Trip to France...

[Mudge]

We were in Normandy (D-Day and Band of Brothers tour) last month.
We both loved Bayeux and the parts of the Normandy countryside we saw. The people couldn't have been friendlier and the food is fantastic. The people love the Americans. Saw more American flags flying in the towns there than I normally see in a month here.
There is train service to Bayeux from the St. Lazare station in Paris. takes about 2 hours and should cost about $180RT for the two of you. If you go, try to get a room at the Hotel Churchill. You'll love it. There's a great little restaurant about 50 yards away called La Fringale. GREAT FOOD.
For a tour, do yourself a favor and book with BattleBus. They have one and two day tours of the D-day beaches. Trust me, the tour is a real eye opener if you're into WWII history. It'll prove that you shouldn't believe everything Hollywood spits out.


I'll be glad to give you detailed info if you PM me.

Mudge the tourist

Here's the Battle Bus website:
http://www.battlebus.fr

Last edited by Mudge on Wed Aug 22, 2007 1:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Jiggersfromsphilly]

Mudge is right! The Battlebus tours are intimate and full of detail. The trip by train is from Paris about 2&1/2 hours. Driving is 3 plus. You will find the view from the bluffs at Omaha Beach worth the trip alone. The Museum and Church in St Mere Eglise is another spot not to miss. The Dead Man's Corner Museum is good and getting better That will fill at least one day. If you liked Band of Brothers or Saving Private Ryan, Battlebus will give you even more inside intel on the real stories.

Here is a link for trains from Paris. There is an English flag you should click on for translation.

http://www.voyages-sncf.com/dynamic/_Sv ... geUK&WB=HP

[Django]

The Normandy tour sounds cool. I'll see if I can look up battlebus up on the web.

I have to really weigh my options as we've only got 3 days in France either at the beginning or the end of the trip. Not nearly enough time, I know, but the main focus of the trip is Southern Spain. I told my wife if we are going to Europe, I HAD to see something WWII related. Or else I was staying home.

[Wind, Sand and Stars]

At 50 kms south of Paris: http://www.ajbs.fr/
http://www.ajbs.fr/index-uk.php

And at 10kms to the north: http://www.mae.org/

[Bill Greenwood]

I don't know Spain, what are you going to do there all that time, Basque in the sun? Maybe you can arrange it for another day or so in France. Your lady is sure to like Paris and who could resist a quaint bed and breakfast on the Normandy coast? Can you help it if there a few historic places nearby?

[Mudge]

Basque in the sun?

Very droll, Bill. Very droll.

Spain..Schmain...Who wears the pants there?

Mudge the manly

[Django]

Haha, "honey, Europe is full of history... the kind I like is just more current than the kind you like." She is at an avantage over me. She spent 6 months in Italy (and short trips around Europe) for a semester.

As for Spain... Drink Sangria and eat Tapas. And something about a topless beach?

[Mudge]

Sangria, tapas, and bazooms instead of Omaha, Utah, and St. Mere Eglise.
Whoda' thunk it.
When will you have another chance to get to Normandy? Probably not soon, right?
When will you have a chance to have sangria, tapas, and see hooters. Pretty much any time you want.

Wouldn't be a tough decision for me.

Troops...I fear we have a case of "You're going to Spain with me or your life of celibacy begins."

Mudge the fearful

"Just funnin', son. Just funnin'."

[Django]

Haha, she actually puts up with all of my addictions, (cars, motorcycles and WWII airplanes) so I owe her.

[Jiggersfromsphilly]

How about visiting some Spanish Civil War sites?