Day 19 06/06/23
We left Mont Saint Michel under beautiful skies this morning hoping to have an uneventful ride to Saint Malo. We made our first stop to get pastries and I enjoyed a cup of coffee and an apple fritter. Sarah had a chocolate croissant with coffee. Always a good morning starter. You can see people walking down the street getting their morning bread and it looks like they are carrying an armload of wood. This is definitely no place for the gluten free.
The day was going along great, until I realized at the last moment, that I was going to miss a turn. In an instant, my shoe got caught up in the fender. The front fender immediately sucked up between the front forks and brought the bike to a halt. I would like to say, "no harm, no foul", but the fender suffered irreparable damage and we ended up junking it. The good news, nothing, other than the fender was seriously damaged. The bad news, we will be getting very wet when it rains.
We arrived at our camp around 1:00pm and dropped our stuff so we could head back into the city of Saint Malo. Saint Malo was built in the 1400's and is completely walled. During WWII, 80% of it was destroyed. It has since been rebuilt. It truly is an incredible place to visit. We spent the afternoon wandering through the shops and walking around the wall that surrounds the city.
Once back at camp, we showered, did laundry and called it a night.
Keep it rolling
Scott and Sarah
Rode 35 miles
Day 20 06/07/23
This morning we headed off in search of some new shorts and a shirt. Decathlon is the REI equivalent in France; a great place for camping equipment. We spent a good part of the morning on a wild goose chase trying to get to the place. It wasn't that we couldn't find it, we couldn't get to it because the roads between us and the store did not allow bicycles. We tried various different ways and finally gave up in frustration.
We pedalled down the road into another beautiful day surrounded by the smells of a myriad of flowers and the symphony of birds. Can't beat that for an attitude adjuster.
As usual, Sarah and I stopped along the way for pastries that are like no other. We also enjoyed a nice espresso. I never drink black coffee but it is the only way to drink it in France.
The day was uneventfull but all in all it was a great day for riding. Eggs and bacon for dinner with the most amazing grapes and cherries. A little time for Farkle with Craig and Susie and then off to bed.
Keep it rolling
Scott and Sarah
Rode 47 miles
Day 21 06/08/23
Today was a long one not because of mileage but because of all the hills. Also there were a lot of gravel roads and single track but we slogged our way through it. We stopped at a patisserie and bought some cold pizza. Seems like cold pizza is common; and delicious.
At one point in the day we were riding on a country road. I could see a convertible, red MG, coming up behind us. There were two men in the car and one of them asked us where we were from. Sarah replied, "Colorado USA". They started honking the horn and shouting, "Colorado, Colorado" as they drove on down the road. We just laughed and drew some encouragement from the moment.
A couple of hours later we were riding through a neighboorhood and sure enough, up from behind us drives the MG. Again, they slowed down and as they passed they yelled out in jubilant voices, "Colorado, Colorado!" It made our day.
Quite a few people commented on our bike today. I think it is a universal curiosity even in a country where many people ride bikes. Something that takes getting used to is that people in general over here know how to stare. It doesn't really bother me it is just a unique cultural difference.
We arrived at our campground and the wind was howling. They tell us the next few days are going to be wet ones. Neither Sarah nor I brought rain pants so we will see how it goes. Tomorrow we have rented an Airbnb with Craig and Susie, in the hope of getting out of the rain.
Keep on rolling
Scott and Sarah
Rode 46 miles
Day 22Â Â Â Â 06/09/23
Today we got on the road semi-early, 8:30am. It had rained during the night, but not heavily. Rain was in the forecast for the day, so we wanted to be on the road early to get a jump on it. We were wondering how not having a fender would work with the rain but we soon found out that it was negligible. We were wet but had great rain jackets and we stayed dry from the thighs up.
Navigation is always difficult when two people depend on it. Safe to say, we have had some days where the directions have tried both of our patience. But today was a great day! We hit all the right directions, for the most part. We travelled along the coast most of the day. There were absolutely amazing views of islands and rugged rock out croppings . A visual delight for the eyes.
Everyday we have to do grocery shopping. The produce, the butcher shop, the bakery, the wine and cheese in these local markets always have a great selection. I have been surprised at the abundance of food that is available in France. Not sure why I expected less food but I now stand corrected.
We ended the day sharing an Airbnb with Craig and Susie. Sarah and I arrived first and we we're ready, and excited, to take showers when we realized that the water was shut off. We have rented many Airbnb's before but this was a unique experience. We finally got it all worked out and finished our day drying out our gear, cooking dinner and playing a little Farkle.
Keep on rolling
Scott and Sarah
Rode 42 miles
Beautiful pics! What an adventure. Glad your fender was the only damage sustained. As I was reading I thought you were going to say you broke or injured your foot as well. As you journey on I wonder how many other extra bike parts you’ll find you can do without?
Yummy! Wow! What a background!
I read a great book about Saint Malo!