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Gauging Interest - FGM Normandy Tour 2017

Ithikial

Ithikial

FGM 2ND IN COMMAND
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Age
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Location
Perth, Australia
It's a topic that creeps out of the shadows once every year or so... only to sliver down again. But this time I've got about 13 weeks of Long Service Leave to take!

It's been on my travel bucket list for quite a while. I've always wanted to visit the Normandy battlefields and @Gunner 's Normandy Tour journal that he posted last year got me enthused all over again. It's also been a long term FGM goal to have a Battlefield meet up of members at some point.

Gunner's tour was run by this operator and by the sounds of it, he had a lot of praise for his knowledge, enthusiasm and effort.
http://www.pegasusbattlefieldtours.com/

So the big question is.... who's with me?

No 100%, money on the table guarantees required at this point but it would be good to start to find a core group of 6 members or so to take part. (Smaller operator, places are limited!) Early estimates you're probably up for about $2000 - $3000, not counting air fares etc.

Thinking of:
- sometime late summer/early autumn 2017.
- a week long (in depth) tour.
- staying in Bayeux (more central for the tour operator to cover both American and Commonwealth sectors).
- if we can get a core group of guys who are committed, I'll set up a sub-forum for us to sort out details and travel arrangements / hunt for good accommodation deals etc.

So if you are interested talk to the Mrs / Minister of Finance and post your level of commitment below. :D Details negotiable but I would note that personally, I'd be coming from the other side of the world so dropping the tour length to some stingy 2 day visit isn't on the cards, and I know I'd need to have some forewarning to book things, sort out with work etc.

So far:
100% Confirmed
@Bootie (*cough* Birthday Celebration *cough*)
@Nathangun

Possibles
Ithikial
@Richtig
@Enven
@Balkan Warrior
 
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Mark me down as 100%... wife thinks its a great idea for me to bugger of for a week. I usually go somewhere on a lads trip once a year... last 3 years have been Madrid, Frankfurt and Prague so I'd love to meet up with some of you guys and you can all watch me get rotten drunk. :)
 
I'd be up for this. Been thinking about a trip for some time, so definitely of interest...


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@Ithikial You are looking at the 6 day tour?
I would plan on taking a day off in the middle.
Gary may say 9 to 5 but every day we did not get back until 7-730.
In 6 days we had over 80 stands so when we got back we were pretty tired. Clean up some, dinner, a few beers and bed ;)
Plus not only can you sleep in a bit on the day off you can do touristy things like see the Bayeux Tapestry or scoot down to Mount Saint Michele which is just amazing, a sight of a life time.
The cost for the tour split between 6 for 6 days would be 425 Pounds each or $603.
A nice room in Bayeux (we stayed at the Hotel Tardiff - highly recommended) is about $125 or 90 Pounds a night including a nice spread for breakfast.
So with dinners, which are quite reasonably priced, drinks, lunch, hotels and tours I would put the cost for 7 days at about $2000.
Early October is when we went the first time and the weather was perfect.

Gary is a fantastic guide.
He's got stories, seems to have met many of the veterans on both sides, has great visuals and inside stories and facts that, believe me, would surprise the most ardent student of Normandy battles
He lives and breaths the battle of Normandy.
Mainly though it is from the British and Canadian point of view.

We just went back in April and did a 3 day tour following the 1st SS Panzer Corps.
Just a note on that, he found and copied a hand drawn map made by the Germans of every location of gun or mg on the hill and adjacent ridge.
To stand at the bottom of the hill and point out where all the mg's were, and there were a-lot of them, and picturing the Highlanders trying to go up was just unfathomable.

He found where Wittman and the Tigers were lagered just off the main road when the British drove through Villers-Bocage and what point they stopped on the hill on the other side.
He then took us on Wittmans ride turning left towards the town and describing the action and British counter action what seemed every few feet every few feet.
We spent a full day following Operation Goodwood.
A half a day at Mortain.
In depth fighting with the 12SS at the Battle of Rots.
Amazing.

I'm catching the fever now.
Hmmmm next October eh? Hmmmmmm

Edit: Oh yes and on the day off is when to buy the souvenirs and other baubles for the Misses who put up with you going on this expedition and having to listen the the "war" stories when you get back ;)
 
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Ithikial said:
You know you want to. Would just worry we'd be going over lots of old ground for you. Accomodation etc would proably be discussed once we have a locked in, money on the table group who want to go.
Click to expand...

No problem there.
I was looking at the Pegasus webpage and saw he had a "Holland" tour. Our next grand adventure will probably be Market-Garden so I asked him about it.
I also talked about the consideration of going next year only this time I would pay attention. ;)
Seriously, there was so much detail you certainly could go twice, especially a few years apart and still learn and enjoy.
I've toured Gettysburg, I don't know, a dozen times and there is something new to learn every time.
I certainly would take pictures differently - and additionally. And be sure to have a video recorder.
 
If this thing gets rolling and you need another body for the Holland tour let me know. (Depending on timing of course). I can't just duck across the channel multiple times so would be interested in bingeing on tours while I'm on that side of the world.
 
Hey! How come the profiles don't say where you are from anymore?
I live in New York.
If I were to go I would fly JFK to Orly and rent a car or take the train to Bayeux.

Three things had to align before my two brothers and I were able to go.
1) We finally had enough vacation time.
2) We are at a point in our lives where we had saved the extra cash.
3) Our wives were like "Yes, please, by all means go and get out of the house."
 
Just thought I would add what our 6 day itinerary encompassed.
I could be more detailed as to where we stopped each day if you like.

Day 1 - US Airborne Sector

Day 2 - Omaha & Utah Beaches

Day 3 - British 6th Airborne Sector

Day 4 - British & Canadian Beaches

Day 5 - Various

Day 6 - The Falaise Pocket

Maybe this may pique some interest (?)

Ithikial, you would be coming in from Perth?
 
Oh I l know Peth all right. (didn't know there was a Perth Scotland, no offense Bootie)
I'm a big fan of Australia although never having been.
I have friends and co-workers and other acquaintances from Australia. None from the Outback though and only a very few has made it to Alice Springs.
And, being an 'ol geezer myself, who could forget the Australia II from Perth taking the Americas Cup away from the New York Yacht Club after a holding it for 132 years. :)

I guess you would fly west to France and not through New York.
If you took a quick glance would you fly in to Paris via Charles de Gaulle or Orly or another method to get to Normandy?
 
Probably getting a bit ahead of myself on ways to get to Normandy, but I have noted I've yet to take the Eurostar under the channel. ;)

Just to rub it in... America's Cup, 1983.... I wasn't even born. ;) (1984). But a few immortal words from our Prime Minister at the time the day after, "Anyone who fires their worker for turning up to work today is a bum!" The boat was also awarded 'Athlete of the Year' in 1983 over actual athletes. It also led to Fremantle getting a huge facelift ahead of the race being run here a few years later. I remember my old man made a hell of a lot of money doing glass work for all the renovations and building that occurred. Shame it's a hole again now. :p
 
I have never been in these places and I'd love to visit them, but personally with job and family duties it would be impossible to guarantee a 100% confirm one year and half ahead.
Maybe can be a big factor for other forumiters as well.
 
Desperately tempting; BUT NO way I can afford it next year (And I've even calculated accomodation based on a tent :confused:)
 
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