Packing my motorcycle after a couple of days in the same place is always interesting, somehow my gear never seems to fit gracefully back into the panniers – it always requires prodding, poking, stuffing, punching, pushing to finally squeeze those lids closed. Needless to say nothing I carry is remotely fragile, except me of course.
Leaving Ouistreham I headed straight for Caen, probably following the same route as that the Canadian and British troops did in the days following D-Day. Caen is a beautiful medieval city with a castle as a center piece and narrow streets winding into a labyrinth of cafés, shops and restaurants. I stayed in the city of the morning after lunch I headed back to the Normandy coast to tour the other D-Day landing beaches.
I had plenty of time and visited almost every site worth seeing. Some were almost inaccessible by car but none were too difficult for my motorcycle. Almost without exception the views of the beaches were stunning, but you had to remember that the German defenders had the same panoramic views.
I slowly made my way along the coast occasionally stopping at monuments, graveyards, and memorials from a seemingly endless stream of regiments, companies, and nationalities each with their own crests, badges and mascots. The frequency of memorials to the men and women that passed along these roads was staggering. The vast American cemetery with endless rows of neat white crosses brings it into perspective.
After visiting Pointe du Hoc I had reached the most westerly end of the invasion beaches and began to head north to Cherbourg and my ferry home.
The sailing home was great. I had a really nice cabin with a fully stocked mini bar on the house. Steak for dinner and pretty decent pints of Guinness and as I read late into the night in the bar.
It was nice to be heading home. I had been on the road for over two weeks and had a lot to show for it. If you can travel light I can’t think of a better way to travel that by motorcycle. You get to see so much more and you are truly connected with everywhere you pass through.