The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

September along the Brittany and Normandy Beaches

September 1st to September 14th

Ride Coordinator: Jane Holahan
Report by: Ellen Cohen

         Twenty BAC members were privileged to accompany Jane Holahan on her thirtieth, and final, trip as a BAC ride leader.  All those who have enjoyed cycling in France under Jane’s guidance will treasure those journeys.  This trip had it all – fascinating history, gorgeous scenery, great food and lodging, and dramatic weather, in other words lots of wind and rain.  We met up in Saint Malo, an old walled town of cobblestone streets and tall granite buildings with a seafaring past.  Saint Malo was largely destroyed by Allied bombing at the end of WWII, but was faithfully restored after the war and is today a popular tourist destination. 

            The first day of cycling was a short ride along the coast to Cancale in perfect sunny weather with sublime views of beaches, rocks, islands and dunes.  Cancale is the oyster capital of France, and some of us enjoyed a rustic picnic of oysters purchased directly from the waterfront shacks beside the oyster beds.  The next morning heavy rain impelled many in the group to take advantage of the bike trailer towed by the luggage van and use vehicular transport to the next destination, Mont St. Michel.  There were quite a few logistical challenges on this trip, exacerbated by the unpredictable weather, but everthing was superbly handled by Jane and Patrick, the commercial outfitter who provided support.  The medieval Abbey of Mont St. Michel is in a spectacular location on a tidal island accessed over a causeway.  Our visit afforded insights into the historical, architectural and religious aspects of this world famous site.

            Mont St. Michel could often be sighted in the distance during our rides the following days around the bay to the towns of Avranches and Granville, both of which were liberated by General Patton’s American troops at the end of July, 1944.  Throughout this trip we were constantly reminded that the entire area was a battlefield during the Battle of Normandy, code-named Operation Overlord; it took the Allies a brutal three months after D-Day on June 6, 1944 to liberate the territory from the German occupiers.  From Granville we were transported by bus to our farmhouse lodging just a few miles from Utah Beach, the easternmost of the landing beaches and the site of the impressive Utah Beach Museum.

            The next few days afforded the opportunity to visit the other landing beaches and associated sites including the moving American Cemetery at Omaha Beach, the Arromanches artificial harbour, the British Cemetery and World War II Museum in Bayeux, and the Canadian Juno Beach Centre.  Two nights were based in the beautiful town of Bayeux, with its impressive cathedral and museum housing the marvellously preserved 11th century Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the Norman conquest of England culminating in the Battle of Hastings. Then it was on to Caen for two nights.  The historic city of Caen was largely destroyed by Allied bombing which finally dislodged the German army in August 1944.  Its rebuilding included the Caen Memorial Museum, a vast and sobering survey of 20th century conflict.

            Fine weather graced our final cycling day, a scenic ride to lovely Honfleur where our charming hotel for two nights was in a centuries-old building in the heart of town. The trip ended with a bus ride to Charles de Gaulle Airport, with a stop at Giverny to tour the exquisite gardens and house of Claude Monet – a fitting finale to a wonderful journey full of fascinating history, great food and wine, and scenic rides.