Pas de probleme...

Maxime was amazingly helpful, driving us to Roscoff the night before the ferry to show us the safest route and then taking us sightseeing around the lovely coves of Carentec.


The fact that we leave at 6.00 on a Sunday morning is also "pas de probleme".
As we pedal towards the ferry port at first light, hares bounced away across fields of globe artichokes and the empty leaves where the cauliflowers had been harvested. There is a lovely wide new cycle path, still being finished, from St Pol De Leon. There are no people about at this hour, just the unmistakeable smell of fresh baked bread from behind the Boulangerie shutters.
The nice lady at the terminal prints our ticket for us as we had booked on the phone last night, and told us there was a bit of a delay. Apparently Irish Ferries had left port with the gang plank still attached, so Brittany ferries could not disembark the passengers! They have returned it now but we think she said it was a bit bent. It gives us time for a last French breakfast.

Location:Carentec to Roscoff

Familiar territory...

Our legs have not tackled any hills for a few days, but we cope with the undulating quiet roads climbing north, and then the 10 mile downhill swoop to familiar Morlaix.


The Saturday market stalls, in the centre, are trying to keep their goods dry from a brief shower. As on many previous occasions, we people-watch from the Grand Cafe de La Terrasse. We last sat here with the Exeter CTC tourers when we were heading home, a couple of years ago. I am sure they will all be pleased to hear this establishment now has modern toilets!
A remarkably quick procession of weddings emerge at intervals from the flower bedecked Hotel de Ville.
A quick visit to the new central Intermarche for a few goodies to bring home, then the estuary road to Carentec where we have an assignation in front of the church with our last Warmshowers hostess (it turns out Maxime is a man's name, so it is actually a host!) His apartment has a view of the surrounding sea and islands. Maxine is planning to take a sabbatical to cycle various parts of the world so we share info on Canada and Europe.

Location:Rostrenen to Carentec

Devon folks...

Our second day on the Nantes Brest canal path. Most of the way it is a canalised river, with frequent weirs, each with a lock and lock keeper in his or her cottage.


There are lots of fisherman and 3 ladies on horses join the occasional cyclist or walker. Where the river becomes a long chain of lakes, we are diverted onto an off road rail trail, sometimes with wide views , other times through woods. We choose the small town of Rostrenen to stop for the night as it is about half way to our final stop over in France at Carentec.
The little town square is very busy with a large funeral when we arrive mid afternoon. The lady in the tourist office gives me info on the local Chambres d'hote and we cycle to the nearest. Run by an English couple from Kingsbridge, and the other couple staying are from Cornwall. Quite relaxing to not have to speak French for a change.
There are a good number of restaurants in the town, but as it is the longest day a music festival is in full fling and eateries are filling fast. Fortunately they squeeze us in at a fabulous Italian where the waitress turns out to be from Plymouth! Our French conversation can continue to rest. We contact friend Jeanne in Plymouth, by email, and arrange to stay overnight with her on our return.

Location:Josselin to Rostrenen

Les Randonneurs...

Our riverside route to Redon is an unmade farm track across the flood plain, lined with foxgloves, past swans and cygnets. Then onto the Nantes-Brest canal route proper, with lots of touring cyclists coming the other way. The surface is pitted with hoof marks and soon we catch up with the culprit - 2 men, with their donkey carrying their belongings. Small groups of walkers, mostly ladies,"bonjour" as we pass.
I am becoming quite nonchalant regarding French communal toilets, having shared facilities with 40 French lorry drivers, a man in just his underpants, and now, a fisherman washing his equipment!
The route is more interesting than anticipated, as the canal links sections of various rivers, and is full of flower-bedecked locks and occasional pleasure boats.
Maelstort, at midday, is a little town, busy with the weekly market, English tourists and French cycle tourists. The latter are all heavily laden with 4 panniers and other bags on top. The cobbled central streets are lined with medieval timber framed houses and shops. We are definitely in Brittany now, with the low tiled roofs replaced by steep slated ones.
We have chosen Josselin as our destination, as I remember it being very pretty from my last visit (35 years ago!). The beautiful
Castle, stone town walls and ancient cobbled streets are not spoiled by a small number of British tourists.


We book into a fabulous Chambres d'Hote, a gorgeous restored stone house with sumptuous fittings, in a walled garden. The team with us in the Pyrenees will remember the lovely place Marilyn arranged for us in Ore; this place is very similar. On the Internet we pick up news of the flooding and destruction in the Pyrenees. The weather may not have been perfect when we were there but we were so lucky to miss this destruction!

Location:Rieux to Josselin

Across the Loire...

Our mission this morning is to cross the Loire without getting mixed up with the traffic going to Nantes. We chose the free car ferry (like the Torpoint ferry) west of the city which is accessed down farm lanes.


On the other side we are on tiny tarmac routes through marshland, spotting flocks of Cattle Egret on fields. The villages are very quiet, the only excitement when a rare car manages to run into a metal bench in a market place.
Rieux is a village on a low hill with views over the flood plain of the River Vilaine, and the Nantes-Brest canal. Yves and Colette serve up the local aperitif, a potent mix of Calvados, Cassis and cidre, we are on their terrace watching a thunderstorm to the north and dive indoors for dinner as the first rain in days hammers down briefly.
They take us on a walk around the village including a ruined castle built in a commanding position over the valley. From here we spot the cycle path we are to follow, in the morning, along the river to Redon.

Location:St Pazanne to Rieux

Anniversary...

The Dano family were all very welcoming and so sporting and musical! The children play piano and accordion whilst the girls are also rollerblade dancers. The family are planning 3 months cycle/camping around Scandinavia this summer. This evening's new tipple is strong cider made by Yannick's father on his farm in Brittany.
In a tiny quiet village, next morning, we are surprised to pick up wifi in the little cafe. An email from Sue and Graham tells us we are lucky to have missed storms to the south of us (their caravan awning poles bent with the weight of rain!) The storms are also shown on the "meteo" on the cafe TV.
As it is our anniversary we lunch at a restaurant at midday, where we share a 3 course lunch with wine, with 40 lorry drivers, all for 10 euros a head!
South of Nantes we discover a fabulous lake area, with the best birding of the trip. Within minutes we spot Great White Egrets, Little Egret, Spoonbills, White Storks and 5 Sacred Ibis!


Our next Warmshowers family live near St Pazanne on a quiet, country road. They are soon introducing us to new gastronomic delights , apertifs of grapefruit and rose wine, Brittany delicacies of a cheese tarte and baked prune and egg custard. Herve cycled the west coast of America last year, as we did.

Location:Mouilleron Le Captif to St Pazanne

Vendee a velo...

Another warm evening so we can eat outside, our first French barbecue! Lauren and Catherine set out a large table under their hazelnut trees, with 4 courses including our now favourite pud, tarte aux fraises.


We are particularly grateful for their wonderful hospitality, as they accepted us as guests at only 1 days notice. We also enjoy the local delicacy, the very light and buttery brioche bread.
There is a brief thunder storm in the night, but it remains very warm in the morning.
We follow a meandering route on quiet country roads linking little villages and sheltered from the breeze by hedges, the first we have come across. The fields are dotted with the relics of old windmills, and a few modern windfarms. Frogs croak extraordinarily loudly in the ditches. Some of the way we use the "Vendee a velo" dedicated cycle route, through woods and farm yards.

Location:St Gemmes La Plaine to Mouilleron Le Captif

Top birding...

Sophie, who has looked after us so well at the Chambres d'Hôte, heroically is up to give us early breakfast, even though it is Sunday morning, and she had danced the night away at a Zumba party!
North and South of La Rochelle we are in marshland, providing the best day's birding of the trip. Our first ever sighting of a Purple Heron, right by the path as it struggles to eat an enormous fish, then a close encounter on the quiet canal route with a Night Heron.


Purple Heron

Turtle Doves coo at us from trees, and shelduck whizz low overhead. Hares watch from ploughed fields, where poppies are a blaze of colour. Mussel and oyster farms abound, as we skirt the shore.
Our Warmshowers hosts live about 30 miles N of La Rochelle, in a large stone farmhouse, set in what they describe as an "English" garden. The house is almost hidden under Virginia creeper, roses ramble over the outbuildings and chickens run around the kitchen garden, cropping artichoke, broad beans, herbs and tomatoes.

Location:Rochefort to St Gemme-la-Plaine

Friends, new and old...

Last night Bernard and Beatrice prepared a meal of local ingredients including succulent duck, salad from their garden and a fantastic strawberry flan, washed done with pineau from Bernard's father's local vineyard. We could aquire a taste for this Cognac liqueur!
The sun is back as promised for a few days, so we sight-see along the river Charante as we head for Rochefort, next morning. There are fishing nets hung from frames by the bank.
We juggle with the traffic in the old centre to make sure we can find our Chambre d'Hôtel for later, then find Sue and Graham at their caravan in the campsite by the river. Over a long lunch we catch up on all the gossip from Nerja.
Later the Chambre d'Hôte is a beautiful place like something out of "Grand Designs", with our large rooms opening onto a 2 storey glass roofed atrium. Madame even does a pile of washing and drying for us!
Next morning over breakfast in a state-of-the-art kitchen we are introduced to family and neighbours, all such friendly people.
On the way to meet S&G for a day out, we call at the nearby sports Decathlon store - about 2 x the size of a jumbo jet hanger! We resist temptation to buy lots of cycle gear, just purchasing a much needed new pair of sandals for Mike. I make him throw his others away before we leave the carpark.
S&G take us on probably the best cycle route of the trip, through marshes (like at Exminster but sprinkled with Storks), over a Transporter bridge, (like at Newport), swinging in the wind.


Through quiet villages, along dedicated cycle paths to a narrow sandy causeway. As it is low tide we can cycle across to the Ile de Madame. Usually deadly quiet, but we share the path with a convoy of classic Deux Chevaux restored cars! A bit like the "show and shine" car rallies we saw in Vancouver. After circumnavigating this beautiful island, we retrace our path, honking to stop the bridge departing without us, and celebrating a wonderful day with a glass or two of local rosé.

Location:Bonnefont to Rochefort

A beautiful quarry...

The cycle route along the Charente river was well signed, keeping us in pretty villages, until the bustle of Cognac. Then we are chased by lorries until we reach some tiny roads and follow our hosts direction to his lovely wooden house, surrounded by fields of young sunflowers, north of Saintes. Bernard takes us in his car to a nearby disused limestone quarry which has been filled with enormous sculptures, and shows us the little road we will take tomorrow.

Location:Angouleme to Bonnefont

Sunshine and showers...

The sun is still shining and my feet are so burnt in my sandals I am having to wear shoes. Can't complain! Bernadette in good Scottish style fills us with our first bowls of porridge since we left home!
The route remains undulating with
cereal crops as well as vines and fruit. We head north to the old city of Angouleme. The traffic system going in is very un-bike friendly, but eventually we reach the old walled centre, high on the hill top and, thankfully, all pedestrianised. The city wall is awesome, at least 15 m thick and with a walk along the top over a big arched entrance. A cathedral and spired church dominate the stone paved square.
Marion and Xavier live in a lovely old house not far from the centre. M speaks brilliant English having had a uni exchange year in Oregon and translates for Xavier who is from Chile, speaking French and Spanish. Again we can eat al fresco, this time shaded by an enormous vine on their terrace.We are introduced to a local drink, pineau, based on local Cognac and wine.
Next morning M is up early to bake us bread for breakfast before she sets off to work in the local hospital as a computer expert.


We get an early start, in the forecast heavy rain showers. We have not blogged for days due to lack of wifi but hope to remedy this in Cognac.

Location:Le Fleix to Angouleme

Vineyards...

A well marked cycle path takes us along the Lot through vineyards, hung with dots of grapes.


Villages all have big stone churches with a row of bells in a high wall. Roses grow everywhere.
Flumel, is busy with lorries so we are glad to escape North West through rolling hills. Hoopoes are now a common sight amongst the vines. After a scenic but hilly and hot 82 miles we are relieved to see the big hand drawn bicycle sign with "Warmshowers" written on it outside the hilltop home of Bernadette and Colin.The view from the terrace at the rear of their house is of the valley behind, unspoilt woods , meadows and vineyards.
They are the most travelled cyclists we have ever met, taking 4 years to circumnavigate the world, including extensive pedalling in New Zealand and Mexico. They did not take planes between continents, choosing boats instead.They have been settled here for some years with Colin part of a local french veterans cycle club. He is rather disappointed that they just cycle, not stopping for coffee and cake!

Location:Albas to La Fleix

Hoopoes and honey bees...

Heading into the hills now , passing blue shuttered farm houses in orchards of apple, pear and ripening cherries. The town of Castelnau-Montratier can be seen for miles as a pale church under a red roofed dome tops one hill, and a windmill tops the other.
Soon all the farms are vineyards growing red grapes for the Cahor wines. Our first hares this trip watch us from a furrowed field. The map shows a scenic road with a view, which we follow to the Lot, rewarded with stunning views at each hairpin, of the Lot river, far below. Our hosts this evening live in a beautifully restored house, just outside the ancient village of Albas.


They are surrounded by vineyards. Another evening where we can enjoy our dinner outside. Genevieve and Michel have their own bee hives and the bees buzz around the lavender, herbs and the honeysuckle that gives shade on the terrace. Hoopoes fly amongst the vines and onto their lawn. Michel's dad (in his 80s) lives in the cottage next door. He climbs up a long ladder to pick cherries.

Location:Montauban to Albas

Fruitful...

We set off alone from the hotel in rain, and within minutes a motorist asks us for directions, shortly followed by 4 French touring cyclists wanting to know the way to Castelnaudry!
We follow Kirby's route over the Garonne river, along the top of a dyke then the tow path of the Deux Mers Canal. Here the others will veer off this afternoon to catch the bus. We instead, take a tarmaced canal cycle path north for 30 miles, shared only with a few joggers and the occasional small party of touring cyclists. The rain soon stops as we pass allotments, quaint brick bridges and lock keeper cottages.
We are early at our lunch stop, the village of Montech, to picnic under the walls of their super- sized brick church.
Now heading North East along farm roads lined by apple orchards, then another dedicated cycle route along yet another canal into Montauban.


A prosperous town of attractive squares, and brick churches, linked by cobbled pedestrian roads. The cathedral in contrast is white marble.
Our Warm Showers host, Anne-Marie, lives just north of the town in a suburb of pretty detached houses. With her friend, Yvon, we eat a sumptious dinner on the patio; the highlight, an enormous tarte de citron. The next door neighbour is atop a tall ladder picking cherries.

Location:Toulouse to Montauban

Underpants on the wind!...

Tom, like the rest of us, had hung his washing just inside his hotel window to dry in the breeze. However the wind got frisky in the evening, blowing his underpants out on to the roof below! He crept down to the foyer and "borrowed" a long window pole to retrieve them! (unfortunately no photo!)
Wandering around the town centre this morning are very smartly dressed French Legionnaires, here for a ceremony.


The route is not strenuous today, a 40 mile pootle along the canal, mostly on good Tarmac surfaces but four of our merry band fall off on a section that becomes very narrow and full of roots from the big plane trees.No damage.
There are plenty of locks where the lock keepers are letting hire boats through. Nearer Toulouse, live-aboard houseboats are moored alongside.
We are soaked by a couple of heavy downpours but it is mild. After negotiating the busy traffic of France's 3rd biggest city, we book into our hotel, secure the bikes in their carpark and head out for dinner.
This is our last night together as a team. Mike and I have decided to set off to cycle home tomorrow instead of catching the bus with the others. We have arranged to stay tomorrow night in Montauban, with a "Warm Showers" hostess.
After the best ever Indian meal in a back street we are delighted to find the hoards of people milling the streets are here to watch the most amazing carnival. Elaborate floats supporting acrobats , bands and dancers progress through the streets to a grand finale in the main square. The energy of it all ! There are 2 enormous puppets made of paper, stylised insects floating above, filling the gap between the buildings. There could not have been a more exciting end to the day!

Location:Castelnaudray to Toulouse

Poppies in the wind...

An undulating cycle on quiet roads through fields of very young sunflower plants. An amazing blaze of poppies causes us to halt and take photos, with the snow capped Pyrenees in contrast behind.


The wind is up, blowing against us, so we are glad to rest and take our picnic lunch on a hilltop verge, before gliding down to the busy outskirts of Castelnaudray.
The Canal Du Midi is a very wide basin in the old town centre, with ranks of hire boats moored up along the old quay. Our hotel is on the town square. A walk around reveals narrow streets of sand coloured stone houses and shops. The oldest square, the Place de Verdun, has a stone colonnaded covered market structure, spoilt by graffiti and generally there is an air of the town having seen more prosperous times, now needing restoration.

Location:Foix to Castelnaudary

Storming and Pootling...

On our day off in Foix only Kirby elects to wander the town and explore the castle whilst the rest of us go for our last Col.
Exiting alongside the busy town traffic is a bit hairy but soon we are climbing gently up a verdant valley. A tiny hamlet is called "Carol", so we photo Keith by their sign, to send the pic to his twin sis, Carol.


A toothless dog and his ancient toothless mistress come out into the sun to watch.
At a large limestone cave, water rushes out. Two men are precariously standing at the top of the weir, filling labelled bottles with the water for resale! Tom joins them to fill his bottle and manages not to fall in.
The road up to the col becomes tight hairpin bends as it winds past clay tiled villages. Keith, Tom and Jenny storm their way up, whilst the rest if us pootle along at a slower pace. Finally we reach the summit of Col Montsegur at 1059 m, under an impossibly blue sky. There is only a large carpark, no shady seats for weary cyclists, so we whizz down to the next village to eat our sarnies on benches under trees. A stunning quiet road then contours the hillside under a hilltop chateau, through little fields of wild flowers and soon back to Foix, where we join Kirby for a refreshing beer in the square.

Location:Foix

Voie verte...

There is a newly opened cycle track to follow on a rail trail, but we start out with a visit to the ancient Cite de St Izier. After meandering through the medieval streets we head east. Kirby has found us some lovely farm roads, where we pass through tiny hamlets, sharing the road with a flock of sheep and their courteous ancient shepherd.
At Mas d'Azil there is an enormous cave, with the road winding through it following the roaring river, but also a cantilevered path so we can walk safely and stop for photos. Half way in we pop on our lights and take to the road to whizz out the other side. Jackdaws and Crag Martins zoom above - today's highlight!
Coffee is taken in a busy village square where the market is just packing up. This is shortly followed by lunch on a shady wall at a farm, passed only by one tractor.
On the Voie Verte we enjoy more cool leafy shade as the temperature soars.
Foix is a smart town, dominated by a sandy coloured castle on a high cliff. Our hotel is just underneath on the edge of a maze of narrow streets of little restaurants and timber framed houses.


The town square is covered by an enormous opened sided roof, enough to cover a big market but today strewn with cafe tables and chairs.

Location:St Girons to Foix

Butterflies in the snow...

The weather is perfect for tackling the cols, with only day packs to slow us. There is so much choice we split up. Keith, Mike and I choosing the 40 mile route taking in our highest Col yet, Col de la Core. A hairpin road with no traffic and ever closer views of the snowy surrounding peaks to 1395 metres. Mini waterfalls cascade onto the road in places with refreshing icy spray.


A great picnic spot at the top with views all down the valley on the other side. A few walkers, and cyclists on skinny bikes, share the sights. Mike and Keith can't resist throwing snowballs. Orange butterflies search out the meadow flowers. We reluctantly leave this paradise to belt down the through farming hamlets to Castillon-en-Coursans for beer and ice cream.
We manage to bypass much of the main road back to St Girons by winding in and out of ancient villages, most with 12thC, squat stone churches. Crossing on narrow bridges over rushing weirs, past houses covered with climbing, fragrant roses, we eventually come across Kirby in the town centre. Another excuse for a coffee stop, before heading back to the hotel for showers. We await the others, to find out how they got on.
They appear a few hours later looking remarkably fresh considering they not only completed "our" Col but another around 950m! Our helmets off to them!

Location:St Girons - the Cols.

Here comes the sun...

The weather at last promises to be fine for days ahead, and just in time for our biggest climb so far. We wind up through farms, firstly to Col del Area at 800m, then a long pull up hairpins, through deciduous woods, alongside a rushing brook, no traffic, all the way to 1069m at Col de Portet d'Aspet. A few other cyclists on light bikes, part of supported teams, come from the opposite direction. Apparently we did it from the steepest side! Picnic lunch in a meadow at the top with a few souvenir snaps then down hill, through farm land and hamlets with quaint stone churches.


Our hotel for the next 2 nights is in busy St Girons. Many Tour de France's have started here. We are promised more sun tomorrow when we can tackle more high valley routes, with the luxury of only day packs weighing our bikes down.

Location:Ore to St Girons

Head in the clouds.

We were all geared up for rain again this morning, but it soon dries and then the sun comes out! The forecast is for sunshine now for a week!
We climb up through some cloud past cows, sheep and pigeon shooting posts. Wonderful traditional hamlets of stone farm buildings and timber framed houses. Tiny stone churches with steep slate roofs ring out the hour.
At St Bertrand an impressive large church on a rocky knoll looks spectacular. Then along an easy valley route to the tiny hamlet of Ore and the most beautiful overnight stop yet. A Belgium couple have restored a large house with such taste! We have an enormous room each , full of antiques, and then enjoy a meal of local recipes at an enormous table, joined by our hosts. Just down the road we have very close views of Firecrests and the distant snowy mountains.

Location:Bagneres de Bigorre to Ore

Col de la Croix Blanche...

We experiment with various arrangements to keep our feet dry as we set off in light rain. Some tie plastic bags over shoes, others put them inside the shoes.
They are soon tested as the cycle path is under 18ins of flood water. The river is 2ft above this but just held back by a concrete wall. The 2 Ks speed through before they realise the depth. The rest of us take off panniers and squeeze along a path.
Soon we reach higher ground on a lovely quiet farm road riding to viewpoints and cols of 500, then 800m, this last marked by a white cross. The rain has stopped! Mules, horses and white cows stare at us from flowery meadows. Yellowhammers and Red-backed Shrikes bring our bird list to 45.


After only 22 miles we reach our overnight stop at Bagneres-de-Bigorre; grand old shuttered buildings surround squares, with a very faded grandeur, remnants of the days when tourists took the waters at the thermal baths.

Location:Argeles-Gazost to Bagneres-de-Bigorre

Tinkling...

We can choose to enjoy a rest day now as we are 2 nights here. It is very tempting as the heavy showers persist. The intrepid Kirby, Keith, Marianne and Jenny however are made of tougher stuff, setting out after lunch, to climb further up the valley, despite the discouraging clouds.
The rest of us make use of the free time to replace brakes, worn out on the hills, and enjoy Roger's tinkling on the piano in the hotel conservatory.


The brave 4 return very wet but having enjoyed views of cliffs and torrid rivers.
Dinner is another fine home cooked, 5 course meal produced by the lovely elderly hotel owners. Generous tureens of veg soup, trout and roasted almonds, roast pork and aubergine, local sheep & " cow" cheese, followed by chocolate pudding in a vanilla, rum cream sauce with a liberal dash of local liqueur. We say our goodbyes to Marianne who is breakfasting early to catch a bus back to Lourdes and onto Barcelona.

Location:Argeles-Gazost