Winter touring this week to Normandy & Brittany, April/May 2023

I am going to France on Friday with some friends. We are on a ferry from Portsmouth to Caen, arriving around 3pm, with only a few km to the hotel so we will take a little detour along the coast and visit the British Normandy Memorial https://goo.gl/maps/GYRSqfQwuvEuetKe8

We will proceed to our overnight stay in Creully sur Seulles in the Calvados region at Hotel St Martin https://goo.gl/maps/FLqR5bQsYiijEfxg6

@BEARR asked in another thread about hotel selection methods: first is to look on a Google Maps for hotel availability and the price on various booking sites. This gives a short list. This hotel was selected as it is part of the Logis group, independent hotels in an affiliation for marketing purposes. Most have a restaurant with local cuisine. From the Streetview link you can see it has covered parking and a gate at the entrance for anyone in my group who worries about security. It's rural France, I'd park on the pavement if there was no such luxury.

We are here for 2 nights so Saturday will be a day trip somewhere, assuming the extended winter does not spoil plans.

On Sunday we transfer over to St Malo in Brittany to a hotel in a familiar chain, Ibis. It is on the sea front and again, has decent parking at the rear. Streetview https://goo.gl/maps/9B6qKGHwi1VnnzDN9 - on Monday we will have a day on foot exploring the ancient walled city you can see on the horizon.
This hotel was selected due to availability on a bank holiday weekend, familiarity with the chain and the location not too far from the old city as my friends are in their 70s and don't like to walk too far. Off street parking is a bonus in a busier city. If winter persists, there are a number of restaurants close by as Ibis evening food is not the most imaginative.

On Tuesday we venture onto the Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy. Probably ride up the west coast which has, on a clear day, spectacular beaches and views of the Channel Islands. We stay in a small town in another Logis, Grand Hotel Du Louvre https://goo.gl/maps/pmQgQY1NeaZJoJ4U7 in Valognes. Another Streetview link showing the nice parking in a courtyard.
Again 2 nights so a day to explore the peninsula which has D Day beaches, rugged coast, some lighthouses (I do like a lighthouse as they are mostly in spectacular locations). Maybe St Mere Eglise but been there before and visited the US Airborne Museum.

Ferry back to the UK on Thursday 4 May from Cherbourg.

I prebooked the accommodation as the weekend is a holiday weekend in UK so lots of Brits head over the Channel for a few days. Also, with a few of us, booking ahead gives reassurance, especially for those getting on a bit. It also means we can do our own thing during the day and just meet for pre-dinner drinks e.g. if someone wants to visit a museum they can get on with it and the others can spend more time riding. Everyone in the group is a seasoned traveller of many decades so no hand holding is required. I have done that in the past but I am more selective with my travelling companions nowadays.

I'm currently gathering my stuff to pack for the trip. This extended winter is a proper PITA. Like @Lee trip, parts of the UK are having frosts overnight. We have rain today, with a few big thunderstorms. Goretex everything methinks, then the usual allocation of clothing plus an extra merino mid-layer just in case it gets colder in a morning, although no big distances so we can start later if frosty. I have removed the bar muffs and won't take the heated gear.