NORMANDIE

Places you have visited,recommend etc.
Hoffman Grink

NORMANDIE

Post by Hoffman Grink »

Where's nice in Normandy?
Where have you stayed?
Was it a Gite or a B&B or a Hotel?
How long did ya stay?
What did ya see?

Very interested in your responses.....
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missyd
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Post by missyd »

Saint Laurent sur Mer
D-Day House (stayed 1 night) only 50m from Omaha Beach and near Omaha Museum)

Arromanches
Hotel de Normadie (nice view on beach, stayed one night)

I always choose hotel marked "LOGIS DE FRANCE" .... they all have some sort of same level of confort ....

http://www.logis-de-france.fr/fr/recherch/index-ca.htm

I stayed only 2 days ....
1st day: St. Mere Eglise, Utah Beach, Omaha Beach
2nd day: Omaha: Beach-Museum-Cementry, Port en Bessin, Arromaches (Museum, Beach), Gold Beach, Pegasus bridge.

I visited the DDay places in 1985 .... not much changed apart of new museums and attractions ....
Last edited by missyd on Tue Jul 10, 2007 6:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Daniela

Dove c'e' da Rievocare noi Rievochiamo - Dove c'e' da Ricostruire noi Ricostruiamo
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bee
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Post by bee »

bayeux
very nice town, germans left, americans did not need to bomb. all still there. museum is a winner there! lots of personal stuff, armour, firearms, spent 6hrs in there.
hostel: very cool one, best breakfast (not french style!), great rooms, every one is different. charming rural old style house, lovely patrons.
http://www.bayeux-familyhome.com/eng/family-home.htm
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Watchdog
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Normadie

Post by Watchdog »

Did it on the cheap.Took my motorbike and stayed at a Eurocamp near Bayeux.Tent with beds fridge etc.Cracking time,informative and moving,money well spent.
bodger
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Post by bodger »

Normandy.... I liked it so much I moved there! Living near Domfront, a little off the track of main areas of interest ( although Mortain is close). I can put anyone who's interested on to someone who's got a cottage to rent around here (about €250 a week -sleeps 6).
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bee
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Post by bee »

bee.
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the greatest pet i had was a flat rat.
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carentan
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Post by carentan »

Stayed in a zelt, in a field...it was free :wink:
Hanging up my Knochensack for now, it's been a good war!
Aurel
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Post by Aurel »

If it's your first time in Normandy, you must go to Omaha sector. The cemetery of Omaha is incredible (the begining of Private Ryan). Today omaha beach is a part of heaven. The St Laurent museum is nice.

The memorial of Caen is expensive and it's a big shit.


Utah Sector is great too, there is Carentan historical center, there is St Mere Eglise and St Marcouf.

There is 1 hour by car between Utah and Omaha. The road is free (very rare in france). A lot people speak english (and better than me)

In Normandie there is a lot of bed and breakfast for about 40 euros (25/30£) for 2 people.
Hoffman Grink

Post by Hoffman Grink »

Bonjour Aurel!
No Mon Ami - It wouldn't be my first time in Normandie!!!

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That's me on the right and below talking to the Kradmelder

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On location in La Belle France!

On that occasion we actually filmed at the Widerstandsnest below the Omaha Cemetary as well as the Longue Sur Mer Battery...... We were working on D-Day The Ultimate Conflict and spent nearly a week touring around based at Bayeux.
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The question posed is a little out of date now and was a bit of "market research"

Thanks for the replies - Maybe we will organise a JBO inbetween shows this year?
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missyd
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Post by missyd »

The road is free (very rare in france).
Thats is true but if you stick to main and secondary roads you'll never pay for it. I travelled around Brittany and the Normandy on the smallest roads possible and there was never much traffic and a lot more to see than on the motorways or Route National .... :roll:
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Daniela

Dove c'e' da Rievocare noi Rievochiamo - Dove c'e' da Ricostruire noi Ricostruiamo
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Aurel
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Post by Aurel »

yes you are right, the National are always free. In the south of Normandy and in brittany all the road are free. It's an old law (Midlle age).

Nice photos!!!! I 'm looking my note book with the good adress. Maybe for September 2008, my farm in Normandy will be finish.


Sorry for my english
grenadier heeder

Post by grenadier heeder »

We're planning a trip over in March and hoping to stay here;

http://www.ivyhousefrance.com/

Owned and run by Steve Lee and his wife. Steve is a keen and eloquent student of the campaign and I made his aquaintance through our mutual (and rare) interest in the 17th W-SS, Gotz von Berlichingen.

It's set just back from UTAH. Not only does it benefit from having English speaking hosts, he's also in tune with reenactors and if Steve cannot tell you and guide you through pitfalls of a trip over there no one will. It also has it's very own small museum!

I recommend the museums at;

St Mere Eglise
Bayeaux
The "new" Pegasus Bridge
D-Day wrecks museum

The rest are okay but I think these are the best. Also good sites/small museums are;
La Cambe (cemetary)
Pointe du Hoc
Merville
La Madeleine/UTAH
Les Moulins Draw/OMAHA

Disappointing;
Douvre radar museum (if it opens (rare) it's pretty crummy)
Rangers musem at Grandcamp.

I do recommend that you go over with an open mind. Opening times at shops seem a bit hit and miss. The Normans seem very laid back. I was kicked out a bar in Isigny sur mere after I wandered in about 7.30 expecting to stay there until 11 pondering over my literature and photos I'd done over the day with a beer or three. Wrong! Bars normally shut about 8 in the week and only stay open late at the weekend. If you do want to enjoy the evenings, take your own beer and a chair to sit on.
Although I could be accused of a sweeping generalisation I didn't find the Normans too friendly or helpful and I really did try and speak French, not just bluster in English and sign language.
I thoroughly recommend a trip over, regardless.
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Tychsen
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Re: NORMANDIE

Post by Tychsen »

If you are there for the first time use Major Holts guide , it will save you a lot of time whilst helping you make the most of it , a great guide book.
The book suggests several drives taking in major points of interest along the way - there are a number of small excellent museums , I am told that Bayeaux's Museum has gone down hill badly and is not what it once was.

These just happen to be close to and on my PC.
the battery at lounges is the most intact in the region all its guns being insitu , a walk around them will bring you into contact with the other structures.
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Shown here the command bunker down on the coast .
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The monument is on Hill 112 that hotly contested and much fought over piece of ground.
these were taken some time ago - the wee lassie in the photo is now 21 and finishing university , time passes but by and large Normandy stays pretty much the same .
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Tychsen
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Re: NORMANDIE

Post by Tychsen »

Have stayed in several gites , St.James , Colville right up on the coast , Granville - all very good and better value than any two week holiday to the Med. ( which just can't compete).
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A certain bridge over a certain canal , which was assulted by British Glider borne troops.
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A certain cafe , by a certain bridge over a certain canal which was the first building "liberated" by British Glider borne troops.
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The name of the certain bridge.
Today the bridge is the centre piece of a small museum located on the "Caen Side" of the canal - on the left hands side of the road just as you get across "the new bridge".

Cherbourg.
Much destroyed in the fighting to take the town the fort overlooking the town is now quite a well appointed Museum.
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An 88m PAK one of several guns "on guard" at the old fort.
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missyd
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Re: NORMANDIE

Post by missyd »

A certain bridge over a certain canal , which was assulted by British Glider borne troops.
The bridge on the picture ... its the new bridge?
I have seen the old one in '87 .... how could the frenchies replace Pegasus bridge with a new one ....? :? :evil:
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Daniela

Dove c'e' da Rievocare noi Rievochiamo - Dove c'e' da Ricostruire noi Ricostruiamo
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