Brittany

As I write these lines I am sitting in the kitchen of Hayleys & Morgans place in the scottish capital Edinburgh, trying to remember all the little stories, great people and funny coincidences that happend to me on my way trough Brittany.

Hugues place in Nantes was just to comfortable and so I stayed a couple of nights more than intended but his flatmates managed to "activly motivated" me out of the house and into the saddle eventually.
Riding out of to cycle the beautiful Canal from Nantes to Brest I met Matthew from London.

He was obviously going the same way - on a shiny new SURLY CrossCheck- bicycle.
We took our time to stare at each others bikes for a couple of kilometers and chat our way to the next beergarden where we had some light refreshments. Matthew had taken a couple of days off from his family holiday, was travelling very light and riding much faster than I did, but curiously we met again and again for the next couple of days during the nearly 400km long ride and came to not only share the route but also the same hostel, a room in a french B&B, a couple of meals, several apperitives and loads of laughs on our way towards Brest.
Towards the end of our common ride he invited me to stay with his family in the house of "beau-pere" near Brest and I accepted willingly. After a hearty dinner, a good nights sleep and a huge breakfast, Matthew finally rode with me to the next village from where I cycled towards Plabenec where I was expected by Catherine whom I had met on the Camino de Santiago in June.

Once again I was received like the "lost son" by people I had never seen in my life,I was given a room, a bed, was watered and fed with delicious foodstuff and aperitives. During the next three days, Catherine took me to a Gaelic festival, treated me to a boat ride including picnic on a beach of tiny but pitoresque island of Batz, we visited the open-air music festival Fete-du-bruit in Landenau and the Brest aquarium.
Arriving late from visiting Brest, Catherines father willingly loaded me, my bike and the rest of my equipment into his van and drove me the last 40 kms north to the waiting ferry that would take me to Plymouth.



I had crossed France from south to north and the country had kept its best for last, the ride through Brittany, its people and hospitality and the calm alongside the Canal.

As I settled into my seat on the ferry that would take me to country number four on my ride around the globe, I checked my luggage and found a "good-bye" letter from Catherine - all the family members had signed a postcard for me wishing good luck for my further trip.