This years trips

[rodbargee]

just booked a ferry to northern Spain towards the end of April, Navarra region again, its a great place to ride. 4 going again CAnt wait!

aiming to stay a bit nearer the Pyranees N260

[ninja]

Excellent. I'm off there myself in June. Portugal, Pyrenees and then onto the Alps. 12 days of hard-core scratching and camping.

[Cousin Jack]

Moi aussi. Ferry to Spain, the along the length of the Pyrenees, and back again.. In September.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Excellent. I'm off there myself in June. Portugal, Pyrenees and then onto the Alps. 12 days of hard-core scratching and camping.

Don't forget the hat

[rodbargee]

Moi aussi. Ferry to Spain, the along the length of the Pyrenees, and back again.. In September.

we last did it from Perpignon to Pamplona in a couple of days N260 great piece of riding.

[ninja]

Superb, isn't it!?

[westers151]

A group of 8 of us are taking the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander, and across the bottom of the Spanish Pyrenees to Perpignan (N260, obviously). We then head back up through France via various national parks, stopping at Carcasonne, and visiting Oradour Sur-Glane, amongst other places before taking the ferry from Caen to Portsmouth. 9 day trip, in total - we all married well and have understanding wives

Especially looking forward to visiting Oradour Sur-Glane - I remember seeing it on the opening episode of World at War, and having read about what happened, I'm expecting to be rather moved by it all.

[Dodgy69]

Where do you guys stay when in that part of the world and is it a book early thing. ???

[mangocrazy]

A group of 8 of us are taking the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander, and across the bottom of the Spanish Pyrenees to Perpignan (N260, obviously). We then head back up through France via various national parks, stopping at Carcasonne, and visiting Oradour Sur-Glane, amongst other places before taking the ferry from Caen to Portsmouth. 9 day trip, in total - we all married well and have understanding wives

Especially looking forward to visiting Oradour Sur-Glane - I remember seeing it on the opening episode of World at War, and having read about what happened, I'm expecting to be rather moved by it all.

When are you doing this? If it coincides with me being down at our gaff (a short distance from Beziers) you could drop in for a cuppa or I could join you for a day.

[The Spin Doctor]

Especially looking forward to visiting Oradour Sur-Glane - I remember seeing it on the opening episode of World at War, and having read about what happened, I'm expecting to be rather moved by it all.

It's quite gut-wrenching... but sadly it's become a tourist attraction.

[westers151]

When are you doing this? If it coincides with me being down at our gaff (a short distance from Beziers) you could drop in for a cuppa or I could join you for a day.

May 30th should be when we get to Perpignan.

Especially looking forward to visiting Oradour Sur-Glane - I remember seeing it on the opening episode of World at War, and having read about what happened, I'm expecting to be rather moved by it all.

It's quite gut-wrenching... but sadly it's become a tourist attraction.

Agree, after reading about it, and in particular how they dealt with a baby, it left me sickened for quite some time. With those thoughts in my head, I'm sure it will make me think, and reflect. no matter how touristy it is.

I found the cemeteries and memorials in the Somme very moving, no matter how many coach loads of people; there's something very sobering when you look upon rows upon rows of men who were so young, yet lost their lives.

The one place in the Somme that really brough it home was the Lochnager Crater; not many people there at the time, but the way they've posted letters and accounts from soldiers, some of whom died shortly after writing the letters, really brought a lump to my throat.

[mangocrazy]

When are you doing this? If it coincides with me being down at our gaff (a short distance from Beziers) you could drop in for a cuppa or I could join you for a day.

May 30th should be when we get to Perpignan.

Ah, bugger. I'll be down there early April to mid-May, but will probably be back in Blighty by 30th May. It's a good time to do it though - you should have missed the spring rains and the temps should be ideal; plenty warm but not stupid hot. If plans change I'll let you know.

[rodbargee]

accommodation booked near Pamplona up in the Hills and within striking distance of the Pyrenees
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/San ... authuser=0

[rodbargee]

Superb, isn't it!?

absolutely ! just have to watch out for loose cattle and horses in the road!

[Mr Moofo]

end of May trip to Normandy Beaches - Newhaven to Dieppe ferry. Just about to book at look for some Air BnB

[The Spin Doctor]

I think it was the coachloads who'd turned up and were just wandering around Oradour looking at phones and chatting as if it was your average tourist town street that I found depressing. It was much worse on my second visit than my first.

[westers151]

I think it was the coachloads who'd turned up and were just wandering around Oradour looking at phones and chatting as if it was your average tourist town street that I found depressing. It was much worse on my second visit than my first.

Yeah, that would cheese me off too. Fingers crossed we get a less busy time - it'll be late afternoon on a week day, rather than a weekend, so maybe that will play in our favour.

[Count Steer]

I think it was the coachloads who'd turned up and were just wandering around Oradour looking at phones and chatting as if it was your average tourist town street that I found depressing. It was much worse on my second visit than my first.

Pretty much the same here. 1st visit was quiet and very thought provoking. Second was like some macabre theme park.

[ChrisW]

I think it was the coachloads who'd turned up and were just wandering around Oradour looking at phones and chatting as if it was your average tourist town street that I found depressing. It was much worse on my second visit than my first.

Yeah, that would cheese me off too. Fingers crossed we get a less busy time - it'll be late afternoon on a week day, rather than a weekend, so maybe that will play in our favour.

I once stopped at Lochnagar when I was on my own - surprisingly there wasn't anyone there either. Except that when I was half way walking around the perimeter I noticed a bloke and his young sun messing about right at the bottom of the crater...really annoyed me.

[Count Steer]

Some of the most poignant moments I've experienced were hiking in Alsace. You'd find small burial areas at the edge of woodland, some with maybe only 10 graves or a simple memorial, others where the buried German bodies had since been repatriated. Then you'd sit down somewhere for lunch and realise you were in an old foxhole and there were bits of metal and barbed wire still sticking out of the ground after all those years. It all became very, very real and, in a strange way, very personal. They were very quiet rest stops.