Exploring Swiss Normandy (and the site of the 1944 battle around Falaise)
There's much more to Normandy than D-Day and William the Conqueror, so on Thursday we could explore Swiss Normandy (okay, and Falaise which is famous both for William the Conqueror and the final phase of the Normandy campign in 1944).
A possible 94-mile route:
Leave Cormolain on the D31 eastwards, turning right soon after you leave the village, go through Sallen and onto Caumont-L'Eventé.
Cross over the main road, go round behind the church (tower rebuilt after the Americans knocked it down in 1944 and again after the wind blew it down in 1999) and leave on the D54.
Follow the D54 over the A84 and then over the D577 until you come to Aunay-sur-Odon (rebuilt after a major tank battle virtually destroyed the village in 1944).
Turn right onto the D54 and leave the village.
Soon after leaving Aunay, turn right onto the D106 and follow it through Saint-Célerin until you come to the D165, where you turn left.
In Le Plessis-Grimoult turn left onto the D54
The road climbs the hill to the top, where you turn onto a track to your left opposite a large antenna.
Follow this track to the Mont Pinçon memorial.
The memorial overlooks the battle site, so after having a look at the the challenge the attackers faced (there's an abandoned German bunker too, so bring a torch), retrace your tracks to the D54 and turn left.
Take the first right onto the D211 and follow this all the way to the river Orne, which you cross and then turn right onto the fairly large main road, the D562.
Half-way through St Rémy turn left to follow a fairly small sign to "Route des Crêtes". If you miss it, carry on to the end of the village and take the left turn on a bend opposite an abandoned mill, just before the level crossing.
Follow this road to Le Vey, stopping at the Pain de Sucre (left) to admire the view on the way.
In Le Vey, cross the river and then turn left, following the D168 along the river, through Le Lande and Le Bô and Cossesseville until you reach the D23, where you turn right.
At the D511 turn left and follow this road into Falaise.
As well as the 11th century castle (left), Falaise has plenty of cafés and restaurants, plus a WWII museum.
Leave Falaise on the D6 and follow this road all the way to Thury-Harcourt, where you turn right, still on the D6 and then turn left after the ruined château as you leave the town (although the road is still numbered the D6, it's quite clearly a turning off the main road).
The D6 takes you back to Aunay-sur-Odon, but don't return to Caumont on the road we came in on. Instead, stay on the same road to Villers-Bocage (also completely rebuilt after a major tank battle).
You don't go into Villers-Bocage, but skirt the south side, turning left where the road sweeps to the right to go into the town, and then right onto the D71, which you follow all the way back to Caumont-L'Eventé, Sallen and then Cormolain.
If you have a TomTom. (right-click, then click on "save as" and save it to your TomTom.)
The Garmin route is here. (This is the first route I've ever plotted, so forgive me if it's not 100 per cent accurate.)
Later on, there are fireworks at the battery at Longues-sur-Mer at 11.30pm.
