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