August 16, 2013
Josselin to Redon: A lot cooler day
The motorbikes yesterday afternoon were truly amazing. A thousand of them going around the streets of this lovely little medieval town seeing how much noise they could make and what is more the streets were lined with spectators. It was really awful and I wondered if this biazare event was designed to make people hate motorcycles. The noise was too much for me and we soon retreated behind the thick wall of the Hotel du Chateau. About 7pm everything calmed down and shortly afterwards we emerged to the relative quiet of this lovely little town whose peace had been so savagely shattered. We found a nice place to eat and have our usual bottle of Cidre but this time instead of galettes we both had salads, mine a hot goat's cheese one which was delicious.
Along the canal in the cool of the morning is always a great ride and today was no exception as we watched to mist rise off the water and saw the odd lazy bird take off as we got too near to it. It was a much busier on the canal today and I saw 12 big boats motoring along with purpose as well as a lot of small ones just having fun. It made me wonder if perhaps because yesterday was Ascension day the locks weren’t working. We also came through centres which were hiring out canoes and there seemed lots of laughing from the occupants. At times the canal widens into what is almost a lake and it is in these parts that all this fun takes place. The canal now actually has very little fall and the locks are a long way apart, several kilometers.
Coffee today was at Malestroit which was bustling with people and we would have liked to stay there but it was really too soon. We tried to find a bike shop to fix Ken’s bike computer but guess what the bike shop was shut for August because it was the holidays. Our final destination was Redon. This is the place where two canals cross and we have a large airy room overlooking the canal and the Port de Plaissance. We found that they had a Decathalon just out of town. No it was not shut for the holidays and we hope Ken’s bike computer is revived.
Today was an effortless bike ride because the temperatures were much more moderate only reaching the low twenties rather than the mid thirties which like yesterday make me wilt.
We heard this morning that Wellington had had another 6.2 earthquake. I texted my friend Jan who tells me there was no serious damage I certainly hope not. We are really becoming very sensitive to earthquakes in New Zealand.
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Today's ride: 68 km (42 miles)
Total: 1,089 km (676 miles)
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