August 14, 2013
Loudeac to Pontivy: We start on the Nante Brest Canal
Last night’s hotel was very comfortable and the breakfast the best we have had along the way, even fresh fruit salad. It took a little while to get onto the Voie Vert again but once on away we went on a path that is now becoming familiar as we passed through small villages and old Railway Stations. There were a reasonable number of other cyclists but no other touring cyclists.
After about 25km the need for coffee was getting rather urgent so when we reached Mur-de-Bretagne we went into the town. Not only did we need coffee but we needed bread for lunch as well. It was suprising that there was a long line snaking out of the Boulangerie, may be this place had really good bread. Ken joined the line and after some time emerged triumphant with a fine looking baggette. The bar next door produced a very good Café Crème Grand and even gave us a small biscuit to eat with it.
Mur-de-Bretange was where we changed tracks and got onto the Velodysee proper which at this stage is follows the Nante Brest Canal. Now we will travel generally south, up until now, Ken tells me, it has been west across Northern Fronce. The signage was absolutely excellent and there was no way could have missed the route. Getting to it involved a steep exhilarating down hill swoop and as we turned the sharp corner onto the canal both of us realized that our brakes were anything but perfect, may be a bike shop was in order. I had imagined that the Nante Brest Canal would be alive with barges and other craft. This part of it is clearly déclassé and overgrown with lots of water weeds. The old locks are still there but their gates have been partly removed. With all the massive work that went into building this it is sad that its usefulness has been for such a short time. The cycle track is absolutely superb, it is very well maintained. I had forgotten how effortless riding along a canal or river is. Now we were at last seeing lots of cycle tourists as well as the usual day trippers. Many of the tourers were pulling a trailer of the type used for small children and I expected to see a small Prince or Princess in each. Oh no that was not what we saw, the prince or princess usually turned out to be a very content looking dog off on his or her vacation.
At Pontivy it seems that the canal becomes active. We stopped here and found the Information Tourisme which happens to be in a boat. The lady looked slightly downcast as it seems there is some sort of fete on here in the next 2 days. She found us a room though so the tent is once more spared. It seemed that there is a magazine de velo a little out of town so once we had unloaded off we went on our now very racy bikes. The shop was big with lots of expensive bikes and our two steeds looked a little travel worn. There were two mechanics in the shop and my loose steering head, which has been driving me crazy, was fixed in a trice. They seemed less enthusiastic about the brake problem, I think they thought it would be too expensive for us. We persisted and they put on new pads and by the time they had finished they were smiling and what is more we both have brakes that stop us rather than just slow us down marginally.
Once more we are in a hotel named for ‘a local cycling legend’ the Hotel Robic.
Today's ride: 62 km (39 miles)
Total: 964 km (599 miles)
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