Bayeux to Saint-Lo

August 2, 2012

We have realized that there is still a lot of France still to cycle. Our original goal was to explore Normandy and to trace Mary Ellen’s dad’s route during the Invasion in Normandy. We feel that we have met our goals and now we want to move on to the Eurovelo 6 route that begins in Nantes on the Atlantic coast of France. Nantes is over 400 km from Bayeux. Last night we were considering our options and we have decided that we want to get to Nantes as fast as possible so that we have lots of time for the Loire Rover Valley route . We researched taking the train from Bayeux to Rennes, however, we were told that we couldn’t take a tandem on any of the trains going south from Bayeux. We decided to press on and ride our bike towards Saint-Lo.
Before leaving the Bayeux Municipal campsite this morning, we had a good visit with Graham and also with a family from Vancouver, who were camping a couple of sites down from us. It turned out that they had been next door neighbours with Katherine Byers, the school trustee that had been assigned to my school, on Salt Spring Island. It’s definitely a small world.
We had a great ride today on secondary roads through beautiful farmlands.
Saint-Lo was definitely a surprise for us. The city had been destroyed during the Invasion of Normandy. The estimate is that 95% of the city had been destroyed.
We are about to ride on a new cycle route that runs from Utah Beach on the coast to Mont Saint Michel. By riding to Saint Lo, we have connected with the cycle route. It follows the Vire River along towpaths and old train beds.

We met many wonderful people who were very interested in our bike and our trip

Graham was camped next to us. He had cycled 2000 km during the last six weeks on his Bike Friday. He generouly gave us a cycle guide to the Loire Rive valley cycle route.

We met this family from Vancouver who were on a camping trip through Europe for three months. They had been next door neighbours with someone who had moved to Saltspring Island. It turned out that the neighbour was Katherine Byers, the school trustee who had been assigned to my school on Saltpring island. Small world!!!!

As we were riding along we were startled to see a camel beside the road.It belonged to a circus that was performing in Bayeux. The whole time that we were in Bayeux we could hear a fellow from the circus driving around the city with a loudspeaker on his tiny car advertising that the circus was coming to town.

We love to have lunch at patisseries. Half of baguette filled with cheese, veggies and meat...a cold drink and any pastry in the pattiserie for 5 euros.

Barry struggling up a monster hill too steep for both of us to ride

Arriving in Saint Lo. The ancient wall surrounded the old city. Over 95% of the city had been destroyed by the Germans during the Invasion of Normandy in 1944

Much of the Cathedral in Saint Lo had been destroyed. It was decided that the middle of the cathedral would be rebuilt in a modern style.

The side of the cathedral was covered in holes from the Battle of Normandy

The Nazis held prisoners in this prison. Patriots and resistance fighters were held captive. They perished when it was bombed by the Germans.

All that was left of the prison was the front gate

Today's ride: 45 km (28 miles)
Total: 443 km (275 miles)

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