Day 16 - Camoel to Locqueltas

Distance cycled today 36 miles
Distance cycled since Modbury 630 miles

Last night, our decision to trust to a vending machine for our evening pizza backfired. It was broken, so we resigned ourselves to missing food. The hotel owner found out and would have none of it. He bundled us into his BMW X3 and whisked us off to Penestin where we had a fabulous meal of soupe de poisson, followed by lamb cutlets. Then he insisted we ring him so that he could take us back to the hotel. What a great gesture! We bought him a bottle of wine as a 'thank you' and he was made up!

Today, we got going at 9am and it was dry and bright! Although I started in full battledress, by mid-morning, I had bare arms and legs as the sun shone and the birds sang! Bliss! This is what cycling in France is about.
We ambled up to the Barrage at Arzal, crossed the bridge, and no sooner had we done so than the alarm rang, the bridge was raised and we watched a flotilla of yachts go through. What a great start to the day!

We then cycled up the D139/D1 to Questembert, taking quiet back roads wherever we could cut corners. We had a coffee in Questembert at 11.15, and then stayed on minor roads until we stopped again for 'lunch' at Elven at 12.45. Rob only had a coffee as he can survive on thin air but I asked for a sandwich which raised so much discussion and eyebrows that you would have thought I'd asked to marry the owner's daughter. Why don't bars do sandwiches? It was only a ham baguette - anyway I eventually got it and all was well with life.

We continued to Monterblanc which my wife knows well as we cycled through there during a cold March 2008. I then took Rob on a small detour to Vannes Aerodrome where the parachute school operates and we had a pleasant hour watching people jumping out of planes. These were seriously good and the speed that people were coming in at before 'braking' at the last second was alarming. I also took a video of a girl packing parachutes for some of the parachutists. I bet no-one wanted to upset her!

We arrived at the hotel La Voltige (booked via Brittany Ferries at £60 B&B for both of us) at Locqueltas, which is just NW of Vannes, at 3.15 but it was closed until 4. Nevertheless, we were able to sit in the garden using the wi-fi until the new owners turned up.
Our bikes will be in a locked room tonight, and I've arranged to treat Rob to a "plateau de fruits de mer". I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the new owner-cum-chef is as good as the one that has just sold the hotel. I will report tomorrow.

We estimate that we have just over 100 miles left to Roscoff and although we scheduled 3 more cycling days and 1 further rest day, we may well forsake the rest day and spread the mileage out over 4 days, arriving at Roscoff early on Saturday, perhaps to do a bit of shopping that we won't have to carry too far! The last 2 days of reduced mileage have been far more relaxing and the weather has now started to play its part.

Thanks again for the Comments, Dad, Gareth and Steve. Dad, you were spot on about the Barrage. Steve, I doubt that we'll be on the EV1 again unless we stumble upon it, perhaps near the Nantes-Brest canal. Gareth, we'll talk about another cycle trip - my legs are starting to ache! (Muuum!)

Photos:
The raised bridge at Arzal Barrage
Me at lunch in Elven
Rob watching the parachutists
Rush hour in Brittany