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Travel StoriesA Holiday In Normandy
Reminiscing Honfleur
Ride Date 26 June 2026
By Ren Withnell
Blummin' 'eck it's 'ot!
Today is our last full day here for tomorrow we catch a ferry and return to Blighty. I have convinced myself we'll have an easy day today because we'll be doing a fair few miles tomorrow and it'd be nice to be "fresh". If I'm honest spending a whole week in one place is, in spite of the comfortable and relaxed holiday we've enjoyed here, is just a tad too long. I've done what I set out to do and I'm rather out of ideas.
So I've come up with a cunning and devious plan. As previously mentioned Sharon and I enjoyed our first "abroad" holiday together in Honfleur back in 2011. Using Google maps I've found and pinned the tiny little studio we hired back then some 15 years ago. I intend to take her there just out of curiosity. Then we'll drop into Honfleur for another look around and that'll be that.
Oh sweet mercy it's going to be cooler today, a mere 37c instead of yesterday's 39c - oh... what... a... relief. Not. It's another lazy easy morning comprising lots of cups of tea, cereal for breakfast, and I'm starting to gather my items into one place for packing later. Urgh, that means we'll be going home soon doesn't it.
It's 1130 before we're both aboard my bike, Sharon is luxuriating on my pillion seat today. In bright glorious sweaty blinding sunshine we ride amid the fields and we're pretty close to Honfleur when I realise I've taken the wrong exit on the roundabout - ARGH! Calm down Ren, not to worry, I have sat-nav to save me.
Oh - we are on a motorway with - get this - a 130km speed limit! Cor blimey gov, all that speed and the law says it's legal too. OK brain - what's 130km? Errr... errrrm... errrr. Well 100 is 60 innit. Plus a bit more than half of 30, say 17, so like 77mph? Well 100 is actually 62 so kind of like 79mph? (It is actually 80.8mph). I know it uses petrol, I know I'm not required to do this, but well I can and I feel I should even if only for a moment. I give it large!
I've ridden over 110,000 miles on the two 47bph CB500Xs I've owned, and never really felt like I needed more power, like the bike was underpowered. 110kmh comes up easily enough. Ah - now we're headed uphill. 120 takes a while longer and as we get higher and come out from behind a truck there's a big headwind. I have the throttle wide open, I'm tucking in and it seems to take an age to reach 130kph, as indicated on the sat-nav as the speedo is at 140+. Wowsers! Yeah, I only just about can maintain 130kph (80mph) 2 up uphill into a headwind.
Right! Enough. I roll off and tuck back in behind a truck, a steady 90kph. Should I be disappointed? Initially I am then I remember how much happier I am cruising behind this truck with time to think and breath. Naaaaah, it's fun for a moment or two but nope, not for me chief. 80mph 2-up uphill into a headwind is sufficient for the likes of me thanks. It costs me €0.50 for the "privilege" of doing 80 legally... Blummin' French toll road innit.
Plenty quick enough, 99.99999% of the time.
Sat-nav, now showing much more sensible speeds, leads us off the motorway and into the Normandy countryside once more. Turn here, left there and then the road starts to look pleasantly familiar. Once I reach the pin I stop, turn to Sharon and ask "look familiar?"
There's a pause from Sharon, I can hear the cogs and gears whirring in her head even through her helmet. "Clunk" something's dropped into place... "Clink" a penny drops... "Sproing" no not that... "Kathunk - Oh it's the cute little place we stopped ages ago, when we first came here!" Well done sweetie, I'm so proud.
Yup, we were pretty damn poor back then and this tiny little studio was all we could afford. None-the-less it was clean and comfortable and dry, I have fond memories and so does Sharon. The house and garden still look clean and well maintained, in full bloom and quite lovely. We only stop to look and reminisce, we're on our way soon enough.
The "little studio" is the section without the timber framing, about the size of a large garage. Lovely.
Along the road we walked in the rain back then, remember? Yes that's right you slipped on the manhole leaving 2 soaking Brits laughing in the rain. Up to the superstore where we did our shopping, this time I fuel up the bike in preparation for tomorrow's ride. Then down the hill into Honfleur where I park the bike near the harbour with all the other bikes, again. Yes of course I want to explore new places but there's a joy in being nostalgic too.
There's always a good few motorcycles parked near the harbour.
We affix a good portion of the kit to the bike with a long cable I have. It's still too hot in the bike gear we have on and still we bravely and heroically go for a walk. Honfleur is still busy, filled with tourists much like ourselves though thankfully it's not jam packed like it was last Sunday.
A walk up here, pop into that shop for a drink, find some public toilets, and take a visit to the church. Sharon isn't religious, she doesn't believe in the god of the Bible or the Torah or the Koran, she is spiritual though. Within the church she lights a candle for her sister and spends a moment of reflection there. She's been greatly affected by her sister's death in so many ways.
Ye olde lane.
Within the church.
A candle for Tracey.
After an hour and a half of meandering it feels enough and we return to the bike. Sharon wants to buy a trinket from the trinket shop, I remain with the bike and strike up a conversation with a British couple each with their own respective big bikes. They've been here almost 2 weeks and are catching a ferry from Dieppe today as we will be tomorrow.
They've had a fair old trip! All the way around France - camping in the heatwave. It's been a struggle, I can see that in their faces as I recall my own stiflingly hot tent experiences. Like ourselves they've tried to keep out of the midday sun with early starts and late ends. They haven't had a pool, they haven't always been able to find shade, they've endured the heat in much harder ways than Sharon and I have.
Her bike was also damaged on the Dieppe ferry coming to France, not their fault either. Something about another bike falling over and taking out her left side pannier and mount. DFDS have taken responsibility, there's some sort of compensation forthcoming but they've had to fudge a solution making the whole trip that much more of a struggle. It flips my stomach to hear this. I wish them well as they set off towards Dieppe as Sharon returns.
That ferry damage rattles around in my head as we ride back. You plan these trips, you try to cover every base, make sure you've got all the gear, planned a route, passports and documents, tools and spares etc etc etc etc. And still you're at the mercy of other people, the weather, and other disasters both natural and man made. Logically I understand each and every moment of each and every day - things can and will go wrong, which scares the crap out of me. I'm a control freak, something I don't like about myself.
It's 1430 when we get back to the gite. Rather than crawl out of the sticky bike kit we both jump on Sharon's bike and take a quick ride to a petrol station nearby. This way we're both filled up ready for tomorrow, one less thing to worry about, it is one thing I can control.
After this I give the bikes a once over and start to collect all my gear together. Let me see - errrr - the ferry is at 1200, we need to be there AT LEAST 45 minutes before so 1115. I'd like to leave plenty of leeway so 1000 and it's 1.5 hours to get there, I'd like to be on the road at 0800 ideally. Yes yes yes we might have some waiting to do, but I can do waiting, I can't do flapping and panicking. Sharon and Meg reluctantly agree as we all clean as much of the gite as we can.
Someone is not worried about packing or timetables, just food and splashing.
After double checking everything... twice... including the booking confirmations and passports and bikes and luggage - it's probably time for bed. I have mixed feelings tonight. I am ready to move on, we've been here long enough. I've enjoyed our time here too, I don't want to leave. I'm nervous about timings and traffic for tomorrow, but after talking to that British couple I'm trying to force my brain to accept not everything is in my control and things go wrong.
You'd think I'd be lying there awake fretting? Gone, well out of it, most unlikely I know but there we are.
Contact Ren via ren@bikesandtravels.com
A Holiday In Normandy - Prologue
France! Well northern France because our soft arsed lazy writers can't be bothered to go any further. It's time for excuses and explanations as to why The Dynamic Muppets are off on holiday and not an exciting expedition.
Bedfordshire Is Not In France
And they're off to France! Well Bedfordshire today, but they will get to France eventually... hopefully... maybe?
Struggling Into France
It's time to go to France, alas there's far too much time to go to France. Ren is early, the trains are late, it's hot, and it's disorganised. Oh and Sharon's life flashes before her eyes - or was it a Transit van?
Finally To The Gite
It's a much less stressful day's ride today. Good weather, a sensible mileage to cover, and no reason to rush. Fear not Ren will find a few things to gripe about.
Hot In Honfleur
It's hot, it's busy, and it's all a bit odd. In spite of all this and some confusing food Ren might possibly at risk of almost having an OK day?
Hot And Simple Normandy
Sharon is in her element, Ren is at risk of melting as a heat wave hits Normandy. There's a little motorcycling and a lot of pool time, plus some sweating.
The Surprising River Seine
The River Seine is not at all that which Ren expected, which is a good thing for once. Save for the exceedingly hot weather and questionable pricing it all turns out rather well.
Pretty Yport And Unfine Dining
Another hot day with another simple ride, this time to The Alabaster Coast. There's a nice seaside town, and some not so nice dining in this episode.
Shopping In Le Havre
It's not a special day out for Ren at all, in fact it's all terribly dull. Not to worry there might be something to learn in realising not all of France is cute villages and countryside.
Reminiscing Honfleur
An easy last full day in France for Sharon and Ren, filled with a variety of memories and feelings. It's also time to get ready for the return leg.
Reader's Comments
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Is the bike quick enough Mr. It's a funny question really. The STrom is plenty quick enough but even with ergonomic changes and gearing changes it still feels a little overwhelmed at times. 70 mph is lovely, 80 mph is alright, 90 mph is "Why's everything feeling busy Ethel". The bike can do it, two up with luggage too, but it shows it's smaller cubic capacity at times. It's strange because sitting behind the screen is probably the most serene experience since riding behind the electric barn door of a LT1100. But just occasionally I long for the three figure smoothness of The BeaST, set it to motorway devouring mode and hang on, you know, where did that 25 litres of fuel go. The feeling goes as soon as you find a bend or a town.
How long is too long? Another funny question. We moved on to Sicily two years ago after 5 days despite already paying for the accommodation we were in for a week. Sometimes you just want to ride, which I spose is the difference between a bike tour and a week in the sun. If we're on the bike give us a tour every time. We spent 4 nights in Krakow on the last ride, it was plenty. It felt good to ride out and see some more.
Honfluer looks like it's worth a visit.
Upt.
10/11/2026 11:24:36 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Funnily enough we stayed in a gite like that about 20 years ago. It was up the hill from Honfleur itself - just a little bit far for an evening stroll.
I told you the church was worth a visit. I seem to remember it was built by local shipbuilders hence its shape like an upturned boat's hull. But that may be total fantasy.
As regards bike speeds, I never felt that I needed more on the Commando with its effective top speed in the mid 80s. But then its tyres never touched motorway / autoroute unless absolutely necessary. The big Tiger was really just way overpowered at 105bhp. I did once take it over the ton just to see what it felt like and have to say I wasn't that keen. A lovely bike to ride but really too big and cumbersome especially as a solo rider.
10/11/2026 12:16:23 UTC
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Travel StoriesA Holiday In Normandy