Biking Through History

Transcription

1 Activity Level: Moderate Duration: 6 Days/5 Nights Biking Through History Experience Normandy Though every region of Europe boasts a long history, Normandy has been deeply shaped by two watershed moments of European history and culture: the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and the Allied landing on June 6, Discovering this region is like turning the pages of a history book while riding through lush fields, along white sand beaches, past quaint thatched cottages and ancient churches; the combination of these elements has created in Normandy a unique region. The locals speak of their love for the land as they speak of their attraction to the sea a feeling you will share as we bike the Channel coast and past historic beaches, which double as playgrounds for kids activities like sand-surfing and horseback riding. RECOMMENDED AGE: 8+ We don t simply allow kids on trips designed for adults, we design unique trips just for families. The activities on our Normandy Family Biking trip are recommended for children age 8 years and older. Please call us for more information. WHY TRAVEL WITH B&R? We re the only active travel company to stay two nights in lively Bayeux, famous for its metres-long medieval tapestry, but also home to vibrant squares, great restaurants and the new Hotel Villa Lara; a real treat. at Viajes Le Grand (52) the journey p.2 view > / notes from the road p.5 view > / the details p.6 view > / next steps p.7 view >

2 The Journey Title. Normandy stretches across the north-western edge of France, Blurb bordering the English Channel 2 the journey Day 1 Deauville and Honfleur TODAY WE BEGIN OUR ADVENTURE BY EXPLORING THE hidden valleys of the Natural Park of the Seine rivers. After a short drive we ll start pedalling through the wetlands of Vernier; famous for its thatched roof cottages, Vernier offers an easygoing and gorgeous introduction to Normandy. By late morning we will arrive in Honfleur, where the Impressionists Monet and Boudin worked in the 1860s. Our visit to this beautiful old harbour town includes a stop at the Satie Museum, an off-beat multimedia exhibit that words cannot describe. We then pause for lunch together in a seaside bistro before the afternoon s rolling ride along the seaside back to Trouville and Deauville for adults, while the younger ones will head for some go-karting on one of Normandy s most impressive miniature race tracks. This evening, we will enjoy our dinner afloat on a genuine peniche, a French long boat used to carry goods down the River Seine. No worries though, the ship is safely anchored in the harbour of Deauville within walking distance of our hotel.. HOTEL Le Normandy Barriere, Deauville Le Normandy is the grand old dame of the Parisian Riviera. Built on the grand scale of the Belle Epoque, it is full of history and the place to see and be seen in Deauville. THE ACTIVITY Day 1: A 53 km (32 mi.) ride that is flatter in the morning, then gently rolls along the coast. Days 2, 3, 4 & 5 Bayeux & the Landing Beaches Today starts with a short drive to Pegasus Bridge and its museum. Vital to the success of the D-Day strategy, this bridge had to be taken from the enemy to facilitate the advance of troops landing west of the River Orne. From Pegasus, on the bikes now, we head inland, returning to the spectacularly lush Norman countryside. In a small village, we sit down at a private château for a great country lunch, complemented by samples of two of the region s liquid specialties: cider and Calvados. The generations divide at this point: while the kids go horseback riding near the beaches, the grownups enjoy an afternoon ride past châteaux, abbeys, churches and quaint villages en route to bustling Bayeux, home to about fifteen thousand inhabitants, and our base for four nights. We will have dinner together in a typical Normand restaurant near the cathedral, enjoying steak with french fries or sea bass done the Norman way. The next morning we delve more deeply into the D-Day locales, beginning with a context-setting stop at the Invasion Museum at Arromanches. This compact, fascinating facility lays out the geography and strategy of June 6, 1944, including the challenges of creating an artificial harbour nearby to facilitate debarkation. From here, with views to the dramatic Channel cliffs, we ride along the coast to Juno, the middle of the five beaches that was the Canadian objective on that historic day. After lunch together, we re free to drift back to Bayeux at our own pace, more quickly for those looking for shopping or down time, less so for those interested in making the short detour to Courseulles-sur-Mer to pay respects at the Canadian landing beaches. Kids

3 The Journey 3 meanwhile, will enjoy some sand sailing on the beaches of Juno. We gather again in the early evening to visit the Bayeux tapestry, the medieval wonder of craftsmanship that depicts in splendid detail the exploits of William the Conqueror around the time of the Battle of Hastings. After this historical glimpse of the invasion that went the other way, we will enjoy a catered dinner in a grocery shop, and afterwards head to our private movie theatre! The first two episodes of Band of Brothers will prepare us for the next day where we will follow in Major Winters s footsteps. immortalized in bronze here). Lunch is in Sainte Marie du Mont, the very place where major Winters spent his first night in Normandy in June of From there it s a short stretch to the Dead Man s Corner Museum, a place commemorating one of the fiercest fights of the battle of Normandy, pitting the German Green Devils against the US Airborne. A brief drive can bring you back to the hotel, or the more avid riders can take on the Century Ride and pedal all the way. Tonight, families reunited, you re free to explore the town s dining scene on your own, with recommendations from guides where desired. Our final day saves the best for last. The ride will first take us to Pointe du Hoc, the German stronghold overlooking the American landing beaches. We meet William Jordan, historian, writer and Montgomery Today begins with a short drive west to the base of the Cotentin Peninsula. This is the site of Utah Beach, where the exploits of troops have been made famous in works such as The Longest Day and Stephen Ambrose s Band of Brothers. Our ride will traverse this forested flatland area the most easygoing riding of the week to visit not just the beach itself, but also pivotal towns Ste- Marie-du-Mont (where Easy Company hunkered down for its first night on the continent) and Ste-Mére-Eglise, infamous for the disastrous arrival of the U.S. Airborne (American paratrooper John Steele, who got caught on the church steeple, dangled for hours and survived, is

4 The Journey For centuries, Normandy has been known for its great Gothic Cathedrals 4 look-a-like who will describe in detail the events of this pivotal day, and the heroic acts of the US Rangers. Farther along the invasion coast, we will enjoy lunch together in a Swedish-style wood house that makes some of the best seafood and barbeque skewers. After lunch, we will make our way to Omaha beach for a spinetingling description of D-Day s events and an explanation of the fortifications. We end our tour at the American Cemetery, and will take a moment to reflect and pay tribute to the fallen soldiers. With this fitting closure, we conclude our trip, toasting heroic ghosts over dinner at an excellent restaurant not far from our hotel. Day 6 Homeward Bound After breakfast we drive to the train station in Caen. From here, you can connect back to Paris for points elsewhere in France or for your return flight home. HOTEL Villa Lara, Bayeux Villa Lara is the latest and most welcome addition to medieval Bayeux. Housed in an historic structure right in the town centre, its 33 rooms boast 21st century comforts complemented by a fitness centre and lounge with fi replace. B&R is thrilled to be the first, and only, active travel company bringing its travellers here. THE BIKING Day 2: A 31.5 km (19 mi.) ride that is predominantly flat. The long option extends the distance by 25 km (15 mi.). Kids ride 20 km (12 mi.) from Abbey of Authie. Day 3: A 53 km (33 mi.) ride. Kids ride 18 km (11 mi.) after lunch. Short option possible in the morning 32 km (18 mi). Day 4: A 35 km (30 mi.) ride that is predominantly flat. The optional Century ride extends the distance by 62 km (38 mi.). Day 5: An 80 km (48 mi.) ride. Kids can stop sooner and explore museums. Adults can stop at Omaha cutting out 25 km.

5 Notes From the Road Today Normandy is largely an agricultural region known for its dairy industry 5 The Conquest of Normandy By Thilo Erhardt Normandy is flat, at least according to conventional wisdom. In my Parisian youth, the villegiature (holiday) to Normandy was a tradition. I would watch the landscape change; the asphalt jungle giving way to vast forests, my eyes eagerly searching for the sea. The closer to Normandy, the more the scenery fit my expectations. Plains would become waves of soft green pasture, short lines of emerald green oaks building up like wave crests. Nature was a rhapsody in green, broken only by quaint villages of timbered and thatched houses. And suddenly, there she was: the dark blue sea. Sandwiched between the last hillside and the sea, a series of unique towns cluster on the coastline: the very glamorous Deauville with its racetracks and polo grounds; Trouville and its narrow cobblestone streets full of Parisians plucked straight from Proust s writings; Honfleur, a little gem whose square harbour, bedecked with high-masted sailboats, has inspired painters and poets for generations. Even today it is not uncommon to encounter an artist hungry for inspiration in the local restaurants and cafés singing, sketching or scribbling in praise of the timeless scenery. There was something else that stirred my young imagination: the battlegrounds of D-Day. Even the most gifted writer cannot describe the intensity of those fateful days without forfeiting some of the truth of what happened on that chilly June morning. The actual sight of the grounds is haunting and fosters a feeling that makes the words in history books sound hollow and empty. Another event that changed the course of European history occurred here: Hastings. At this epic battle, William the Conqueror defeated England and placed a Norman elite at its head for the next 400 years. The story is depicted in a cartoon-like tapestry that used to hang in the cathedral of Bayeux. Rich in detail (sometimes frighteningly so), it still amazes. Normandy also fed my passion for the culinary arts. Even today, I take pleasure in the region s uncomplicated food. Seafood is a specialty, but the salty Norman fields also yield lamb and veal of a exquisite flavour. So exquisite that choosing between them may be difficult. However, a nice glass of 45-year-old Calvados makes any choice a good one. B&R REGIONAL EXPERT Thilo Erhardt An economist with a passion for history, longtime B&R guide and Regional Expert, Thilo returns to his childhood haunt of Normandy whenever he can.

6 The Details Normandy has its own language, the Norman language 6 UNITED KINGDOM English Channel Paris FRANCE BELGIUM SWITZERLAND Port-en-Bessin Lison Bayeux Canisy Deauville ITALY SPAIN Mediterranean Sea 2014 Dates Jul 27 - Aug 1 Duration 6 Days / 5 Nights Start Deauville Hotel Le Normandy 8:30am Finish Caen Train station 10:00am 2014 Price US$5,495* ($800 single supplement) *Please call for kids pricing. the details LEVEL OF ACTIVITY We rate this trip Moderate While most of the riding is relatively easy, expect to contend with the occasional challenging climb. On a couple of days, the ride is longer than the average 40 km (25 mi.), although the terrain on these days is fairly flat. The activities on this trip are geared for children 8 years old and up. MORE INFO How do I get to Deauville? Since most transatlantic flights arrive in Paris, this will most likely be your point of arrival, unless you have pre-trip plans elsewhere in Europe. The train is the best way to get from Paris to Deauville. Travel time on the TGV (express) trains is just under two hours. Trains to Deauville leave from Gare St-Lazare. Ticket reservations can be made from North America through your travel agent or Rail Europe. They can also recommend rail passes that may fit your extended travel plans before or after your trip with B&R, which may be a more economical alternative. ROOM UPGRADE If you would like to upgrade your accommodation on this trip, please enquire at time of booking to learn cost and availability. WHAT S INCLUDED All hotel accommodation All breakfasts, four lunches (five for kids), four dinners, including wine Services of B&R guides and support van All special events and private tours Kids supervised events Use of a customized Cannondale bike: a hybrid, a racing bike with drop bars, or a racing bike with flat bars, equipped with handlebar bag and helmet Children s equipment, including tandems, helmets and bikes (Please note: parents wishing to pull a tandem must use a hybrid bike) All transportation from rendezvous to drop-off All baggage transportation Detailed maps, route suggestions and water bottle All gratuities for baggage, porters and hotel service HOTEL LE NORMANDY, DEAUVILLE It is a sumptuous building with a dazzling décor and boasts its standing as a luxury hotel on the Normandy coast with elegance, refinement and distinction. The itinerary information may vary slightly for your specific departure as we continuously research and develop each trip. Inclement weather may also necessitate minor alterations Butterfield & Robinson Management Services Inc. Revised June 21, 2013.

7 Your Next Steps 7 FIND US ON FACEBOOK Like B&R on Facebook and get the latest news and photos from the road, updates from guides and more. Weather: Caen, France your next steps month high low Jan/Feb Mar/Apr May/Jun Jul/Aug Sep/Oct Nov/Dec At Butterfield & Robinson, the guiding starts while you re still at home. We make sure you know everything you need to know before you ve even left your living room. READY TO BOOK? Call Alejandra at Viajes Le Grand with any remaining questions, and to reserve your dates. (52) Reserve your flights to and from the region. Book your hotel accommodation for the night before your B&R trip. Make sure your passport is up to date. Enquire after travel insurance. Once you are confirmed on a B&R trip, you will receive a Confirmation that links to tons of information to help you prepare for your trip. Then, about a month before you leave, we will send you a list of your fellow travellers, final rendezvous instructions and your hotel contact numbers. YOUR BIKE We pride ourselves on having the very best equipment for each activity and locale, maintained by expert staff and custom tweaked just for you. Visit us at to learn about our biking equipment and see pictures of what you and your kids will be riding. And don t forget that we will modify your bike to accommodate most special gear requests. Just ask. EXTENDING YOUR TRIP Paris is one of the great cities in the world, so chances are you will want to spend time there either before or after your trip. There are several recommendations for where to stay and what to do while in Paris included in the Confirmation you will receive upon booking. We ll also happily recommend a city guide if you want an insider s tour of Paris. STAY IN TOUCH! Sign up to receive The Slow Road our newsletter that is full of travel news, unique offers and B&R insider info. PHOTO CONTEST While on your trip, keep in mind you can win some great prizes with the B&R Photo Contest. We ve created three categories that capture the true spirit of B&R adventure: Faces, Places and Moments. Submit your top shots and show us how you see the world with B&R. Full details are at The itinerary information may vary slightly for your specific departure as we continuously research and develop each trip. Inclement weather may also necessitate minor alterations Butterfield & Robinson Management Services Inc. Revised June 21, 2013.