I am off to Northern France from Friday 11th June 2010 to Monday 14th June 2010 with a group of friends to have a look at the World One Battlefield sites, mainly around the Somme, Arras, Vimy ridge and Ypers.
What we did.....
The trip to France in June 2010
Despite a traumatic start for me the group leader – Eurotunnel running 3
hours late due to technical problems, we got to the bed and breakfast
just one hour later than planned. Evening meal had already been booked.
Day 1 – First day in France and I decided to take the group onto the
edges of the Somme, just to let then sample what was available to see. I
had been in touch via the UKGSER forum with a fellow rider from Spain
and he suggested the following. Well he came up with the right format.
We headed to Thiepval to see the memorial and also the newly opened
museum. A great place to start if you know little or nothing about the
world war one. I took Sue, our host’s advice, ignored my sat nav plans and went to look
for a road called the D8. What a find, bend after bend, with great
cross views.........
We spent a couple of hours at Theipval before heading north for lunch at
Avril Williams tea rooms 10, Rue Delattre, Auchonvillers, 80560, Somme.
We had a leisurely lunch and toured the place and Avril suggested some
other places to visit. Well time was getting on and we were so chilled,
time was running out to see many more sites. I had wanted to see the
Lochnagar crater at La Boiselle, but on route stopped at the
Newfoundland Memorial Park. This park, located near Beaumont Hamel, is
one of only a few sites on the Western Front where the ground remains
largely untouched from when the First World War ended. The main entrance
to the Newfoundland Memorial Park can be found on the D73 road between
Hamel and Auchonvillers.
The distances between all these sites are not great so I was able to show the group the Park, before heading to the crater.
Site seeing done, I had to plan a ride back to the bed and breakfast, via an Aldi as we were having a cheese and wine night.
The route back, after filling up with fuel at Albert was along the D938
to Doullens, where we stopped for refreshments. Then like before, time
was against us so a run up the D916 to St-Pol- sur-Ternoise, saw us
getting fuel and all the food for our cheese and wine. Then back to the
bed and breakfast in Gauchin – Verloingt. A great night, after a great
day.
Day 2 – A look at the Western Front and run into Belgium saw us heading
towards Vimy Ridge, the Canadian memorial. Another good site to visit as
you can have guided tours of the ground and under ground tunnel. Time
again was against us so we made our next stop the Hooge Crater, just
outside Ypres.
We made our way into Ypres for the last post at 8pm, then a run back to
the b and b, for a light snack of the remaining cheese supplemented by
some chips we managed to get enroute. Another great day, only isuse was
we weer due to go home the next day. Ah well I had planned a run back
via a world war two museum, before heading to Calais for the Eurotunnel.
Day 3 – The run home.
Plans never go right as I found some more fantastic roads and did a
detour towards the coast, leaving St Pol along the D343 to Anvin then on
the D94 towards Auchy-les-Hesdin. Here we turned north to pick up the
D108, and D343 stopping in Hucqueliers for a drink. We then went onto
Desvres, where Bob fueled up and I got a bit lost. I finally managed to
find this roller coaster of a road through the Forest of Boulogne, the
D341, before we got to Boulogne. Where we saw a first traffic, mainly
British idiot drivers coming from Le Mans 24 hour. Never mind we went
into Wimereux, a coastal town and had a leisurely dinner. You guessed
ti, time was against us, so we made straight for Calais.
We will be back...
http://www.lesballastieres.com/If it turns out to be sucessfull I will consider offering this as a tour.