14/09/09

Day 6 – September 14
Having left the aire at Honfleur bright and early we wasted any time we thought we would gain hanging round the car park at McDonalds trying to get a signal to post the blog! We eventually gave up and set off towards Caen and the Normandy beaches. This route took us through Deauville and Trouville, which you would recognise from the traditional post cards showing a boardwalk and sun parasols on the beach there. We passed the airport where playboys of earlier years used to fly into from England to gamble in the casinos, although the resorts themselves dated back to the 1860s and Napoleon III.
A day of history today with a run along the coast through many small villages that were heavily involved with the Normandy landings. Every village has a memorial giving thanks to the Allied troops who fought to free France, and it is very touching to see them all so well tended with wreaths laid and flags flying. We visited the beach at Arromanches where the remnants of the Mulberry harbour, which was manufactured in England then floated across to France, are still visible on the sands. There is an amazing circular cinema here that shows original footage of the landings and the troops making their way up the beaches – stirring stuff.
On a lighter note, our new sat nav system seems to have taken the decision to show us every inch of French countryside and is adamant that we will not follow the direct and obvious route to anywhere – which is fine in a car, but slightly more nerve-wracking in a motorhome! I have seen one or two verges very closely today!
We were planning to stay at a very small and picturesque aire close to the abbey at Cerisy la Foret tonight, but we needed water and once the machine had eaten our 2 euros and given us zilch in return, we had to move on to St Lo.
Today obviously isn’t our day where water is concerned. It seemed like a good plan to fill our collapsible bucket to clean the mirrors and windows, and I was absolutely certain it would stand up alone once filled – wrong!!! Then with all the upset and hilarity of leaping round dodging water gushing all over our feet we managed to lose the hose connection down the drain – lucky we had a spare!
Peter was not too pleased with me today……. can’t think why.