France to the UK
After using up all my Schengen time it was time to leave Breton and return back to the UK. I caught the ferry from Saint Malo to Portsmouth, enjoying the splendour of the tower in Portsmouth as we entered the harbour. After staying the night in Portsmouth, I rode home. Even the weather knew I...Continue reading→
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 century to take into account advances in weaponry - canons. It was a pretty formidable castle. Protected by two circular...Continue reading→
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 to South America for many ocean liners, emigres and trade. During WW2 the Germans needed a jump off point into...Continue reading→
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 are lots of small winding streets with many of the old and original buildings. With their own Breton style, it's...Continue reading→
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 between 1943 and 1944. But, sitting in the harbour are three colossal concrete structures. Built by the Germans for their...Continue reading→
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 Museum, and the nearby village of Sainte Mere du Mont was the first French village to be liberated by the...Continue reading→
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 the 36 thousand Canadians who died re-taking the Vimy Ridge over four days on the 12th April 1917. Built in...Continue reading→
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 V2 rockets to England. Fortunately the site was bombed several times by the RAF and USAF and the site was...Continue reading→
October 2026 – Calais and Bruges
Discovering I still had ten days left on my Schengen-time, I caught the Le Shuttle from Folkestone to Calais. From my community campsite on the coastal town of Grand-Fort-Philippe, in-between Calais and Dunkirk, I rode up to Dunkirk to see the beaches. When looking at those beautiful beaches and the lovely town of Dunkirk, it's...Continue reading→
Back to the UK
When I was in Stockholm I found out I needed back to be back in the UK in a few days time. Leaving on the Sunday morning I rode south through Sweden and Denmark, and ended up in northern Germany. From there I rode into Holland and over to Rotterdam. After catching the overnight ferry,...Continue reading→