Into the Bocage: nothing to see, and no way to count the miles
By morning the rain had stopped. Not that there was sun, but at least the atmosphere wasn't drinkable. But when I got down to the hotel garage I found that my cycle computer was gone. I searched the garage floor, but no luck. I know I had seen it when I got to the hotel, because I noted my kilometers in my journal. I guess I must have knocked it off as I was unloading my panniers at the hotel entry, or somewhere between the front door and the garage. Anyway, I didn't find it, so I was going to have to rely on map estimates to record distances.
This part of Normandy is known as the bocage. Bocage means hedgerows, and most of the smaller (read cyclable) roads are lined on both sides with them. They are tall enough and dense enough that nothing on either side of the road is visible except at the rare field entrances. There was a cycle path extending south from St. Sauveur to Coutances that looked like it would provide a way to see something so I rode on that. But the view was equally blocked on this rail-trail but the trees that lined the route. Totally boring, and a slow gravel surface to boot.
The rail trail did at least pass through a few villages and towns. At Perieres the townspeople have erected this memorial to four American GIs who were present at the liberation of the city in 1944. A workman was cutting the grass around the statue but he kindly moved out of the way so I could get a picture. He also told me about another memorial close by that commemorated two American airmen who had crashed nearby.
France is littered with war memorials, and I am always a little saddened by them. So many young men died in all the wars. I'm glad they are remembered, but it still makes me sad that they died so young.
The trail ended in Coutances, and as it had gone past noon, I sought out a bistro for lunch. Replenished I found a bike shop where I got a replacement for my missing bike computer.
Leaving Coutances I saw that Lo! there was a railway station and that double lo! the train was leaving in a few minutes for St. Malo, near to where I wanted to be. I took this shot of Coutances from the platform just before boarding the train.
On the train I met my first touring cyclists of the trip. They were returning to St. Malo where they lived, and were taking the train because they were tired of the rain. I got off before them at Dol de Bretagne, and it started to drizzle again. I rode into the city and got a room at the Hotel de Bretagne, where I showered and did some laundry. By the time the laundry was hung, the rain had stopped, and the sun was beginning to peek through.
Dol de Bretagne is a beautiful city. The old half timbered buildings are well kept and give the town a lot of charm.
The old presbytery houses the town museum. Lots of artifacts inside, but don't ask me to tell you about them. I didn't have my notebook with me and no photos are allowed inside. I guess you'll have to go to Dol and see them for yourself!
The patron saint of Dol is St. Samson, and he is alleged to arrived in Brittany from Britain in the sixth century in a boat made from stone. This "replica" was carved in the 1990's and can actually float, although I have some doubts about its sea-worthiness.
