Wright Berry

The Day in Summary

The final day started the day off with coffee & BYOB (Bring Your Own Baguette) at Bar des Voyageurs, before heading off on WC’s whistlestop WWII tour – 1st stop, an appointment with a V1 rocket site.

Château des Ravalet was the next cultural item on the agenda – a lovely little tale recounted by WC of illicit love culminating in joint beheadings…hmm, might have to work on his tour guide credentials there! Still, it was nice to stretch our legs and tour the gardens.

After a coffee/lunch stop, we reached Cherbourg itself, where there was the ‘option’ of a steep climb up to the Liberation Museum, which – it being a Saturday lunchtime – was naturally closed…for lunch!

By now we were essentially killing time before we had to check in for the ferry. Had another stroll, this time around Parc Emmanuel Liais, a pretty garden tucked away in central Cherbourg and after a final supermarket sweep (ferry food isn’t usually that great!) made our way to the check-in for the usual waiting around and being treated like 3rd class citizens routine. Only we weren’t for once, being allowed to board first and even having our bikes tied up & secured for us – thumbs up Cherbourg!

Highlights

• Dave’s tame blackbird discovered at the V1 site which accompanied him for the rest of the day, and even merited a ‘Pets on board’ sticker at the ferry check-in.

Lowlights

• Cockers’ puncture stop – turns out that too many cyclists spoil the repair!

Did you know?

• V1 rockets weren’t actually launched until 1 week after Operation Overlord (June 1944), with hundreds being fired a day at the UK until the last launch site on the peninsula was finally overrun in Oct 1944. Click here for more details.
• However, the last V1 launch site aimed at the Low Countries wasn’t put out of action until Mar 1945, so strategic sites such as Antwerp port remained under heavy bombardment until then.
• The V1 ‘Vengence’ missile was nicknamed the Höllenhund (hellhound) or the Maikäfer (maybug) by the Germans and the  Buzz bomb or Doodlebug by the Allies.

Quotes

“I’ve planned a non-gravel route…we don’t really want any punctures messing up the timings today.” [WC, shortly before going on-gravel, and the resulting inevitable puncture]

The Day in Pictures

The Day in Summary

Rode in from our accommodation on the outskirts of St Lô to have a mooch around the medieval centre. Only problem was that during WWII the Germans had made this their HQ (it was a vital communications centre as a result of its strategic position) and as a result, it was bombed to smithereens by the Americans in July 1944.

The bombardment was so heavy that all that remained of the prison was the front gate (now a monument to the Resistance) and following the war, Samuel Beckett wrote a piece called The Capital of Ruins, in which he referred to the city as having been “bombed out of existence in one night”. So, you get the picture. Pretty much obliterated.

We followed the banks of the Vire downstream – beautiful, tranquil riding – until Pont-Hérbert, another major US WWII battle site during Operation Overlord – not so tranquil then. In fact, this whole peninsula was very US-dominated, since it was the Americans who landed at Utah Beach, the most westerly site and the only one on the Cherbourg peninsula.

After a coffee at Tribehou (strange place – huge parking lot, small coffee shop, barge-making capital, WWII war zone)? we stopped at Carentan for lunch at Le Bistrot d’à Côté, a great little place opposite the marina, where we were allowed to sit outside, but apparently nobody else was…or did they just not want us inside?

US Museum stop #1 on the outskirts of Carentan (stopped but didn’t partake), followed by US Museum stop #2 at Sainte-Mère-Église (ditto) – I didn’t realise that the Americans had won WWII single-handedly…? Still, we had a very pleasant ice cream in the square before pushing on.

By chance, I noticed a sign just outside Orglandes for a German war cemetry. Having seen these on a previous trip and having being shocked at how apparently badly maintained they were compared to the Allied graves, I was a little wary [note: turns out the gloomy, unkempt look was intentional, as they were designed by Robert Tischler, a WW1 veteran]. However, these particular graves were well-looked after and set in beautiful grounds – a reassuring dose of humanity.

Valognes was our destination for the night- like many French towns, it seemed devoid of life…this was Friday night after all, but the nearest bar (interestingly named Blackbeards) was closed, so no Calvados Negronis again!

Highlights 

• The Marsh Weasel of Tribehou – turned out to be completely fictional, but Paul had us on the lookout out for this ‘elusive’ creature as we crossed the Marais.
• German war cemetry – not often you hear that noted as a ‘Highlight’, but it was such a peaceful oasis amidst a rather commercialised backdrop.

Lowlights

• Decent coffee stops: St. Lô would have been too soon for a stop, but there nothing thereafter…and Tribehou barely counted as a stop.

Quotes

“Oh, this is lovely…it’s like buttery tarmac.”

Oy Dave, no double dunking!” [Dave plate hopping at lunch]

“I’m not making any of this shit up you know?!” [Rosie, trying to explain the composition of her salad at lunch]

The Day in Pictures

The Day in Summary

Ah, my turn to be Dad for the Day – with great power comes great responsibilty….

Breakfasted at ‘home’ (funny how quickly you become proprietorial!) before setting off via the seafront at St. Malo then across the peninsula to descend into Cancale for coffee & oysters…not necessarily in that order.

Excellent set-up: buy your oysters from one of the stalls, pair it with a wine from the mobile camper van parked under the lighthouse, then take it back to an outside table and throw the shells over the harbour wall when you’ve finished for the seagulls to clean up. Et voilá!

From Cancale, we headed round Mont-Saint-Michel Bay towards Mt St Michel itself, which we could initially see as a speck in the distance but became larger, and more impressive as we pedalled on.

Lunch at Cherrieux (Ker Nouna) and despite not having booked (squeaky Dad bum moment) they found room for us outside and we had a great meal by the beach, watching the sandsurfing school opposite try to stsy upright. Unfortunately, nobody turned up from the Boule Breton club next door (not petanque – they don’t call it that round here under any circumstances!) so we couldn’t have a go ourselves.

From there it was inland to Pontorson, a quiet little town – more of a jumping-off point for Mt St Michel – where we were allowed to check-in early…which meant hitting the beers late afternoon at the Cafe de la Baie (local losers hangout) before an unexpectedly good meal at La Baie des Gourmandises with the requisite grumpy French waiter / excellent food trade-off, whilst the mother of all storms raged outside.

Not much else going on in Pontorson, apart from weird treehouses, a worrying sheep fetish and more dodgy bars offering Calvados nightcaps…we took it all in!

Highlights

• Elevenses at Cancale: 12 oysters (6 ordinary, 6 special flat Cancale ones) paired with an organic Chenin and a crisp Sauvignon – formidable!
• Beachside dining: has got to be done at least once every holiday.
• The mother of all storms: luckily we were either eating or in bed whilst the thunder & lightning raged outside, and a wet helmet or two aside, we stayed dry (unlike some other bedraggled cyclists we saw walking in after dinner).

Lowlights

• Rude French waiter: “No, when you have coffee, you pay the bill and go!” We didn’t – just to p*ss him off – and had what proved to be the best tarte tatin of the trip. Served him right!

Did you know?

Facts about St Malo
• St Malo's Intra-Muros district (literally, 'inside walls') was originally built in the Middle Ages.
• However, during WW II St Malo was designated as a fortified port city by the Germans as part of the Atlantic Wall, so it was heavily bombed and much of it had to rebuilt afterwards...rather well it must be said! 
• The city has a distinguished naval history, from the lawful (seaman Jacques Cartier, who discovered Quebec in 1534) to the dodgy (it was a haven for pirates - the Maisons de Corsairs are a spectacular row of houses, no doubt built from ill-gotten gains!)
• It also housed luminaries such as Chateâubriand (a politician and gourmand - hence the eponymous steak!) who requested to be buried on Grande Bé island in St Malo bay.
• Until 1770, in order to keep the peace - remember, this was a pirate stronghold - 24 mastiffs were let out to roam the streets every evening when the cathedral bell (the Nougette,) was rung, and which is still rung to this day at 10pm.

The Day in Pictures

The Day in Summary

A day off for us…or rather, we weren’t going with the rest of the group on a speedy 75km ride to Dinan (lovely medieval village that it was). No, we were taking the low road today, to Cancale on the coast, via a mooch around St. Malo.

St. Malo had an authentic old town feel to it (despite being heavily bombed during WWII), a wealth of pirate history and spectacular views from the castle walls….oh, and plenty of shops! We had to minimise the shopping owing to being on bikes (result!) but were allowed a 2nd local breakfast of a galette.

Continuing the ‘local terroir’ theme, we road along the coast then inland to have a fruits de mer lunch in Cancale, the oyster capital of France (sussed it out and saved it for tmrw).

Managed to beat the rain clouds back – the café owner had said it would rain at 4pm and the locals are usually pretty accurate!

And so, we were sitting on the terrace back at our AirBnB in St. Malo by 4pm, with a glass of rosé and a bowl of chips, watching the angry rainclouds swirl overhead.

The others made it back not too long afterwards, then Rosie & Cockers went out, foraged for provisions and cooked for the group.

Highlights

• Waving the others off on a 75km speed loop! (We actually did wave to them on the bridge from our balcony).
• Meandering through the old walled streets of St. Malo, finished off with a galette at Le Corps de Garde on the castle walls.
• Lunch on the seafront at Cancale with a cheeky carafe of rosé (since this was our day of social cycling).

 Lowlights 

None that I can think of!

Quotes

“Get your cheesy helmet off my feed station!”

“Stinky Diesel Cockerill!”

“Does she cook like Gordon Ramsey?” “No cooking does not make me randy!” [Rosie mishears the conversation]

“God, I look good!” [Dave in the mirror]

The Day in Pictures

‘The Excellent Day’ in Summary

Ah, this proved to be ‘the most excellent day’…after today, everything else would be referred to as ‘Not Quite Jersey!’

Tim, Nickey & myself woke up rudely early at 5.20am – less than 5 hours after our heads had hit the pillow following an ‘unplanned’ drinking late night (although with WC around, it should have been expected!) – to catch the 7.30am ferry. This arrived only an hour later at 8.30am – owing to the 1-hour time difference…which we’d completely forgotten about, and which being a Sunday morning made everything slightly more problematic since nothing appeared to be open.

Anyway, we eventually managed to liaise in a coffee shop with Diamond Dog Dave who’d arrived on the island yesterday (long story) and set off to first the most southerly, then the most easterly point of the island…we couldn’t be bothered with the most northerly point – too rocky, too up & downy, and too hungry by that point.

Arrived at the much-vaunted El Tico for lunch on the west coast in brilliant sunshine and ate, drank & swam there for 3 hours – it didn’t disappoint!

Back to the ferry terminal via a lovely old railway track cycle path through the woods followed by an ice cream & snooze on Saint-Ouen Bay before the usual schlep of ferry boarding and back to St Malo before dark.

Quotes

“It’s not quite Jersey!” [For everything after Jersey, as half the group chose not to come]

Highlights

• Cycling the lanes of Jersey, which seemed more open and agricultural than Guernsey – I guess that milk and those potatoes don’t grow themselves?!
• El Tico – a beachfront restaurant on the west coast with amazing food, beer, and views.
• Paddling in the sea whilst watching The Chuckle Brothers attempt to bodysurf the breakers

Lowlights

• Waiting on an exposed concrete apron in the rain for an hour to board the ferry back to Jersey, being processed first but loaded last for some reason?
• Arriving back at our AirBnb in St Malo to find everybody out and no key under the rock…so had to ride out and collect it from where they were eating.

Interesting Facts about Jersey

We met Nick – who lived in Jersey – in the ferry boarding queue, returning from a hardcore week’s bikepacking round France, and who proved to be a font of information on the island:

• Jersey has some of the biggest tidal swells in the world – around 12 metres – meaning that at low tide, Jersey is about 1/3rd larger than at high tide.
• Jersey (like Guernsey) is a British Crown Dependency – it is defended and diplomatically represented by the UK govt but is self-governing with its own financial and legal systems.
• Hence, there is no VAT (wahay!) but instead a 5% Goods Service Tax (GST).
• It has its own currency – the Jersey £ (pegged to the UK £) – and if you pay in cash, you’ll get this as change…oh, and they also still have £1 notes here!
• More on Jersey here.

The Day in Pictures

• The route • Rode along coast to most southerly point• Titanic / Hard Rock• Green routes• Mont Ortgeuil• Jersey Zoo – chimp dressing• On your right! • Tim’s Jersey cow spotting• Lunch at El Tico• Baywatch brothers / bodysurfing / tide coming in / Liberation Ale• Railway path / lovely down• Ice cream & snooze on beach• Pain in arse waiting in rain for DFDS loading• Notes – the rubbish day• Slept in• Went to supermarket• Lazy arses – took ferry across to Dinart on Matt’s suggestion Ice cream – The Kiosk

Today’s cycle route was clockwise around the island – rather hilly (if you hit every cove) and windy (if you left your bag behind and had to cycle to go and get it!) Mainly very quiet lanes or traffic-calmed beach roads with strange speed limits, that appear to end in ‘5’ – 15mph, 25mph, 35mph. The question is why?

Highlights of the day

•  Guernsey cycling in general – leafy, quiet, and very scenic
• Liberation beer – OK, so it’s brewed in Jersey, but still…inter-island rivalries aside, it was an extremely refreshing lunchtime tipple.
• Ice cream stop – proper ice cream with flakes, served in a mug – genius!

Lowlights

• The 1st hill out of St Peter Port – rather rude!
• Rosie’s coffee stops teasing – “No, not that one, he was rude…”, “Not that one either, didn’t like the vibe there…”…etc.
• Rosie’s inadvertant bag drop at the ice cream cafe, à la Race Around f**k up, complete with passport & wallet (she did manage to go back and retrieve it – phew!)

Interesting Guernsey anomalies:
• Blue postboxes & letterboxes - blend in surprisingly well
•Chemin Tranquille - quiet designated cyclepaths - lovely!
•5-digit car reg plates - but what happens when you get to 99999?
•Bus stop signs painted over driveways - saves on building bus stops I suppose..! 

Fun facts (learned from our friendly on-duty policeman (armed to the teeth) for Princess Anne’s visit to the islands:

• Registration number ‘1’ is reserved for the Bailiff of Guernsey’s car. 

• The Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey’s car has no number plate, but his/her private cars have G1 and G2 as registration numbers.

• Hire cars sport a square plate with black ‘H’ on a yellow background (makes it easier for thieves to target?!)

• An ‘007’ plate achieved £240,000 at auction in Sep 2015 (5 on an Aston Martin!)

The Day in Pictures