The ride starts at last: Tours to Fougeres

May 26, 2015

One of the advantages of being a senior citizen, perhaps the only advantage, is that you get to ride the trains in France for half fare. You can only do this outside of the rush hours, but it saves a lot of money if you travel a lot as I do and can be flexible. So I hada leisurely breakfast at the hotel and caught the 9:30 train to Le Mans. I have only ever passed through the city, so having an hour to kill before the next train to Laval, I got on my bike and took a ride through the city. Even though Le Mans is best known for its once-a-year automobile race, the city is very cycle-friendly. There are cycle lanes just about everywhere, and even separate traffic lights for bikes on the busiest routes. Of course, this being France, pedestrians walk in the cycle lanes and you need to remind them of your presence, but the French politesse usually wins out and everyone is obliging for a smooth if slow passage of bikes. I rode up through the newer parts of the city with the usual post modern architecture to the height of the city where the medievel quarter is.

The astonishing confection of the Cathedral of Le Mans, with all its flying butresses dominates the old city.

The old quarter if made up of narrow streets lined with timber-framed buildings, many of them richly carved.

The carvings were usually designed to adveritse the profession of the owner of the building. I wonder what this one signifies?

Many of the doors are decorated in the Gothic style. A lot of these buildings have been appropriated to new uses, but in general they are remarquably well preserved.

I got back to the station in time to buy a sandwich for lunch, and took the train to Laval. From Laval it was a short ride to Ernée, in rather uninspiring country. The only hic was the weather, which got progressively gloomier and colder as I rode. I stopped in the mairie in Ernée to get my route card stamped, but I didn't do much sight-seeing. The town was jammed with trucks, so I found my way onto country roads as quickly as I could and headed toward Fougeres. And as if in response to my wishes, the sun came back and the trucks were gone!

Once in Fougeres I quickly found a hotel and got a shower. Now I was truly in Brittany, and the Breton flag was everywhere. I tried to find a restaurant open, but had little luck except for kebab shops. I thought this a little odd, given that kebebs are Turkish, but after much walking I finally located a newly opened gallette shop. Galettes are buckwheat crepes, usually stuffed with something, like ham and cheese, egg, veggies or what have you. I ordered a salmon and a ham galette, and a bottle of Breton cider. The salmon galette was "unusual", to say the least with a creme-fraiche sauce that had WAY too much onion, and the ham galette was very dry. I ate them both out of hunger, but I wouldn't recommend the food in this establishment. I hav a feeling that they will not be in business long.After dinner, I was off to the hotel for bed.

Today's ride: 79 km (49 miles)
Total: 96 km (60 miles)

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