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Testimonial WW2 Extended Sights Tour 2017

WW2 Extended Sights Tour   23 – 29 April 2017

P1110341 web

The “Virgins'” Tour – all first-timers to BN and what a great start to the riding season. A really fun group, good weather, good riding & a lot of laughs along the way!

We always start with a pre-tour briefing

We always start with a pre-tour briefing

Our first visit is to the Grand Bunker

Our first visit is to the Grand Bunker

Gavin & Josie

Gavin & Josie

Keith & Mike

Keith (Mike hidden)

“Well its Tuesday morning, the bike has been cleaned and the biking clothes washed and put away for a while… however the grin hasn’t cleared from my face and I’m still thinking and smiling about the people we met, the roads we rode and the sights we saw. Jen and John are a fantastic couple, very informative, very knowledgeable about the area and the history and always ready to answer any questions or queries that you may have about the tour… always willing to help… and you can’t ask for more than that. I am already looking at what I can do next !!Jen and John – thank you for the tour, the banter, the knowledge and the fun … it was a blast – even with John’s dodgy jokes !”
Mike Iles, 1st tour, Triumph Sprint GT
Leroy

Leroy

Josie "Allo, Allo!"

Josie “Allo, Allo!”

“Mike & I (aka Bert and Ernie – see below) would like to say a big big thank you for a brilliant week riding and sightseeing. The grins appear to have stuck to our faces. A great group of people and new friends made 
Leroy Smith, 1st tour, Suzuki GSX 650F
“Had a brilliant first tour with John and Jen, loved the sights, excellent company xx see you in September on the Monte Carlo Tour!”
Josie Allen, Kawasaki GTR 1400 (pillion)
Kevin tries the range-finder

Kevin tries the range-finder

Informative map of the D-Day landings

Informative map of the D-Day landings

John outlines the glider landings at Pegasus Bridge

John outlines the glider landings at Pegasus Bridge

We have a guided tour in English

We have a guided tour in English

“Had a fantastic week’s riding on the WW2 sightseeing tour with a great group of people. I was very impressed by the organisation and planning with John and Jen at Bike Normandy and for making it fun.”
Keith Edwards, 1st tour, Harley Fat Boy
See the original Pegasus Bridge

See the original Pegasus Bridge

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See how the Bailey Bridges were used

See how the Bailey Bridges were used

See a replica Horsa Glider

See a replica Horsa Glider

Lunch is at Arromanches

Lunch is at Arromanches

John explains the Mulberry B harbour

John explains the Mulberry B harbour

“Just want to give a big thanks to John and Jen for a great week we had on the WW2 Tour. We had a brilliant time and thoroughly enjoyed everything about the holiday, we had great places to visit, very informative especially with our “idiot guide” sorry “idiots guide”! Great accommodation especially in Bayeux. Great roads, Sheldon really enjoyed those. Great weather, we were really lucky to have such a great week in April. Great company, we really did enjoy everyone’s company, we had a lot of laughs and hope to see everyone again, perhaps on another tour. Everything was well organised and easy going with no stress, John and Jen really made you feel that the most important thing to them was that you enjoyed yourself on the Tour, which we did and will be booking another tour with them soon.”
Elaine Gardener, 1st tour, Kawasaki GTR 1400 (pillion)
Mike

Mike on the sea wall

We then visit the Gun Batteries

We then visit the Gun Batteries

Josie, Elaine & Jane

Josie, Elaine & Jane

Our next stop is the American Cemetery

Our next stop is the American Cemetery

“Hi John and Jen, just like to say thanks – what a fantastic week – fantastic roads, sights and company and would like to say a big thank you to you both for making our first tour such a great week. Look forward to meeting you again next year (if no spaces come available for the Monte Carlo tour). Sill trying to explain the joke to Jane!!”
 Kevin & Jane Colmer, 1st tour, Honda VFR 1200
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Sheldon & Keith

Sheldon & Keith

The names of the Missing

The names of the Missing

Our hotel in Bayeux

Our hotel for two nights in Bayeux

Parking in the private courtyard

Parking in the private courtyard

John sets the bar (low) for jokes!

John sets the bar (low) for jokes!

Dinner is included at Bayeux

Dinner is included the first evening at Bayeux

Leroy chooses oysters

Leroy chooses oysters

Ugh!! (Jen!)

Ugh!! (Jen!)

Day 2 we visit the German Cemetery

Day 2 we visit the German Cemetery

Leroy at a graveside

Leroy at a graveside

All the bikes

All the bikes

John in the lead

John in the lead on our Street Triple R

Sheldon & Elaine - Kawasaki GTR1400

Sheldon & Elaine – Kawasaki GTR 1400

Keith on his Harley Fat Boy

Keith on his Harley Fat Boy

Gavin & Josie - Kawasaki GTR 1400

Gavin & Josie – Kawasaki GTR 1400

Kevin & Jane - Honda VFR 1200

Kevin & Jane – Honda VFR 1200

We then visit the Pointe de Hoc

We then visit the Pointe de Hoc

Hear moving testimony from surviving Rangers

Hear moving testimony from surviving Rangers

See the bomb craters

See the bomb craters

The cliffs scaled by the Rangers

The cliffs scaled by the Rangers

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Leroy on his Suzuki GSX 650 F

Leroy on his Suzuki GSX 650 F

Steve & Anne - BMW K1600 GTL

Steve & Anne – BMW K1600 GTL

“Hi Jen and John! Thank you for the fab holiday! We loved it and really enjoyed the company. Everyone was so much fun!”
Steve & Anne Williams, 1st tour, BMW K1600 GTL
Our next visit is the Airborne Museum at St Mere Eglise

Our next visit is the Airborne Museum at St Mere Eglise

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Walk through a fusilage

Walk through a fuselage

Leroy steps out...

Leroy steps out…

Steve goes next...

Steve goes next…

Experience how the parachutists fall...

Experience how the parachutists fall…

Back at Bayeux - drinks on the terrace

Back at Bayeux – drinks on the terrace

Keith, Anne & Steve, John

Keith, Anne & Steve, John

"Gimme, gimme, gimme!" Josie wants her Muscadet!

“Gimme, gimme, gimme!” Josie wants her Muscadet!

Sheldon & Elaine with Josie & Gavin - the Cornish Pasties!

Sheldon & Elaine with Josie & Gavin

Kevin & Jane with Mike and Leroy

Kevin & Jane with Mike and Leroy

Our hotel is near the Cathedral

Our hotel is near the Cathedral

Our next hotel near St Nazaire

Our next hotel near St Nazaire

Ice on the bikes & Jen's riding!

Ice on the bikes & Jen’s riding!

After a heavy night Elaine was at the bottom of the scale...!

After a heavy night Elaine was at the bottom…

The next day she's moving up the scale...!

The next day she’s moving up the scale…!

The group opposite the U-boat pens at St Nazaire

The group opposite the U-boat pens at St Nazaire

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We go on board the Espadon submarine

We go on board the Espadon submarine

Josie at the controls

Josie at the controls

Gavin - "Dive, Dive!"

Gavin – “Dive, Dive!”

Mike climbs the lookout

Mike climbs the periscope ladder

The torpedo room

The torpedo room

Kevin

Kevin studies the torpedoes

Sheldon - up the periscope ladder

Sheldon – up the periscope ladder

Leroy slides down !

Leroy slides down !

Jen leads on our Street Triple R

Jen leads on our Street Triple R

Mike as backmarker on his Triumph Sprint GT

Mike as backmarker on his Triumph Sprint GT

Our  next hotel is at La Rochelle

Our next hotel is at La Rochelle

Explore the ramparts

Explore the ramparts

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John & Mike with ice creams

John & Mike with ice creams

Coffee in the sunshine

Coffee in the sunshine

"Why are French omelets so small? Answer..."Because one egg is un oeuf"  Can someone please explain this to Jane !!!!

Another of John’s jokes…Question…”Why are French omelets so small?    Answer…”Because one egg is un oeuf!!”  Can someone please explain this to Jane !!!!

We visit the Museum at Oradour-sur-Glane

We visit the Museum at Oradour-sur-Glane

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Josie outside the Girls' School

Josie outside the Girls’ School

Steve & Anne

Steve & Anne

Women & children were burned in the church

Women & children were burned in the church

Elaine & Sheldon

Elaine & Sheldon

Outside our next hotel

Outside our next hotel

Boys with beards & beers !!

Boys with beards & beers !!

Guess who drew the short straw to ride again today?!  (Thanks for the photo Elaine!)

Guess who drew the short straw to ride again today?! (Thanks for the photo Elaine!)

Our next visit is to the Saumur Tank Museum
Keith by a Tiger ll

Keith by a Tiger ll

Mike by a Flak 88 anti-aircraft gun

Mike by a Flak 88 anti-aircraft gun

Kevin & Jane by a Jagdpanzer tank destroyer

Kevin & Jane by a Jagdpanzer (38t) Hetzer tank destroyer

Anne & Steve by the Kettenkrad half-tracked motorcycle

Anne & Steve by the Kettenkrad half-tracked motorcycle

The tigers Elaine & Sheldon by the Tiger ll

The tigers Elaine & Sheldon by the Tiger ll

Gavin & Elaine by a Maultier rocket launcher

Gavin & Elaine by a Maultier rocket launcher

Leroy was there - really!

Leroy was there – really!

Mike by a genuine piece of the Berlin Wall

Mike by a genuine piece of the Berlin Wall

A Russian rocket launcher

A Russian rocket launcher

French Pluton nuclear missile carrier

French Pluton nuclear missile carrier

The engine room

The engine room

A car in a suitcase !

A car in a suitcase !

Mike

Mike

Leroy

Leroy takes aim

Our final hotel in Le Mans

Our final 4* hotel in Le Mans

Drinks before dinner

Drinks before dinner

Dinner together our last night

Dinner together our last night

Mike says a few words of thanks on behalf of the group

Mike says a few words of thanks

Jen starts the jokes...

Jen starts the jokes…

Mike goes next...

Mike goes next…

John takes a turn - so how did Jane know it was a marrow?!!!

John takes a turn – so how did Jane know it was a marrow?!!!

Spotted on the way back to the hotel !

Spotted on the way back to the hotel  – we always knew Leroy was famous !

The final visit is to the Museum at Montormel overlooking the Falaise Gap

The final visit is to the Museum at Montormel overlooking the Falaise Gap

We finish with a pic-nic lunch back at BN HQ where Mike is thanked for riding as back-marker during the Tour

We finish with a pic-nic lunch back at BN HQ where Mike is thanked for riding as back-marker during the Tour

And that's it - all back to the port in good time for the ferry

And that’s it – all back to the port in good time for the ferry

Thanks to everyone for making this a really great tour – “good things always come in small parcels” and although this was a fairly small group we had a lot of fun together – we hope to see many of you again on future tours. Regards, John & Jen.

And finally, as Mike & Leroy said…

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