Here is a selection of photos taken during my ride to Normandy. I covered mainly the British / Canadian area of operations on this trip with the exception of the American Cemetery Omaha beach which has a brand new interpretive center which worth anyone's time.

Sorry for the lack of posts in the last few days. I've had a lot of work going, but also I've been preparing for a 2 day trip to the Normandy coast to visit the D-Day beaches again. My first trip to Normandy was what inspired me to start Battlefield Biker.

I've been re-reading Overlord by Max Hastings to get the units and sectors fresh in my head. I am going to try to spend more time in the British and Canadian sector this time, specifically around Caen and Villers Bocage. It will be hard for me to avoid a quick run to Omaha, Pont du Hoc and St Lo, but I'll try to stay focussed on the Juno, Sword and Gold area.

I'm also going to look into the "Suisse Normande" and Orne River valley area for some great bike rides. The area is plastered with scenic routes on the map, so I want to see what they look like on the ground.

I'm taking the overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Caen tonight. I'll spend Wednesday and Thursday in the area, then take the ferry back overnight Thursday and Friday. I used H-C Travel for the ferry booking and booked my hotel through Accor hotels, which I often recommend on this site.

People sometimes ask me how I book my travel and why I recommend certain things. I used H-C Travel for this trip, because they have been able to get me cheaper ferry prices than I can get on my own, but also because they are excellent for motorcycle travel. David Grist and his team at H-C Travel know what bikers need and the documentation and instructions are always clear. I use and have used for years Accor hotels for business and leisure. What I like about Accor is that their website seems to work for me every time. Nothing drives me up the wall more than going through a long booking process and then finding that I cannot complete the reservation for one reason or another. Additionally, Accor has a great stable of hotels from the super cheap to the higher class. I can pick and choose depending on my riding style planned. i.e. If I am riding long and hard and will arrive late, I choose Formule 1 or Motel 6 just for a clean bed. If I am looking for a place to be comfortable and read with a couple of beers in the evening (like this time), I may book a Mercure or Ibis to get a bar and a restaurant. If I've got the wife and/or kids in tow, I may go for the Sofitel or Novotel for a pool and nicer room. You get the picture.

I'm really looking forward to this trip and look forward to sharing some rides, pictures and stories from the trip.