These pages are a recollection of our summer holidays in 1998. As usual, in June, everybody asked us what were our projects. As usual, I could only answer: "A bike tour, somewhere!" The only decision then made was about Simon: this year, he would be with us and complete his first tour for his fourth birthday as a backseat passenger on my bike. After pondering on a lot of maps, the destination became evident: Normandy. My father's mother came from a peasant family installed in Normandy and the family tales are full of Normand names and places. Putting images on the names for us, giving a lesson in (personal and big) history to the kids gave me the Ariane thread to define the route. To be fully honest, I must also add that the absence of mountains played some part in the choice:-)
Once the general theme is defined, the route planing process is straitghforward. Start point: Paris, end point: Surzur, must see places: Chateau Gaillard, Etretat, Honfleur, D Day beaches, Bayeux, Mont Saint-Michel, Saint-Malo. In between, the detailed route will be planed on a day by day basis, depending on weather, tiring, and mood of the passenger. The map below sketches our route. Click on the road to go to the day's description.
Maybe after reading about our tour you may want to know who we are? And what was our equipment. I have also written a few lines of miscellaneous information (equipment, maps, money, ...).
Let's now follow the bike to the first day
.
Back
to my cycling home page