Rennes to St Malo, and a wobbly tyre

May 18-20 
We planned to cycle straight out of Rennes rather than stay in another large city. It is obviously a lovely, well designed city – the capital of Brittany – but we’re a little over cathedrals & architectural highlights. I thought I’d remembered the Voies Verte map & cycling instructions out of Rennes as was basically along the canal ….. BUT stubborn Jocelyn chose the wrong canal to follow.

Should have listened to Caroline when she pointed out the large sign indicating St Malo! We cycled for about 1.5H along a canal track (wet, slippery sand) before we decided that it was the wrong route ….. no V2 signs & an airport close by (which we had passed when en-train into Rennes!) plus the track ended at a major new highway interchange!! Back we went pronto to Rennes to find the correct canal. By that time it was 4.30pm so as we were heading out of town on the RIGHT canal we saw a YHA so decided to stop overnight seeing the weather was so unsettled. Also, my dear old cycling shoes had decided to call it a day – both soles had come away from the foot & were flapping so I bid them farewell and thanked them for 23+ years of great service.

Bought in Petone in 1995!

The Rennes YHA had room despite having a large party of intermediate aged kids staying. Our room was on the 3rd floor & over-looked the canal – 2 bunk beds & 1 single. We had hoped to get a room to ourselves but by the time we returned from the supermarket two other beds were made up but no sign of the people. We cooked a hearty dinner with plenty of vegetables as were pretty hungry after our 'detour’; interesting to see what the other hostellers were cooking ….. far too many add-water-stir-and-go packet dinners!! Hung around in the lounge afterward using the wifi then went up to bed – still no sign of our room mates at 1030pm.

They returned at 4.40am!! Showered, giggled and shooshed each other until they settled down about 45mins later after I had growled. We weren’t nearly as bothered as we usually would be when our alarm went off at 7.15am & went down for breakfast then returned to pack our gear!

Voyaging along the Voies Vertes 
The day dawned fine as we cycled off along a quiet canal track - d’Ille et Rance canal. The surface was a little better than the previous day but still quite a bit of grit being chucked up & we could see that it would go to mush once a good rainfall hit. We really had been spoilt along the EV6 with the quality of track & signage we had got used to.

The canal & path were heavily tree lined with main chestnut trees full of vibrant bird song. Along the way were many interesting information panels telling something of the history of the canal, villages or information on nature we may see. Thre were also signs telling of the distance to the shops in each village & whether accommodation could be found in each place – excellent. We stopped for a picnic lunch at Montreuil sur Ille in the sunshine by such sign where we could see a lock being repaired. The sky clouded over so we set off at a pace in the hope of outrunning the rain. Thankfully we were able to enjoy the 11 lock section of the canal while it was still sunny.

 

At Bazouges sous Hédé in just a short span the Rance falls dramatically (about 30m in height) needing 11 locks (200m apart) to negotiate the fall. Each lock has a house associated with it, named & painted a different colour and many with well tended gardens full of roses. Extremely picturesque and obviously popular with walkers. The wee museum associated with it was closed when we passed through.

As we neared Treverian the thunder & lightening moved overhead bringing heavy rain, which made the packed gravel/sand track mushy slowing our progress quite considerably particularly as one needs to take care not to slip when negotiating the barriers designed to keep cars off the track.  Some of the gaps seem to have been designed for cyclists WITHOUT bags – hurrumph!

We sheltered for a while outside some public toilets watching the dark clouds roll over the forest – such a BIG sky – but in the end decided to just go for it as Evran, our bed for the night could not be too far away. By the time we arrived my sandals & lower legs were covered in muddy sand – we were soaked through – but the rain had stopped as we approached Evran. [70km day]

Pat, our Warmshowers host, welcomed us and showed us to his accommodation annex, fully fitted out with kitchen, bathroom, lounge and a lovely wood fire which he lit for us. Lovely-jubbly! He then left us to dry out & make ourselves comfortable. Once we had rinsed our muddy clothes & showered we walked to the local supermarket to get stores for dinner. It had turned out a delightful evening so we strolled around the village peering in windows & into backyards as we returned to our base.

Another cycle tourist had just arrived – Marie from Bourgogne – so as we made our dinner we chatted about cycling adventures. Marie was travelling very light, staying either in Warmshowers homes or seemingly sleeping rough; she was quirky and interesting. We shared the rice pudding Caroline had purchased at the charcuturie, which she had thought was macaroni cheese and was looking forward to enjoying!
Wifi was intermittent so we just relaxed & enjoyed the warmth of the fire. Slept soundly in our sleeping bags on comfy beds upstairs to awaken to the sound of birds & to sun shining.

We bade farewell to Marie whilst we were still having breakfast – goodness knows what she eats – and got away ourselves just after 9.30am. Pat came out to bid us Bon journee & close the gates behind us.

We returned to the canal path heading to Dinan as a our first stop. The track had drained a little but was still throwing up grit into our gears making the route slow & frustrating. The route passed through interesting forested cliff areas and a number of lovely villages. At one place, where friable cliffs abut the track, an extensive safety net system has been installed – very reminiscent of post quake Chch cliffs. Certainly a lot of money spent to ensure the safety of the many walkers, runners and cyclists using the pathway.

Dinan rom battlements

 

As we neared Dinan we entered Lehon, a lovely village with remnants of a walled castle on the hill and a monastery & village below. Stopped the read the interpretation panels & take photos.  Around a couple more corners and we entered Dinan, last visited in 1998 & only vaguely remembered, basking in the sunshine and full of tourists of one sort or another.

 

We decided to hang out in a café for a while so Caroline could write postcards while I took a walk of the old town taking photos. Dinan is certainly a lovely characterful town with half-timbered houses, cobbled streets, impressive public buildings & a river port. Lots of artisanal workshops and retail outlets up and down the steep pathways. I enjoyed walking the ancient ramparts to take in the view over the Val de la Rance. Back down to the canal area to join Caroline for lunch of Croque Monsieur- cheese toastie (without the ham!) in the sunshine.

As we rode off the weather started to turn with dark clouds moving over the sun but as we only had another 28km to go to Dinard we weren’t too worried. We didn’t factor in Caroline’s back wheel crapping out on top of the track being of variable quality. We took a short detour as missed the signs – no longer green but on a brown board! – but once back on the route, which took us up a hill & through Taden & a few small communities, Caroline’s wheel really started to wobble. She fiddled with the spokes, which had become quite loose, and was able to continue on for a while but once we hit the gravel path again her wheel began to rub against the brake – she released the rear brake but that really didn’t help. Cycled on a bit more with me taking some of her load but in the end she decided it was no longer safe to cycle as the wheel was buckling.

The weather was threatening rain again so we placed a couple more bags on my bike & Caroline carried one of her panniers on her shoulder, and pushed our bikes. At Pleslin-Trigavou we tried to find out how many more kms we had to go to get to Dinard but none of the signs indicated distance & the response from Google maps wasn’t clear. It rained heavily again. Caroline was getting more anxious about walking another 10-12kms at our slow pace and missing the ferry across to St Malo – I tried to be reassuring but as we had no map, no ideas really we pushed onward, heads down. I tried singing a few uplifting songs but it did feel a bit disheartening as it being late Saturday & the little likelihood that a cycle repair shop would be open Sunday , Caroline was concerned about getting her bike anywhere without further damage. She mumbled about buying crap but in reality her bike frame is very good and I just think she will need stronger wheels.

At Pleurtuit I happened to look to the right along a street as the track crossed over it and there was a bike/mower/motorbike repair shop still open! It was just on 4pm – 55min later J. Michel Rault, perfectionist, had trued her rear wheel. He did this while greeting several customers who popped in & talking with his elderly father. One customer, a woman who gets her bike repaired by him, indicated how respected he is as a craftsman. He refused to take payment and waved us on our way! STAR!

In another 8km with a lighter heart, we arrived in sunny Dinard where the tourist hordes were enjoying icecreams & strolling on the promenade. We made our way round the coast trying to find the Corsair ferry which would take us across to St Malo …… and, guess what we found the wrong one. Caroline phoned the number on the board which indicated that Captain Taxi would go for min 2 people ON DEMAND – we demanded and a lovely woman (surely one of the family!) turned up at the dock to take us on a wee boat across to St Malo at high speed and give us instructions as to how to find the street on which our Air B&B was to be found.

On the dock we repacked our bikes & headed up to old walled city to sit a while to get our bearings. Once done, we cycled through the industrial docks toward Adeline’s house on Ave de Marville where we were shown our room and had facilities & key system explained to us. Adeline is a soft materials craftsperson who has her atelier on the bottom floor of the house, letting out two bedrooms for Air B&B; she was busy with a craft market over the weekend but we really didn’t see much of her. [A 48km day]

We wandered off to find a supermarket open – no luck at 7pm-ish on a Saturday – so we called in to the one eatery open near the train station – an Italian Pizza place where who should we see but the French cycle tourist who shared our accommodation in Evran. We ordered pizza and drinks while chatting to Marie, who was having a meal before finding a quiet corner to sleep rough that night!

Back at our digs we used the wifi to update blogs & email before it was turned off at 11pm. A young French chap was staying the room next door so we had to be a bit quiet as he went to bed early ….. unusual for a French person!

Next day was a chill-out day enjoying the delights of St Malo. We wandered through St Servan district to check out the bio store La Vie Claire for evening meal supplies afterwards stopping at a yummy scrummy patissier/confiserie/salon de the – Stephane Denis – for our first treat of the day. Caroline = chocolate chaud + an intense chocolate mousse. Jocelyn = Darjeeling tea + pistachio fraisier served by delightful staff and incredibly busy with locals popping in to buy various sized boxes of sweet treats.

 

Continued our walk via Brittany Ferries to check out details but they were closed so onward into the old city. Wandered the streets & battlements enjoying the sunshine & the relaxed vibe of local tourists enjoying a day at the seaside. I just had to buy the mixed Celtic flag that I saw flying everywhere in support of Brittany’s Celtic roots as well as a Celtic mood ring. Down a small side street we found a lovely creperie – Crêperie des Bés – where we greatly enjoyed a galette each, washed down by an excellent local cidre. Followed that up with a crepe each – C = chocolate/orange; J = avec marron (chestnut) paste.

We sat on the beach for a while, dabbled our feet in the warming water before deciding to take a carousel  ride. Such Fun!! Bought a few Breton biscuits as gifts then wandered back to our B&B to make dinner, pack & use the wifi. As we wandered back, our progress was halted while a large ship left the inner docks through a narrow lock over which a road normally goes. It was fascinating to many people as the part of the bridge still in place was full of the curious – quite exciting for us as it’s not something we’d see in NZ.

The day was a perfect end to our travels in France.