CYCLING IN NORMANY
Sat 25 – Fri 31 October 1997

I left later in the year for my trip to Northern France than I had originally intended: at the very tail of the autumn period and coinciding with the school Half-Term holidays. It could have been too wet and windy at this time of year, of course, but instead I had dry, but arctic, weather conditions all week with a stiff easterly breeze and weak wintry sunshine to keep me company. Mistake number one – don’t book your ticket one week before a school holiday or you’ll have problems finding a suitable crossing because the boats are full. I ended up having to leave for France from Poole rather than Plymouth – a bit of a detour, to say the least. Fortunately I could leave my car in Wareham with a friend, so that saved me the expense and bother of a train journey from Plymouth to Poole, which would have involved at least three changes and even a section by bus, so British Rail told me. It’s good to diversify.

The only real planning in this trip was deciding what to put in my panniers and not to forget my credit card, tickets and passport. Route planning in France was left to the crossing itself. Nothing like being organised is there? The disadvantage of docking in Cherbourg is that you then have the whole of the Cotentin Peninsula (approx. 70 miles) to descend before you can even begin to think about getting to Brittany or the more interesting parts of Normandy. Looking at the maps on the ferry, access west to Brittany seemed complicated if I was to avoid main roads, so I decided to head south and then east.

I went through the centre of the Cotentin Peninsula via Pont L’Abbé to Vire (DAY 1 – 89 miles – arr. 7pm) in order to avoid the hillier coastal roads. I was not convinced that the Cotentin with its endless succession of cows and orchards was scenically a particularly rewarding part of France – but perhaps I have missed something?

(DAY 2 – 77 miles – arr. 6pm) From Vire to Alencon I was cycling due east into a very chilly, stiff breeze, which resulted in disgraceful average speeds. This I blamed on my sluggish Roberts with its 70 degrees seat-post angle and the excess baggage I was carrying. ‘Fairly Fat Man On A Bicycle’ – I wonder if it would make a series. The area between Condé and Putanges was very worthwhile and involved a fair bit of climbing through forested valleys and afforded excellent views over the Suisse Normande.

(DAY 3 – 62 miles – arr. 6.30pm) Alencon to Thury-Harcourt was the most spectacular part of the trip, taking me over the Forêt d’Ecouves (excellent MTB terrain, reminiscent of Haldon Woods but much vaster) and through the Suisse Normande. ‘Swiss Normandy’ – the name fires the imagination but actually it is a bit of an exaggeration. However, it did take me over 1½ hours to cycle up 5 kms (650 feet) from the River Orne at Pont d’Ouilly to the top of the descent into Thury Harcourt at St Clair. It was so cold when I got to Thury I would have paid anything for a warm hotel – and almost did. It seems that hotel prices don’t relate directly to comfort or appearance in France. Le Stop Bar on the main street in Thury was definitely the dearest, and least comfortable, of all the hotels I stayed in and cost £21.50 without meals. If you have a choice, always check the room prices, which are displayed in the foyer of most French hotels, before you start waving your chequebook or money around. Pretend to make for the door, haggle even – in the off-season desperate hoteliers can develop a strangely generous streak.

(DAY 4 – 31 miles – arr 12.00pm) Caen was my next destination. The route I took was fairly circuitous since Caen is very close to Thury. I followed the Orne for part of the way through undulating, wooded countryside via Bretteville. The weather was disgustingly cold still and I was glad to find a hotel in Caen at a moderate price before I froze to death (the YH was closed for the winter). I discovered that Caen had an excellent shopping centre and was worth a visit in its own right sans bicyclette.

(DAY 5 – 107 miles – arr. 6.29pm) Having thawed out, I set out early the next day at 8.00am with the intention of getting to Cherbourg in time for the ferry at 6.30pm. With the wind in my back all the way this made for easy cycling, the main element of excitement being the distance I had to travel and the chance of missing the boat. I was in fact about 6 hours early for the boat because the only crossing from Cherbourg to Poole was at 11.45pm at night. I should have checked in Caen before I left, since I then would have had plenty of time to visit Bayeux and see the tapestry there. However, I did stop for an excellent lunch (tripes à la mode de Caen) at Isigny-sur-Mer, which is twinned with Kingsbridge, and had plenty of time to see Cherbourg by night and sample some crêpes bretonnes in a restaurant.

I was very pleased with this trip overall. I discovered that hotels are a viable alternative to YHs, especially if you have a guide book with prices in so that you can plan stops in advance. The cheapest I paid was £10 per night (in Cherbourg) and the average would be about £15. The point is that you pay by the room in France and two or three people can share for the same price – so, next time, forget the tent and the ants in the jam. Go for comfort. One of the best options are the ‘Hotels Formule 1’ – a list of which can be obtained from Tourist Offices. They are modern, comfortable and are open around the clock if you have a credit card. They can be found in almost any large town.

MICHELIN MAP 231 (1/200,000) is a good general route planning map for the area. But details are much better on the SERIE VERTE maps (1/100,000, Numbers 8 and 18 in particular, but 17 would be useful too). Don’t buy them in Britain where they now cost over £3.00. You can get them in any half-reasonable bookstore or newsagents in France for £2.70 each. Think what you pay for OS maps.

The Suisse Normande and the Forêt d’Ecouves are definitely worth another visit. It’s a different type of cycling in each area, of course. If you’re a masochist go to the Suisse Normande and pound up and down the 1 in 4s all day. Tell me you’re going and I’ll come and watch. For gentler rides – the Forêt d’Ecouves and surrounding areas offer superb touring for the ageing and arthritic or off-road stuff for the more energetic, and certainly fine views and forest scenery for everyone. If I did this trip again I would miss out the Cotentin Peninsula and leave directly from Caen. This would make it possible to extend the circuit to take in the scenic area around Vimoutiers further east or even Chartres further south with its cathedral and famous stained glass windows.

This must have been about my fourth trip to the north of France in the last two years and I am looking forward to going back as soon as possible in 1998. It doesn’t take a lot of organising – lack of detailed planning makes for flexibility in the choices you make and involves an element of excitement. After all, France is not the end of the Earth; and if you can remember that most places are closed on Sundays and Mondays and between 12 o’clock and 2.00 pm on other weekdays, you won’t have much trouble finding what you need.