West

To the west, back on the journey

A little more than 2000 km by bike over 6 weeks... About 650 km by train also to reduce the distances between Toulouse and La Réole, Saint-Nazaire and Nantes then La Rochelle and Toulouse. Three boats to reach the Ile aux Moines, Batz and Brehat. And also more than 800 photos to share the beauty of the places I crossed: the passage of the magic and mythical Gois, Nantes that I discovered, the Pink Granite coast?
This year the stages will have been shorter than last year, the weather was (...)

Nantes to La Rochelle, then Toulouse by train

10 August 2020

Sullen weather at the start of Nantes this morning. I’m on my way to the station to try to catch the train to La Roche sur Yon. I say try, because sometimes it’s difficult with a bike because the controllers don’t accept extra bikes. Today no problem, so I book the Intercity that I spotted the day before and in which there’s still room for bikes!
It’s raining a little towards Saint-Chasnais, I’m going to stop to put on the rain gear... but just there I see the huts of the local fishing (...)

Redon to Nantes

9 August 2020

Hot day! The temperature rose to 36 and this afternoon in the treeless passages it was hardly bearable.
It’s a long road too since I’ll try to take an early train tomorrow morning to La Roche sur Yon before going to La Rochelle by bike (then the next day I hope there’ll be room for bikes in the TER)
Marc and Béné are going to stop near Blain as I have to trace to be in Nantes tonight we say goodbye to Guenrouet after a last coffee.
After Blain there are two or three nice guinguettes on (...)

Josselin to Redon

8 August 2020

Another beautiful day, and a little less hot than yesterday.
Most of the time very rolling surfacing, we have a good running average, trained each other and maybe also by a light wind in the back ^^
Two very beautiful towns on the road Josselin and Malestroit.
As you get closer to Redon the track is covered with crushed rocks but which still deserve a little steamroller, it seems that it is related to a recent flood that damaged the towpath.
Tomorrow’s big stage to Nantes: I’ll speed (...)

Mûr de Bretagne to Josselin

7 August 2020

Strong heat in Brittany too: after a slightly overcast morning, the mercury is said to have risen to 37° !
From the hotel we first reach Mûr de Bretagne and after the famous descent we arrive on the canal from Nantes to Brest surrounded by large trees of all kinds: oaks, hornbeams, beeches ...
It is a very pleasant route, but at one point we pass on the other side of the canal to avoid the heat: there is practically no shade on the side of the cycle route.
Arrival at the hotel a little (...)

Saint-Brieuc to Mur de Bretagne

6 August 2020

Last night I visit St-Brieuc and there are some nice old stones...
This morning I’m leaving early because there is a bit of distance to cover. The path to reach the bike route doesn’t seem too clear so I decide to cut... Good idea it saves me a little climb.
Further on, the track climbs to 240m, but it’s a slow, gradual ascent.
I picnic at the entrance of the Hilvern gully. I talk with a family to whom I leave the table and the grandpa tells me that there are shops in Quillio. I make (...)

Binic to Saint-Brieuc

5 August 2020

Very small step today: difficult to go further than Saint-Brieuc on the way... No camping, no warmshower accommodation. So I stop at the camping des Vallées which is not bad !
My USB tracker doesn’t want to give me back my tracks... so I reconstitute the route but... I miss the rather long loop that I made from somewhere after Pordic and that brought me back to the entrance of Pordic ! I was happy when I didn’t recognize the path anymore : finally I had to be on the right direction ! (...)

Loguivy de la Mer to Binic

4 August 2020

Superb weather at the start of Loguivy de la Mer.
The bike route follows the cliff road and often it is a magnificent spectacle diving into the sea.
I eat in a working class restaurant in Plouha and the recovery is a bit hard... Fortunately I did not finish the quarter of white that I had at the table!
Arrival at the campsite where the lady asks me if it’s for a tent or a camper van... uh it’s been 5 minutes since I was in front of her office to put away my helmet, to look for my (...)

Loguivy de la Mer and île de Brehat

2 August 2020

From Trevoux I reach Loguivy de la Mer, passing by the beautiful town of Treguier.
Driving slowly I arrive at Bertrand’s place around 1pm and we eat together before Bertrand shows me around Loguivy, Paimpol and the surroundings.
The next day departure at about 10 am to the island of Brehat. Very beautiful island without any car.

The Pink Granite Coast

1 August 2020

As I had zapped Trebeurden, Ploumana’ch and the beautiful stones before Perros-Guirrec yesterday, I went backwards today.
So I take the bike route the other way around, hesitating to go to Trebeurden... and then finally I stop a few kilometers away and decide to visit Ploumanac’h.
I do a little bit of the customs trail where the mask is now mandatory ...
Then I come back to Perros-Guirrec where I have a snack and then I go to Trevoux where Jean had offered me to stay with his family.
A (...)