Manu Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Hi guys and girls...can anyone inform me of the nearest aire or site to the bridge, please. Thanks in advance to all, safe and pleasant travels for 2010. Phil. PS, i've got Vics aires book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klyne Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Manu - 2010-01-12 10:59 PM Hi guys and girls...can anyone inform me of the nearest aire or site to the bridge, please. Thanks in advance to all, safe and pleasant travels for 2010. Phil. PS, i've got Vics aires book. If I recall correctly Les Hautes Coutures at Benouville is pretty near. Its some years since we have been but you used to be able to get onto the towpath of the Caen Canel directly from the site. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel wood Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 We also stayed at Hautes Coutures - within walking distance of the bridge. We found the site in Camping Club's 'Carefree' book. We (and many others) find the Caravan Club's Camping Europe books excellent and wouldn't go travelling in Europe without them. Details of this site are in the French book. These books are available to non-CC members. Manu if you don't have them I'd recommend their purchase - excellent for forward planning and entries are from members so you should get honest comments about the sites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertandjean Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Hi, When we visited a couple of years ago vans were staying overnight on adjacent car park. We needed water however so moved to nearby aire at Herouvillette. This is in a nice rural setting on edge of village with marked individual pitches; free for both parking and services. (No. 271 in Le Guide National, 2009) Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syd Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Be careful of the Caf'e beside the bridge, they are snooty as hell and charge the world. The "old lady" at the Caf'e is the daughter of the man who owned it during the war, frenchman brought up in Germany, and no one knew that he could speak German fluently and as it was then the only caf'e in the area the German Generals all met there to discuss the area's defences. The caf'e owner passed all of this information over to the Brits. Apologies if you all already knew this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Syd - 2010-01-13 8:20 PM Be careful of the Caf'e beside the bridge, they are snooty as hell and charge the world. The "old lady" at the Caf'e is the daughter of the man who owned it during the war, frenchman brought up in Germany, and no one knew that he could speak German fluently and as it was then the only caf'e in the area the German Generals all met there to discuss the area's defences. The caf'e owner passed all of this information over to the Brits. Apologies if you all already knew this I didn't meet the father but over 30 years ago I interviewed the mother (the first French woman to be liberated in 1944) for my dissertation in French. She was an Italian and the conversation took place in three languages - very confusing! She was very anti towards me at first as they had filmed the Longest Day there and for some reason she thought that I was part of the film crew. She was furious because she thought that the profits from the film should be given to the servicemen who had taken part in the landings but she warmed to me when I said my husband had been a soldier (much too young though to have taken part himself in the liberation of the bridge) and offered us coffee etc. Both her daughters had married Englishmen and I presume one of them was the haughty woman you met. I haven't visited the bridge since that day but I thought that it had been moved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Way2Go Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Patricia - 2010-01-13 9:44 PM . . . . I haven't visited the bridge since that day but I thought that it had been moved. You're perfectly correct Patricia. The original bridge was replaced and is now on display (including bullet holes) at the adjacent museum which is excellent and well worth a visit.W2G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Manu There is a fairly large parking area opposite the Pegasus Bridge museum and plenty of motorhomes were there (and presumably had overnighted) when we visited the bridge last year. The nearest 'aire' is at Herouvillette, but the services are in a sorry state. For fuller details, see the "non-French-speaking comments" for Herouvillette on http://campingcar-infos.com/index1.htm (This website would also offer alternative aires close to the bridge.) Can't say we found the lady proprietor of the café by the bridge "snooty". When we spoke to her - explaining that we shared a mutual friend - she told us that times were tough financially and she had begun to wonder how long she would be able to stay in business. It has to be recognised that trade there will be seasonal and that prices will tend to reflect this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syd Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 There is a second bridge nearby, that was of equal importance, that was also taken intact. Not as famous of course. The original bridge had at first been extended because the river had to be widened to take larger boats. The extension was made in wood but proved to be too heavy for its raising gear so a new almost identicle one was made to replace it. I found that most of the Brit military equipment on display in the museum was identicle to the equipment that we used when I was in the forces which shows just how much investment there was in the armed forces even at that time. I took about 50 pictures in the museum and as I was leaving a gentleman came up to me and requested that I put my camera away and did not take pictures. I was happy to oblige. There is a "Guided tour" of the outside displays that is worth taking as there was quiet a story relating to the old bridge, the bagpipe crossing, the german sniper on the distant church, the German aircraft bullet holes and the fact that the gliders were released about seven miles out to sea to gain the element of suprise. Very very interesting day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 As Syd says the guided tour is a "must do". Not only is it interesting but I tried to imagine the lives of the guys on that day, mostly young men 18,19 and early twenties. Then I imagined what I was doing at the same age! While I was out drinking cider and Newky Brown, trying to get past the well "structured defences" of girls and generally having a whale of a time, they were up to their necks in much and bullets! After seeing that and the Normandy Museum and cemetaries in Bayeaux I gained a true insight into the term "Hero". And since that day it hasn't been used in the same sentance as footballers, rugby players, or in fact any sports person no matter what "knocks" they've taken for the team! It should be a compulsary field trip for all schools just to let them get a better understanding of what words like sacrifice, hardship, friendship, responsibility and "Human Rights" mean. Well, that's my pontificating over for the day :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syd Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 It is a shame that the Caf'e is struggleing financially as it represents a very important historical museum in it's own right. It is to be hoped that the French government will step in to preserve it as a "Living Museum". Without it and it's very brave owner we would have lost a lot more soldiers. The current owners are very patriotic with all the Brit regiments mentioned along with individuals too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manu Posted January 14, 2010 Author Share Posted January 14, 2010 hi tomo...could'nt agree with you more,thanks for your input. Phil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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