To Saint-Brieuc

September 19, 2022

Another fine day for cycling, as we see when we look out the window of our room this morning. Cloudier than yesterday, but it’s about five degrees warmer and the clouds are supposed to burn off by afternoon.

The inland view this morning from our room in Paimpol.

We get off to an earlier start this morning, stuffed with one of the best hotel breakfast spreads we’ve seen in awhile. Much better than the typical minimal French petit dejeuner, it came with a variety of sliced meats and cheeses and even bacon and scrambled eggs. We’d definitely stay in Hotel Le K’Loys if we stayed in Paimpol again.

The wind is minimal but with a nearly complete cloud cover it’s cool enough that I’m tempted to stop and put on my jacket as we leave town - but Rachael reminds me that we have a climb coming in about a mile that will warm us up so I wait; and by the time that climb arrives it’s already warmed up enough to be comfortable.

Leaving Paimpol, I stop for another look at the harbor. This is the same set of boats I took a shot of from the opposite side after dinner last night.

It takes awhile to get to the start of that climb though, because between here and there we follow a bike path that hugs the shore for a way, prompting several stops to admire reflective views across the still water. I fall behind Rachael as a result but see that she’s stopped ahead, waiting for me. She thinks I might want to take a look at this ruined abbey she’s come across and wants to be sure I don’t miss it; but she’s sorry for me that I didn’t arrive when she did, in time to see it with a cloud of pigeons swirling above. By the time I arrive they’ve all come to rest again, neatly lined up along the roofline of the abbey.

Looking across Poulafret Bay, just east of Paimpol. The clouds are already starting to break up, and we’ll be warmed by the sun before long.

Such cozy, minimalist lawn chairs! It’s hard to resist the urge to go hop onto one and check it out.

Beauport Abbey. I knew there was a ruined abbey near Paimpol but hadn’t bothered checking to see where it is. It’s lucky to find it right on our itinerary today.

We’re just getting started today, else we might have been tempted to bike over and explore it close up. If it’s even open to the public, that is - I’m not sure of that.

Just past the abbey our path crosses a stream on a narrow, irregular stony bridge. I’m across first and look back in alarm when Rachael wheels her bike down onto it and her front wheel goes airborne. There’s an anxious second where I’m imagining it coming back to earth off the side of the bridge, pulling Rachael into the stream with it.

Across the bridge the going is rough for a spell as it looks like EV4 has picked a rocky footpath here rather than the paved road just a hundred yards away. It looks even less promising when our trail comes to a dead end at the stream we just crossed, here a small waterfall. We’re just contemplating this and wondering if we’ll need to backtrack all the way to town when a couple of walkers come by and point out that we just passed the turnoff we should have taken angling steeply up the hill. This path leads us to a short bridge across the stream and then continues steeply up the hill for a short distance before leveling off. Probably the steepest climb of the day, but one we felt fine about walking since the path was so rough and rocky.

After watching Rachael cross the previous bridge I thought I’d better give a hand on this one.

Today’s ride is similar in many ways to yesterday’s as we continue tracing the coastline, sometimes close enough to it to see the water, sometimes not. On the whole though it’s even more dramatic than yesterday as the road rises maybe two hundred feet above the shoreline, above steep, rugged cliffs. We alternate periods of biking through the same sort of agricultural country we rode though yesterday with coming out into clearings with stunning views down to the shore and out across the channel. It’s an outstanding ride all the way to about the midpoint of the ride in Tréveneuc, where we stopped for lunch sitting on the wall beside the church there.

We’ve been seeing a lot of these showy lilies along the coast here.

Most of the ride is out of sight of the shoreline, but when it showed up it was spectacular.

For much of the day we’re following La Route des Falaises (falaises = cliffs).

In a few weeks that chimney will be ablaze.

Looking across the inlet to Pointe de Minard.

On the beach at Pointe de Pors Pin, in their own private paradise.

The Plage de Bréhec. So many idyllic spots along this coastline. We could come back some year and stay in all different spots.

I don’t know what this colorful wall is. Steel? Slate?

Although not as spectacular as the earlier ride along the cliffs, the rest of the ride to Saint-Brieuc continued to be attractive riding, again touching base with the coastline at one beach or another. The end of the ride surprised us though as we neared Saint-Brieuc and discovered what a large place it is - a city really, and one of the largest places we’ve passed through lately. Three miles from town we came to the autoroute, backed up bumper to bumper. Fortunately and surprisingly, Saint-Brieuc has an excellent network of bike paths and was very easy to bike into.

We arrived at our hotel at about four, and never gave the city a real look. We went out for dinner of course, and Rachael trotted off to the store as usual. I didn’t find it’s largely modernized downtown very inspiring though, and toward the end of the ride I realized I have a bit of a sore throat and wonder if I might be on the leading edge of a cold. Hopefully not, but time will tell.

I’d love to see this viaduct from the side or below. Built in 1904 as part of the rail line, it has 13 arches and a height of 34 meters.

Heart

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Ride stats today: 39 miles, 2,600’; for the tour: 233 miles, 16,600’

Today's ride: 39 miles (63 km)
Total: 233 miles (375 km)

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Susan CarpenterI hope your sore throat clears up soon
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