There was a film called the longest day about the Normandy Landings. Our bike ride into Europe this year was to 'do' the Normandy beaches as well as paying respects to our first world war dead at Ypres in Belgium.
We passed through Deauville the French city that the Honda Deauville takes it name from. It was ownership of this bike (I still have one) that has generated such good friendships across the country.
We also called in at Pegasus bridge..... a real strategic point for the invasion.
Our base for the main part of the holiday was Arromanches - Gold beach where the UK forces landed on D Day
Our room was in the building centre left above the red canopy.
I still cannot get my head around how lucky I have been to enjoy the peace in Europe so so many brave people fought for. Now we seem to have exposed discord in Europe again, not for me but for my children and grandchildren. So many young voted to remain and now they will inherit the challenges of a remote England and a broken Union.
We spend two days in Ypres and had some good food and paid our respects to the fallen at the Menin Gate. The last post is sounded every evening at 8pm.
From Left to right.... John BMW GS100, Steve BMW RT1200 Bob CBF1000 Nev ST1300
We did the Ypres museum and added the tower tour. There are some fine views from the top of the tower but the icing on the cake was a lass tuning the bells than playing a fine tune which was deafening but very entertaining.
Worth turning the volume up on this one .....
As the house is now on the market I am back on the boat some/most of the time now. I arrived back after a week of very heavy rain I understand and just in time to get the longest day - except it was the day after due to a leap year.
Fishing into the night and with just the accompaniment of the twilight bird song is a simple but luxurious pleasure.
We have Percy booked in for blacking at Kings Bromly early July so I wanted to turn the boat ready for the trip up there in a couple of weeks. So Thursday morning I worked a late shift allowing me to take Percy to the Alrewas winding hole ....
I can't tell you how tempted I was to cruise past and carry on !!
I started wiring in the fridge with the new 8mm wire but I will need to borrow the 'fishing' kit from the electricians at work to get the thicker wire through from the kitchen to the fuses in the engine room.
So back with a cold, no doubt due to 200 miles in the rain, but an excuse the watch us beat the Aussies 3/0 in the rugby and hopefully an England and Wales progressing in the euros.
2 comments:
Gosh blacking again? Doesn't time fly! Cruise time soon I hope?
Yes three years since we took Percy to Norbury. Not impressed when going to collect we had to reverse out of their arm and also put our fenders back on. It'll be a September cruise after the summer busyness has subsided. I'll give your grass a mow next week if it stays dry and Chris does not return. Hope the chillaxing on the Shroppie is going well?
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