August 18, 2013
Guenrouet to near Nantes: It rained and we have done over 1000km
Our room mates arrived around 5pm and were an absolutely charming little family of father and 2 daughters aged 12 and 10 . They live in a village about 10 km from Redon and this was their first bike tour I think. Papa had them well organised, they arrived changed into their bathing suits and off they went to the swimming pool. They had intended to have Pizza for dinner but the Pizza place was shut so they had to go to the same place we went to, the Galettes there are I think the best we have had and we are becoming experts now. Today they ride back the 35km along the canal to their village.
We left early before we had had breakfast as we rather thought we would have a long way to go. The woman at the Tourist Information had told us that it would rain all day today. It was only drizzling very mildly when we left but she was right gradually the rain got heavier and heavier and before long we had to put on our jackets. Where we had stayed last night is a centre of the cider industry and they make Keric Cidre there. As might have been expected now apple trees appeared along the canal path. The apples are small cider apples but quite sweet. After 7km locks began to appear again then they came about every 2 to 5 km. These locks do not have the riot of flowers that we had seen previously but they add interest to the trip. These are manually operated locks rather than the automatic ones we had experienced when we travelled with Rosemary and John a couple of years ago. I think that in this busy holiday season they are operated by students. Ken was delighted when we came to one of the locks, the lock keeper allowed him to operate one of the handles for a gate. He felt very important but unfortunately I didn’t get a photo of it. Coffee was after about 25km at Blain, but nothing to eat in the bar. With no breakfast I was getting a bit hungry.
The canal changes into the Erdre Valley which drains into the Loire and the locks start to go down hill again. I was getting hungrier and hungrier and there were no services, the rain was constant so eventually we stopped under a dripping oak tree and ate our bread and cheese. We had decided to stop at Suce-Sur-Erdre where there was reported to be a hotel but no luck, just lots of expensive looking restaurants and the Information shut, so on we pressed. I was beginning to think we would never find a place when we saw what looked like a village off to the side. In we went and found a bar. The most helpful woman got out her map and showed us where there were 2 hotels not too far away on the cycle route. The first we came to was Westhotel and in we went. It had 4 stars proudly displayed and people with a seemingly very different dress code than us. On we pressed to the BandB Hotel. This looked particularly grim, there was no one at reception and we had to book in by operating a complicated looking machine. Not for us in this weather so back we went. I embarrassingly dripped water over their elegant foyer and felt a little like a freak. The outcome is that we have a fantastic and massive room for 84E (the listed price on the door is 217E.) Every think is out drying, I have had a luxurious bath and used all their toiletries, made tea, drunk red wine and eaten chocolate. Life is good and guess what the rain has stopped.
Today's ride: 75 km (47 miles)
Total: 1,191 km (740 miles)
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