We have finally made it back to camp -- a day early. It has been an amazing, challenging and very wet biking expedition through Brittany. Today and yesterday afforded us our first bit of sun. We will spare you all the details but here is a day by day summary of our own “Amazing Race” complete with clues from our tour company.
Day 2: After a decent night sleep in two tents, we packed up a minimal amount of clothes, 4 sleeping bags, 4 sleeping mats, two tents, cook gear and multiple layers of coats and sweatshirts, we departed on our 4 bikes into the mist for a local market and Abbey along the tow paths which were constructed under Napolean’s direction in the early 1800s.
The market was really cool. They sold everything from homemade cheese and cider to paella and bread. It was very yummy and fun! We rode on enjoying the countryside, which included many cows, fields of wheat and corn ancient churches and lovely flowers and stone houses.
We biked on (easily) to a lovely lake where we camped for the night after a dinner of crepes and Anna even got in a swim!
Day 3: The next day it was another misty morning. We kept biking…and biking without food. It seems that like Italian siestas, French folks also shut down shops between 12 and 2 p.m. It’s a good plan…unless you are a picnicking tourist on a bike. Gotta learn the local customs!
Finally, after Hal almost got hit by a motorcycle (remember that “look both ways before you cross the road command?”) we found a lovely restaurant that served us the most amazing steak and mashed potatoes (pomme de ter) and an omelette for veggie Hal.
One thing we have noticed since Paris is that we WISH (oh so much) that one of us or all of us spoke French. They are very kind (despite the rumors) and help us along with menus and such, but the lack of ability to communicate beyond “oui” and “bon jour” is frustrating -- and no fault of the French.
Stomachs full, we cycled on to Rohan. It was a lovely spot along the canal with other bikers and campers. We had a bit of trouble finding the spot, as our tour guide is just full of curious hints and clues such as ….”if you know what I mean” and “ a lovely yellow house turn left.” We joked that we felt like we were on an episode of the reality traveler show “The Amazing Race.”
After a filling dinner of crepes, more steak, fries, cider and ice cream, we hobbled back to our tents and settled in for the night.
Day 4: The day began with fresh croissants and orange juice. The paterissies (bakery) are like Starbucks in Seattle so you are never without a good carb-sweet fix! Full up, we packed up and hit the trail. Arriving as directed to the medieval town of Josselin, we picnicked by the canal then headed uptown for a tour of a French medieval chateau that had been occupied by royalty and other special people, namely the Rohan family who established the home and fortified town in the 11th century.
It got rainy again but we decided to stick around for the “English” tour of the aforementioned chateau. We perused an English bookstore (rare in France) and picked up a few titles, including Anna’s “How to live with a neurotic cat” (for a friend). We tried to get coffee but basically got turned away as during the lunchtime restaurants only serve lunch -- not coffee to cold, biker Americans. Truly though, this was the only time we felt rejected and it was a cultural thing.
The tour was interesting, mainly because of our tour guide who was very French. Her accent made the tour very interesting as we tried to decipher what she was saying. There were many pretty rooms and furniture and portraits and Hal even questioned the poor lass on when the chateau was actually occupied. Each room ended with the phrase, “I am finished with this room…are there any questions?”
After the tour, we were perplexed: should we stop for the night as instructed or go on half way for the next day -- about 20 more miles. Being Schrieves and unimpressed with the campsite out of town, we opted for the latter. And so began our hardest trek yet with warnings like, “today you will get a taste of a few hills, however none are killers,” -- hah!). Weary and hungry, we finally straggled into the little village of Naizin around 6:30 p.m. Thankfully we found one lovely little store opened and stocked up to make our first campsite dinner with the little cook stove: Lentils for Hal, ravioli for us meat eaters and a smattering of fruit, French bread and our favorite creamy Camenbert cheese! It was actually quite lovely despite the rain and the fact that the campsite was basically abandoned, which worried “rules” Anna to no end. She thought it might be haunted. It was beside a lovely lake, however, and aside from a few joggers and dogs we had the place to ourselves.
Day 4: We awoke to rain. Not just misty rain but the pelting down drumming kind of rain bikers just don’t like to hear. The kids didn’t care much as they like to sleep in. Finally, Garin braved a short break in the wet and trekked up hill to fetch us some breakie. We toughed it out in our tents until noon then decided “now or never” and packed up and headed out to a town called St. Nicolas. Along the way, we stopped at a little hotel restaurant in Plumeliau called Le Harmonique. While it was at the end of the lunch time (2 p.m.) and we looked like wet cats, the charming owners served us anyway and we were so grateful. Nothing speaks to a weary, wet biker’s soul like warm food! For the first time we had the traditional French wine with lunch and while yummy, it made for very sleepy biking later.
Mid-afternoon, we climbed our final hill of the day and pedaled into the little campsite greeted by sunshine breaks and a pool! We did some laundry, sent a cryptic quick email on the campsite owners laptop to let the family know we were alive in France somewhere, and took a quick walk about the village which again, seemed very deserted but quaint. The flowers are prolific in France!
Day 5: While this could have been our day off to laze about and ride into another village to meander, we decided to push on to Guemene “a few hills but very short so you should survive.” Alas, it was very short and while a lovely little village -- and most lively compared to others we
had been through -- Court and Anna vetoed the shoddy and dandelion campsite on a main road and opted to push on to the end where it all began in Gouraec -- about another 27 km. The agreement was “no complaining and keep up.” We did and were so glad we did. It was sunny. We had our bags and car back and that yummy pizza restaurant from our first night. Alas, Courtney made the fatal decision to order something she did not understand and ended up with pizza with TRIPE (pig intestine) slices. It was nasty smelling, tasting and looking and Garin would have none of it. Anna even showed Court how to spread it around on her plate so the French would be not too offended we snubbed it. Ice cream helped end the day. Tired bikers!
Day 6: After consulting with our campsite owner about the “best of Brittany” in a day, we headed north by 9 a.m. to check out Binic, a seaside town. While not in the guidebooks, it turned out to be a lovely choice. A little Seaside, OR meet Victoria, B.C. We had lunch on the boardwalk, climbed rocks on the beach and just soaked up the sun. Great Britain was a distant bump on the horizon just across the channel. Just lovely! And again, despite the misty morning the sun came through again.
After that, we headed a bit east to check the medieval town of Dinan. It was quite possibly Court’s favorite town yet outside of Paris. Some of the 15th-century, half-timbered houses looked like something out of Heidi or Disneyland, but were very charming nonetheless. The East side of the village still has the original wall overlooking the River Rance. The old cobbled streets lined with shops, traditional musicians and street vendors were perhaps a bit more touristy than our biking towns, but a welcome opportunity for Court and Anna to catch up on their souveniers shopping. The centerpiece of the town is Basilique St. Sauveur, which like all the French churches we’ve seen was simply breathtaking with elaborate stained glass and Gothic/Romanesque columns and ceilings. Very imposing yet peaceful. There we saw the “jar of heart” of Bertrand du Guesclin, a 14th century knight noted for his hatred of the English and passion for his homeland. Anna finally trekked it down amidst all the side chapels. She was quite proud of herself but still could not figure out why the guy’s heart was there or what it might look like.
While still struggling with their road-sign and map reading skills, Court and Garin managed to find our way back to camp for a final meal (there are no campfires here, alas, so we just sit around the cook stove and chatter) and short bike ride. It has been a lovely journey which tested our physical and emotional strengths at time but one we shall never forget as a family! Brittany is truly lovely and we hope we get the chance to come back and explore again someday along with Normandy and maybe the South of France.
Tomorrow back to Paris and civilization then on to Amsterdam!
Day 2: After a decent night sleep in two tents, we packed up a minimal amount of clothes, 4 sleeping bags, 4 sleeping mats, two tents, cook gear and multiple layers of coats and sweatshirts, we departed on our 4 bikes into the mist for a local market and Abbey along the tow paths which were constructed under Napolean’s direction in the early 1800s.The market was really cool. They sold everything from homemade cheese and cider to paella and bread. It was very yummy and fun! We rode on enjoying the countryside, which included many cows, fields of wheat and corn ancient churches and lovely flowers and stone houses.
We biked on (easily) to a lovely lake where we camped for the night after a dinner of crepes and Anna even got in a swim!Day 3: The next day it was another misty morning. We kept biking…and biking without food. It seems that like Italian siestas, French folks also shut down shops between 12 and 2 p.m. It’s a good plan…unless you are a picnicking tourist on a bike. Gotta learn the local customs!
Finally, after Hal almost got hit by a motorcycle (remember that “look both ways before you cross the road command?”) we found a lovely restaurant that served us the most amazing steak and mashed potatoes (pomme de ter) and an omelette for veggie Hal.
One thing we have noticed since Paris is that we WISH (oh so much) that one of us or all of us spoke French. They are very kind (despite the rumors) and help us along with menus and such, but the lack of ability to communicate beyond “oui” and “bon jour” is frustrating -- and no fault of the French.
Stomachs full, we cycled on to Rohan. It was a lovely spot along the canal with other bikers and campers. We had a bit of trouble finding the spot, as our tour guide is just full of curious hints and clues such as ….”if you know what I mean” and “ a lovely yellow house turn left.” We joked that we felt like we were on an episode of the reality traveler show “The Amazing Race.”After a filling dinner of crepes, more steak, fries, cider and ice cream, we hobbled back to our tents and settled in for the night.
Day 4: The day began with fresh croissants and orange juice. The paterissies (bakery) are like Starbucks in Seattle so you are never without a good carb-sweet fix! Full up, we packed up and hit the trail. Arriving as directed to the medieval town of Josselin, we picnicked by the canal then headed uptown for a tour of a French medieval chateau that had been occupied by royalty and other special people, namely the Rohan family who established the home and fortified town in the 11th century.
It got rainy again but we decided to stick around for the “English” tour of the aforementioned chateau. We perused an English bookstore (rare in France) and picked up a few titles, including Anna’s “How to live with a neurotic cat” (for a friend). We tried to get coffee but basically got turned away as during the lunchtime restaurants only serve lunch -- not coffee to cold, biker Americans. Truly though, this was the only time we felt rejected and it was a cultural thing.
The tour was interesting, mainly because of our tour guide who was very French. Her accent made the tour very interesting as we tried to decipher what she was saying. There were many pretty rooms and furniture and portraits and Hal even questioned the poor lass on when the chateau was actually occupied. Each room ended with the phrase, “I am finished with this room…are there any questions?”
After the tour, we were perplexed: should we stop for the night as instructed or go on half way for the next day -- about 20 more miles. Being Schrieves and unimpressed with the campsite out of town, we opted for the latter. And so began our hardest trek yet with warnings like, “today you will get a taste of a few hills, however none are killers,” -- hah!). Weary and hungry, we finally straggled into the little village of Naizin around 6:30 p.m. Thankfully we found one lovely little store opened and stocked up to make our first campsite dinner with the little cook stove: Lentils for Hal, ravioli for us meat eaters and a smattering of fruit, French bread and our favorite creamy Camenbert cheese! It was actually quite lovely despite the rain and the fact that the campsite was basically abandoned, which worried “rules” Anna to no end. She thought it might be haunted. It was beside a lovely lake, however, and aside from a few joggers and dogs we had the place to ourselves.Day 4: We awoke to rain. Not just misty rain but the pelting down drumming kind of rain bikers just don’t like to hear. The kids didn’t care much as they like to sleep in. Finally, Garin braved a short break in the wet and trekked up hill to fetch us some breakie. We toughed it out in our tents until noon then decided “now or never” and packed up and headed out to a town called St. Nicolas. Along the way, we stopped at a little hotel restaurant in Plumeliau called Le Harmonique. While it was at the end of the lunch time (2 p.m.) and we looked like wet cats, the charming owners served us anyway and we were so grateful. Nothing speaks to a weary, wet biker’s soul like warm food! For the first time we had the traditional French wine with lunch and while yummy, it made for very sleepy biking later.
Mid-afternoon, we climbed our final hill of the day and pedaled into the little campsite greeted by sunshine breaks and a pool! We did some laundry, sent a cryptic quick email on the campsite owners laptop to let the family know we were alive in France somewhere, and took a quick walk about the village which again, seemed very deserted but quaint. The flowers are prolific in France!
Day 5: While this could have been our day off to laze about and ride into another village to meander, we decided to push on to Guemene “a few hills but very short so you should survive.” Alas, it was very short and while a lovely little village -- and most lively compared to others we
had been through -- Court and Anna vetoed the shoddy and dandelion campsite on a main road and opted to push on to the end where it all began in Gouraec -- about another 27 km. The agreement was “no complaining and keep up.” We did and were so glad we did. It was sunny. We had our bags and car back and that yummy pizza restaurant from our first night. Alas, Courtney made the fatal decision to order something she did not understand and ended up with pizza with TRIPE (pig intestine) slices. It was nasty smelling, tasting and looking and Garin would have none of it. Anna even showed Court how to spread it around on her plate so the French would be not too offended we snubbed it. Ice cream helped end the day. Tired bikers!Day 6: After consulting with our campsite owner about the “best of Brittany” in a day, we headed north by 9 a.m. to check out Binic, a seaside town. While not in the guidebooks, it turned out to be a lovely choice. A little Seaside, OR meet Victoria, B.C. We had lunch on the boardwalk, climbed rocks on the beach and just soaked up the sun. Great Britain was a distant bump on the horizon just across the channel. Just lovely! And again, despite the misty morning the sun came through again.
After that, we headed a bit east to check the medieval town of Dinan. It was quite possibly Court’s favorite town yet outside of Paris. Some of the 15th-century, half-timbered houses looked like something out of Heidi or Disneyland, but were very charming nonetheless. The East side of the village still has the original wall overlooking the River Rance. The old cobbled streets lined with shops, traditional musicians and street vendors were perhaps a bit more touristy than our biking towns, but a welcome opportunity for Court and Anna to catch up on their souveniers shopping. The centerpiece of the town is Basilique St. Sauveur, which like all the French churches we’ve seen was simply breathtaking with elaborate stained glass and Gothic/Romanesque columns and ceilings. Very imposing yet peaceful. There we saw the “jar of heart” of Bertrand du Guesclin, a 14th century knight noted for his hatred of the English and passion for his homeland. Anna finally trekked it down amidst all the side chapels. She was quite proud of herself but still could not figure out why the guy’s heart was there or what it might look like.While still struggling with their road-sign and map reading skills, Court and Garin managed to find our way back to camp for a final meal (there are no campfires here, alas, so we just sit around the cook stove and chatter) and short bike ride. It has been a lovely journey which tested our physical and emotional strengths at time but one we shall never forget as a family! Brittany is truly lovely and we hope we get the chance to come back and explore again someday along with Normandy and maybe the South of France.
Tomorrow back to Paris and civilization then on to Amsterdam!
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