reinforced dome which was built by the Nazis in WW2 as a base to fire …
France – Carcassonne
The weather was starting to turn so I headed north and back into France – heading for Carcassonne. On the way I rode over the southern part of the Pyrenees – which was stunningly beautiful. …