Day 2 - British Day

Day 2. 48 miles. Average speed 13.6. Top speed 40.1. British Day.
A short ride in the morning to Arromanche – to our base for the morning – a hill above the beaches. Arromanche is the town where the British built the Mulberry Harbour – a most incredible engineering feat – a harbour built in sections in Southern England then towed across the channel to ensure that all the supplies needed by an army could be unloaded. An excellent service overlooking the harbour – the peddling padre being on fine form – a 15 minute amusing talk without notes followed by wreath laying ceremony. The best thing about being at the top of the hill is when one starts cycling again it is downhill all the way. The route took us along the coast and at certain key points the Guild of Battlefield Tour Guides who are travelling with us told us about individual battles as well as telling the overall D-Day story. Night at a small hotel on the outskirts of Caen – very upmarket in comparison to the second day - the rooms had an extra square feet of space, and there was a bar and restaurant on site. On the food stakes it is all perfectly adequate. Lunch is provided by an excellent company called Extreme Catering and they do an excellent job – the pasta meatballs for lunch were memorable. Food in the hotels is basic but nourishing – and washed down with copious quantities of cheap French red wine is perfectly acceptable.