I woke to a downpour! Just bucketing down. For once, only the outside of the tent was really wet, or maybe that was only relative. I waited for the rain to abate and then packed up. I dressed in full rain gear and wore my rain pants and shoe covers all day. It's easier to take the jacket on and off to control temperature. Thankfully, the rain wasn't continuous and it was cool enough to to wear the pants in reasonable comfort.
Getting ready to leave my tent and showing off my MEC shoe covers. I've had a number of other cyclists eying them with envy! Yes, they are ugly and not sleek and aero, but they are easy to put on or take off by the side of the road without having to sit down.
First stop was breakfast in Tréveneuc and then it was follow the Eurovelo 4 signs along a series of small roads. Periodically I saw signs for a "circuit des falaises" and I wondered what a falaise might be. I looked it up; it's a cliff. I didn't see any cliffs, just green and more green, until I rolled into Lanloup. I stopped to get a picture of the church and then a green descent to Bréhec-en-Plouha.
The church in Tréveneuc looks beautiful in a bit of sunshine.
Leaving this little port, it was a very steep climb. I rode the whole thing! And at the top I found myself on the Rue de Corniche. Another word I've seen a lot is corniche so I looked that up too. It means cornice. Does that mean these roads are on rock that is overhanging the cliffs? I hope not. I think it really just refers to a coastal road.
Looking back down at Bréhec-en-Plouha. The little specks in the water mid-left of the photo seemed to be a scuba class.
An unobstructed view. The hikers are coming down a section of GR34. Grande Randonée (GR®) 34, is the "sentier des douaniers" and runs along the Brittany coast for more than 2000 kilometres.
As I neared Paimpol, I saw a sign for a Table d'Orientation. I've seen signs for these occasionally and decided to check this one out. Of course, it was at a nice viewpoint and it wasn't raining just then, so lunchtime!
Table d'Orientation. I've seen a few or these (or signs for them) as I ride along the coast.
Then continuing on to Paimpol, EV4 paralleled the autoroute on what I can only describe as singletrack. A European couple on hardtail ebikes caught up to me at the start of this and I let them pass so they could find the tricky bits. Hard right, stairs, bridge, more stairs... I followed them and eventually came out on a seaside path with many walkers on it that led into Paimpol. I didn't ride the stairs.
After the singletrack, there was a section of boardwalk. Thankfully, quite wide since it was a bit overgrown!
The cheapest moorage at Paimpol? The parking lot in the background, at a higher elevation, has signs saying it might flood at high tide, but I wonder how often the tide is high enough to float these boats.
From Paimpol, EV4 takes quiet roads to get to the bridge across the Trieux to Lézardrieux. The route takes the sidewalk on the left (weird) and since it's too narrow for two bikes to pass, I'm glad nobody was coming in the other direction. It's a short bridge, but its arch prevents you from seeing if anyone is starting from the other side.
Approaching the bridge across the Trieux to Lézardrieux
Scott AndersonIt is beautiful, alright. I’ll look forward to seeing it - we’ll be crossing it in a few days. Reply to this comment 2 years ago
Jacquie GaudetTo Scott AndersonYour comment prompted me to look it up. It's a Gisclard bridge; these were precursors of modern cable-stayed bridges (the type with straight cables from a tower) and is one of the world's most important examples of its type. It was built in 1925 for light rail and restored in 1993 as a road bridge. Reply to this comment 2 years ago
Then more country roads to reach the Pont Canada to cross the Jaudy into Tréguier.
Artichokes! I saw a couple of fields full of them. In fact, these are the first vegetable fields I remember seeing on this trip. I've seen lots of corn and other grains...
In Tréguier, I settled in to my chambre d'hôte and Catherine even brought out more clothes drying stands for me to drape my wet tent over. It was sunny at this point so it dried quickly. While it dried, I went for an explore of the town.
A trio of the wooden statues inside the cathedral. It's no longer officially a cathedral (there hasn't been a Bishop here in decades), it's still called the Tréguier Cathédrale and is named for Saint Tugdal. This is near the entrance and shows Saint Yves between a rich man and a poor man.
Painted wood statue of Charles de Blois. Why he's here, I don't know. Blois isn't in Brittany... or maybe there's another Blois. [Edit: According to Wikipedia, he was of the House of Blois but became Duke of Brittany by marrying Joanna of Penthièvre and was later canonized. This canonization was later annulled, although he remains beatified. What? That sounds weird!]
The cathedral is home to many tombs, including that of the Breton Saint Yves. The original tomb of Saint Yves, who died in 1303 and was canonized in1347, was destroyed in the Revolution. This monument was installed in 1890 (and not dusted lately).
The skull of Saint Yves. At the tomb of Saint Tugdal, there is a similar case with long bones, labelled and tied with ribbon. I don't think they do this with modern saints.
And then you turn around from looking at the skull and you can make a donation to the church with your bank card. From mediæval to 21st century in less than two metres.
Scott AndersonIt looks like a work by Maillol. We’re staying in Tréguier too so we’ll have to be sure to look for this. Reply to this comment 2 years ago
Near the cathedral there is a cloister, but I think it's meant architecturally rather than the religious meaning. Apparently it was used as a market in past centuries and in the 1930s, several stone figures were moved here from abbeys in the region. This is the oldest one, from the XIII century, Alain de Vitré, Seigneur de Vitré and Sénéchal de Bretagne, who died in 1197. I included it because of the depiction of his hair.
I went out for a rather disappointing dinner. The main course I wanted, salmon, was not available and they didn't tell me until I'd started my carafe of white wine. I should have gone with the mussels but chose turkey instead because it came with vegetables (plus green salad, frites, and a baked potato). It wasn't very good and they don't know how to do baked potatoes very well. My entrée was 3 oysters but one was very strange so I didn't eat it. The server agreed that it was strange but didn't bring another or even apologize. Dessert was good. Oh well, there weren't any other places open on this holiday Monday. Better luck tomorrow!
