Normandy End Game

My last two days en France were spent on national highways, provencial roads, village roads and two-track paths. I finished my wandering at the WWII museum in Quineville. Constrained by the time that it would take to get to Charles de Gaulle airport for a Sunday morning flight, I moved quickly through the nearly forty narratives about the start, execution and end of the D-Day maneuver. The scramble hedgerows added a great perspective to travels along the coast of the Cherbourg Peninsula. Traveling in low gear, the backroads adventure between Cherbourg and Barfleur took the majority of the day. Then another four hours on the shoreline (sometimes literally) with travel towards Caen and then onto the national A12 road.

This outing moved towards a lighthouse as the sunshine broke in the early afternoon.

A highlight was the first full stop in Fermanville, which was the site of an 1862 Viaduct, an engineering feat to support rail travel in the area. A short hike was required beyond the parish church to get to its base. From there, a set of dirt switchbacks to the walk across now a biking/hiking path.

Along the route, a windmill was tucked away in a grove of pine trees.

A thatched roof moulin (mill) was highlighted as a tourist spot by roadside signs. It was a 2 kilometer side trip and the off-season walk from the parking field to mill proved a good break mid-morning.

This classic car in the moulin parking area suggested a great return trip.

A farming estate discovered on a sandy road leading to the beach just northwest from Quineville required a stop.

The port of Barfleur was a surprising treat. "Wow" was my audible reaction as I pulled into a parking spot next to the Saturday market which was wrapping up for the day.