Redon to Blain

May 2, 2023

Sunshine and the revenge of the killer caterpillars.

After a cool start, the sun’s up. Today is going to be a second relaxing day (lazy?)with only the canal to follow for about 40 kilometres.

We breakfast at the canal port in the sun. It’s pleasant watching the town come to life and knowing we don’t have to go to work today. Or tomorrow.

Have indulged in this stuff before in France - fizz but no or very little sugar. Really hits the spot.

The route out of Redon starts as it continues. Beautiful views, steady path, some sameness, but sunny. The killer caterpillars begin to appear swinging down from above. The long threads they’re attached to seem suspended in midair. Soon they cover our clothes and helmets. The only way to successfully remove them is with a deft flick from behind. A slight mis-tweak and they’re mush. Mush that’s an ugly grey green blob. For all that, it’s intriguing to see nature working this way. They remind me a little of glow worms which dangle threads, though for a different purpose.

The black dots are suspended caterpillars waiting for the unwary.

We’re starting to encounter touring cyclists- a number going solo. A young chap from Nth Ireland asks our opinion on directions. He’s travelling south to Bilbao and then catching the ferry back home from there. Another cyclist is a French woman with very well organised, tidy panniers of a couple of decades vintage, who’s on her way north to stay with her son in St Brieuc.

Majestic creatures they may be, but keep your distance!

Easy to see where Impressionists found their inspiration.

“I know a bank where the wild thyme blows…”

“…Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine..”

Guenrouet, we recognise easily because we camped there previously. There’s the church with the tall spire and the swimming pool on the hill. After this it’s easy reaching Redon and we are there by mid afternoon.

A quick jaunt through the local Lidl which is curiously under stocked with anything very appealing, leaves us with some basic options for dinner. The apartment has an interesting interior and another upstairs bedroom area with midnight challenging steps. The washing machine is put to work, ridding our clothes of grey green splodge. We dine well and hang our washing out to dry. Ann tries out the monstrous bath but by then I’m gone. It’s been a lovely day and energising but I have to hear how Joe Picket wins through…

Today's ride: 45 km (28 miles)
Total: 489 km (304 miles)

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