7-9 April 2019

Nantes to Blain (7 April 2019, 50.4 km, 31.3 mi)

When we woke up this morning it was still raining. But the forecast predicted that the rain would clear, and it would be a lovely day. So we delayed our departure until the rain stopped and the sun came out. We were on the road by 9:30am.

What a difference a few days makes. It’s been steadily getting warmer, and the rain must have stimulated the plants to grow. The trees have more leaves, and more flowers are in bloom. Tulips and daffodils are up. But the big show-stoppers are the bright yellow fields of mustard flowers. France is Europe’s leading producer of mustard, a tradition that dates back at least to the Middle Ages, when the Dukes of Burgundy would ship barrels of mustard to all the other royal families in Europe. Brittany’s climate is particularly well suited to growing mustard, which requires cool temperatures and moist soil. Apparently the plants are in bloom for only about two weeks, so we’ve been lucky to cycle through the region right at the peak of the flowering season. It’s quite a spectacle to see the intensely-yellow flowers blanketing the fields.

Some of the neighborhoods we road through today showed cultural similarities between Brittany and Great Britain. We saw lots of stone houses that looked like British country homes.

Half way through today’s ride, we arrived at the banks of the Nantes-to-Brest Canal. The canal was commissioned by Napoleon I to provide safe inland passage between military ports in the early 1800s, when Brest had been blockaded by the English fleet. Stretching for 360 km, it was France’s most ambitious canal project. In 1920 a dam along the Blavet River submerged a section of the canal, so that sections in the middle are no longer navigable. Restoration efforts are underway, along with a campaign to increase recreational use. But we found most of the route to be relatively quiet, and lightly used. Today, we saw hardly any boats in the canal.

We’ll be cycling along the towpath of the canal for several days. Today the trail surface was mostly hard-packed, fine gravel, which was really good for biking. It reminded us a lot of our ride along the Erie Canal.

Around lunchtime some clouds rolled in and we got a little bit of rain. Fortunately it didn’t last too long. The main effect was to make the gravel wetter, so it splattered up on our bikes. They’ll need a good cleaning after this. But we’ll wait a few more days, since more rain is in the forecast.

Upon arriving in Blain, we went to a B&B hoping for an early check-in. No one was there, so we placed a call to a phone number they had posted. The proprietor didn’t speak any English, and our French is very minimal. Communicating over the phone is much more difficult than in person when you have few words in common with the person on the other end. But somehow we managed to communicate that we were at the property, and that we would like to get a room for the night, so the couple who owns the B&B came home to let us in. The husband made us tea in their kitchen while the wife made up a room for us. We used Google Translate to communicate, and talked about where we were from, where we’ve ridden so far, and where we’re going. We had fun sharing our stories as best we could using our limited French and the translation app, which only worked about 1 out 5 times because of limited cell phone coverage.

Our room was in an old farmhouse, and it had a very homey atmosphere - like we’re guests staying at a friend’s house. The thick stone walls provided some insulation, but the only heat came from a space heater placed in the center of the room. Given the large size of the room, the space heater was not quite up to the task of making it warm. On the other hand, multiple layers of very thick blankets and comforters on the beds made sleeping in a cool room very comfortable. They also had surprisingly good wifi once we figured out how to get on.

After cleaning up we headed over to the town’s castle, the Château de la Groulais. We were happy to find that it was still open. We walked around the grounds, visited a couple of exhibits in the castle, and climbed to the top of the main tower. It was fantastic to be able to wander around one of the chateaus at a leisurely pace, with very few other visitors.

After our walk, we had the usual problems finding food on a Sunday in France. The grocery stores were all closed (fermé!), and we had to wait until after 7pm for the small number of restaurants that had Sunday hours to open. We ate at a casual kabob place that had a steady stream of customers waiting in line to order food. With only a handful of options in town, this place was really busy. We were glad we had arrived early to beat the rush.

Blain to Redon (8 April 2019, 45.6 km, 28.3 mi)

At 46 km, this was a short biking day so we were able to take our time and really enjoy the ride. The canal towpath was flat, but a lot of it was gravel, so it was pleasant to be able to cycle at a slower pace.

We saw a lot of wildlife today. In addition, the vegetation has been much more lush since we reached the Loire River. You can tell they get more rain here than anyplace else we’ve ridden so far on this trip.

We arrived in Redon about 20 minutes before the reception desk opened at our hotel, so we headed to a nearby pedestrian mall for lunch while we waited.

We were lucky to get checked in shortly after 2pm. Not long after that, the afternoon rain began to fall.

Later in the evening the rain showers passed, and we were able to get out for a walk around town. We saw several of the more notable buildings, including the Abbey of Saint-Sauveur (built in the 9th century) with its very tall and pointy bell tower.

Redon to Josselin (9 April 2019, 65 km, 40.4 mi)

Today we continued our journey along the Nantes-to-Brest Canal. We awoke to a cold, misty morning. The fog hung over our route until almost noon, giving the ride a mystical aura. Then, as if someone had waved a magic wand, the mist evaporated within 15 minutes and we were riding under a clear, blue sky.

We stopped for a pleasant picnic lunch in Malestroit, a bustling village along the canal. This section of the canal was much busier than other areas, with lots of canal boats cruising the waters and lining the canal-side docks near town.

As we approached Josselin, we were treated to an impressive sight. The majestic Château de Josselin rises up as if it’s right in the center of the path. This chateau is in great condition, in part because a portion of the castle is still occupied by the 14th Duke of Rohan. 

Our hotel was right across the canal from the chateau. After settling in, we wandered over to see the chateau close-up. It was fascinating to see how the stones of the chateau’s walls seem to rise right out of a granite outcrop along the canal. We also strolled around the historic city center.

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