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The Portsmouth to Saint-Malo overnight ferry drops you in Brittany at dawn, which is a fine way to start a week. I cleared customs as the town was waking up and headed east along the coast, the GPS pointing me towards the causeway at Mont-Saint-Michel before swinging north into Normandy.
Two nights in Bayeux. The D-Day beaches need time — Omaha, Gold, the Mémorial de Caen — and Bayeux itself rewards an evening walk, the tapestry and the cathedral and a quiet dinner. From there south to Chartres, where I hadn't expected to find a party. It was Saturday 14 July — Bastille Day — and the town was hosting the finish of Tour de France Stage 8. The square was heaving with yellow jerseys and Vittel banners, the Mavic team cars and Kawasaki outriders lined up behind the barriers, spectators five deep along the barriers. One of those accidental days that you couldn't have planned.
North-east the next morning to Amiens and a day on the Somme. The scale of the cemeteries around Thiepval stops you cold — the contrast with the carnival atmosphere the day before is jarring in the best way. Then north through Artois into Lille, arriving on Sunday 15 July in time for the World Cup final. France beat Croatia 4-2 and the city absolutely lost its mind. Red smoke grenades, horns going all night, someone drove a tractor through the main square with tricolours streaming off it. Fire engines hosed down the crowd outside the belfry while people danced on top of cars. I've been in cities when their team wins something, but this was another level entirely.
The last morning I crossed briefly into Belgium at Menin and caught the Eurotunnel home. A compact circuit, but it manages D-Day, the Somme, the Tour de France and a World Cup win in eight days. France knows how to put on a show.
Places Visited
- Saint-Malo
- Mont-Saint-Michel
- Bayeux & D-Day beaches
- Chartres
- Amiens & the Somme
- Lille & Menin (Belgium)
Stats
| Dates | Monday 9 – Monday 16 July 2018 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 8 days |
| With | Solo |
| Distance | ~1,300 km |
| Countries | UK, France, Belgium |
| Route | Surbiton → Portsmouth → (overnight ferry) → Saint-Malo → Mont-Saint-Michel → Bayeux → Chartres → Amiens → Lille → Belgium → (Eurotunnel) → home |
| Transport | KTM 1190 Adventure (2014) |
| Temperature | 14–24°C |
Photos
