TREGUIER - 29-SEP

Today we have to navigate our way out of Guingamp. Since this was Kathy and Roy's first actual ebike ride after a short checkout yesterday we took it slow and tried to avoid heavily congested roads. Not easy and with the exception of getting off course we made it to quieter roads as they got comfortable with their equipment. The ride was uneventful with the exception of Roy's chain jumping the front ring which required some disassembly to get him back on the road. Good thing I had a full compliment of tools to undo what needed to be undone. By the time we arrived at our destination everyone was comfortable on their wheels and confident that a disaster was not imminent.  

On the road to Treguier

Kathy looks good among the flowers. 

A tranquil setting along the canal. 

Top of the hill. Way to go Kim. Don't need no damn ebike. 

Much more contemporary looking buildings. 

You are not going to believe this but it was a serious climb from the shoreline to this church. Lots happening in and around the church square. 

Church from another view. 

Lunch on the square. Great food and they had free Wi-Fi which the waitress referred to as Wee Fee. French is a funny language, too many letters here and too few letters there. Oh well. 

Britany is known for its half timber structures as demonstrated by this five story walkup. Hard to believe these people lived such short lives considering all the exercise they get walking up hills and flights of stairs. Guess a few plagues can undo all the fitness. 

Just to confirm we are where we thought we were. Double and triple checking is always a plus. 

Mussels for Kathy ...

and mussels for me. Lots of frites to complete the meal. 

Far into the tidal estuary a quaint looking bridge on the way out of town.

This sculpture of a ???? caught our eye. 

European breakfasts come large and small. This hotel had the most extensive buffet which filled us for the days ride and squirreling some goodies in our pack while on the road or a late lunch. 

 

GUINGAMP - 27-SEP

Guingamp (pronounced gee-gam) is the jumping off location for our self guided bike tour along the Brittany coast. We gave ourselves an extra night to recover from the long drive from our last location with plenty of time to assemble the bikes. This is a cross between a fully supported bike tour (e.g. Backroads) and bike packing carrying our gear from one night stops to the next. The former is much more expensive, very structured, and comprised of a larger group (up to 20). The latter is better than bike camping and best suited for someone two generations younger. The organizer makes all the hotel reservations, transports our bags from location to location, and maps the routes. For this trip we were on our own for food beyond the European breakfast served at every hotel. 

Kathy and Roy Bukstein arrived by train from Paris.

Statue of man with head in the clouds, or as we saw marshmallows on his head.

We decided that a layover day would give us a chance to explore Guingamp, a bigger place than we are used to but rich in history.

A church on the top of a hill, what a surprise.

Remains of ancient fortification.

Map of the town which is larger than we are used to. 

The obligatory chateau.

A great looking coffee roaster.

Inner courtyard of the former prison.

Quick in and out stroll around the town hall.

Enough walking for Roy and me. We need to conserve our energy for tomorrow's ride ahead.

Just a little bit longer, then off to the next bench. 

The fountain which was the central water source for the ancient inhabitants. 

First of many selfies.

This is a real fake cow residing in the yard behind our hotel. 

First dinner out at local Italian restaurant a short walk from the hotel. 

Kim and I shared the calzone and carpaccio. Kathy and Roy's a forgotten memory. 

 

TREDION - 26-SEP

 

Today is our last ride in Tredion before moving on to Guingamp and the start of our bike tour with Kathy and Roy. This ride is short (23 miles) and easy since we have a long pack for tomorrow's transfer day. This is because we need to separate the stuff we need transported from hotel to hotel from all the other stuff we don't need with us. Hope we get this right. The flotsam and jetsam will be stored in the car parked outside the hotel in Guingamp. 

Just a footnote: We did stop for a baguette on our way out of town. Just in case we got a "we need gluten" attack. 

Rustic gates to house heading out of town. Kim took this because I never noticed them, like most things along the road. Just following the route and keeping my bike on the road is challenging enough. 

The mysterious case of the curious cow. Can't imagine what they are thinking when watching cyclists go by? Maybe just jealous. 

This little "coffee clutch" of cogitating cows could care less.

More than half way through the ride we stopped in Elven for our precisely timed coffee stop. So well planned, we did not have to carry our pastries since we knew this boulangerie would be open and next to a Tabac for our coffee. Kim could not resist the chocolate dipped croissant and an equally delightful chocolate twist. Everything is better when dipped in chocolate, especially chocolate. 

Across from our Tabac is this Eglise (church). Although in the gothic style it has a modern clock with Roman numerals. At least the time was correct. 

We have passed this place three times while in Tredion. It has so captivated us that we are considering putting in an offer. This is definitely a "Project" with so much potential. Aside from the collapsed roof and missing windows its sturdy walls are solid as stone. Well they are stone. Stone lasts forever or long enough.  

Home stretch on a great stay here in Tredion. Not sure we will come this way again but glad we made the stop.

TREDION - 25-SEP

 

No biking today; a well earned rest day. So we are taking Emma's suggestion and driving to Ile Aux Moines. This island sits only 300 Meters off the mainland in the Gulf of Morbihan, a large inlet off the Atlantic. 

But first we visited this in-town Chateau. It opens at 10 so we arrived a few minutes early, walked around the expansive park grounds and then waited for the doors to open. 

This is not the largest or most elaborate one we passed on our wanderings, but it was convenient. 

The front facade is very castle looking with many turrets surrounding the building. We could see through the window at the interior furnishings but no sign of life. Finally we found someone lurking inside so we tried to ask about the tour. She called someone then reported back that a tour was not going to happen. Well scratch that. We have been to a Chateau or castle - whatever.  

One last picture of the front gates and we are out of here.

On our way to the sea. The route we took to the port actually continues across to the island. Our GPS lady exclaimed as we got to the dock - Take The Ferry! Right, as if we could drive the 300 meters over the water. 

At the water's edge. We parked the car, bought our tickets (billets), and waited for our ship to come in. 

Since we just missed the ferry on our arrival we waited the 25 minutes until it made its return. It is a quick turnaround on this end and the crossing is only about 5 minutes. My kind of boating. 

This poster captured Kim on the downhills. Speedy LeRue. 

Neither rain, nor sleet, nor darkness of night will prevent the mail from getting through. On this small island a scooter is all you need. 

Or a plain old bicycle. We have photos of a postman on a bicycle from our first bike trip to the Loire in 1987. This is a much newer model. 

A double digit grade, which would appear as two chevrons on a Michelin map. 3-8% is one chevron, 9-12% is two chevrons, and 13+% is a three chevron monster. 

Our master plan called for a walk around the island then a relaxing lunch before heading home. My search for mussels (Moules Mariniers) and frites is fulfilled. The sailor's mussels are au natural - not any creme, curry, or cheese for me. Yuck.  

Kim opted for the rose. The second glass was even better. 

Our food arrived - two of the popular favorites on the menu. Kim's steak comes to the table raw on a heated stone which cooks the meat to the desired done-ness. Not a problem for someone who eats steak tartare but if you want well done choose another dish. 

Now that is a man sized portion of mussels but the frites were a bit skimpy. No problem since Kim got a lot more than me. 

Well that looks almost done. A bit more on the other side and Viola, perfectly blue. 

The shoreline. 

These carts are lined up near the dock. You can hitch it to your bike and haul them inland which is a convenient way to get your groceries home from the mainland.

After a lovely stroll around town and superb lunch it is time to return to the mainland. 

Approaching the wharf of Port Blanc - our departure point. 

Whoever Andre was he is no longer with us. At least he has an Esplanade named after him. Don't come across many Navigators these days. 

From whence we came we do return. Now for the drive back home. 

A pizza vending machine. We did see one of these on a previous trip to France. 

Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We are tempted to give it a try just to see how they can cook the pizza in just three minutes. I am sure the guy inside is quite the chef. 


In case you could not guess, we stopped for yet another bread and some fresh pastries in Elven before arriving back in Tredion. What a perfect day with warm sunshine, a mild breeze, and not a drop of rain. A simple dinner and we call it a day. Life is good.