The tent and new mattress have proven their worth: super-comfortable! (except for the makeshift pillow). However Jackie had to use her pillow, aka her warm coat, as a warm coat, so had no pillow and was still cold! Woke at 6 to the sound of rain so dozed until it stopped around 8. Packed up and off to Pontorson just 3 miles away for breakfast. Pain au choc again! Put my saddle up a little as my right knee was really painful by the end of yesterday’s riding. Fingers firmly crossed that’s enough to sort it out, I don’t want knackered limbs this early in the trip!
Suddenly it’s 11am, how did that happen? Maybe it was the lazing around outside a café watching the world go by followed by a heathy dose of bike fettling. Anyhoo, time to get a move on!
Riding through an agricultural landscape, mostly cows and extremely neatly ploughed fields. Saw a lovely pair of donkeys. Happy days!
Met Simon, a French-Canadian cyclist heading in roughly the same wrong direction as us. Had to retrace our route for about a mile. He soon left us behind after that.
Yesterday we decided upon some golden rules for the ride. Rule #1: if you spot a potential picnic lunch at the brealfast boulangerie, always buy it as we may well end up in the middle of nowhere at lunchtime or find everywhere is closed because it’s a Monday. Today (Monday) we completely ignored our own advice. At lunchtime we arrived in a small village with a C in its name. Surprise, surprise – nowhere open to get any food! We must learn to listen to ourselves – some of our advice is actually quite sound! Had a biscuit and half a dozen peanut M&Ms each for lunch while sheltering from the rain under the porch of the village shop (closed).
Set off for Fougères approx 15 miles away hoping we might eat lunch by 3.30pm. The rain turned itself up from 6 to 11 and the wind did its best to freeze us. Saw a fabulous collection of old 2CVs which cheered us a little.
A couple of van drivers warned us that there was an accident ahead and the road was completely impassable. We had to find an alternative route which turned out to be a lovely off-road cycle path (a Voie Verte) all the way to Fougères, complete with a fun disused railway tunnel.
Rode up a steep hill into the middle of town and started looking for somewhere to eat. Jackie spotted a two-star (our kind of budget) hotel and we decided to stop early today and stay in comfort. The rain had frozen us and my knee was really playing up, I was limping quite badly. The hotel staff were lovely. They opened up a store-room for our bikes and let us use their laundry to dry our clothes and tent. Warmed ourselves up in the hot shower and set out to explore.
The chateaux in Fougères is amazing! Well worth seeing. Traipsed around seeking out somewhere to eat that ignored the Monday closing habit. Discovered a taco place and had the best fast-food we’ve ever eaten. Never did get that lunch though. Back to the hotel to sort out our kit and get an early night as we’re knackered again!
Miles cycled: 33
Total miles: 75
Good things today:
- A break in the rain long enough to pack up the tent
- Donkeys
- French-Canadian Simon
- M&Ms
- 2CVs all in a row
- Hotel
- Amazingly kind hotel staff
- Seeing the incredible Chateux
- Fast-food dinner
Get some kinesiology tape for your knee. The technique doesn’t impair the joint but is amazingly supportive.
Fantastic scenery.