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Cycling France - Part 1: Brittany, September 2005

18 photos & movies (movie) by Rebecca Heald & Steven Hill, steephill.tv
(The free QuickTime player may be needed to view the movies)

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Pointe du Grouin

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Bonjour from France! This is part one of our report from an ongoing cycling trip in Europe. Our first stop is the north Brittany coast on the English Channel where Rebecca is attending a conference: "Molecular Machines in Cell Division." We spent one night in St. Malo and four nights in Roscoff. Although cycling tour companies use this area, Brittany is not the focus of our French cycling trip, but is serving as warmup for the main event.

Tomorrow we will drive eight hours to the Pyrenees where we plan to cycle for one week up and down the famous Cols featured in the Tour de France. But while I had internet access today, I put together a small album from the first five days of our excursion. The cycling here is mostly flat with some rolling hills. The one-lane back roads that cut through farms, pastures and old towns and the coastal cycling on busier but scenic roads are the highlights of this region. Lots of forts, castles and churches along the way. Navigating is not too difficult even though a lot of the small roads aren't labeled. Most of Brittany, that we've visited, is rural so it's usually a matter of following the little signs pointing to the next town and making judgment calls when you hit the proverbial fork in the road. I gave up trying to put together a traditional cue sheet as few of the smaller roads were on my maps. Instead, I only included turns for the main roads and otherwise followed town-to-town segments.

To cut out the wasted time normally spent loitering at train stations and so we can get to difficult to reach locations in the Pyrenees, we've rented a Ford Fiesta. Renting a car in Europe isn't cheap (~$40/day) but we've got a zippy little diesel car and brought along our bike rack, so it is working out well. We need flexibility on this trip, as the weather is unpredictable. Who knows, the next installment could come from Greece!
Bon soir madames et monsieurs, Steve September 14, 2005
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Landing during a storm in Montreal before flying on to France.jpg
Landing during a storm in Montreal before flying on to France
In France, assembling the bikes by our rental Ford Fiesta.jpg
In France, assembling the bikes by our rental Ford Fiesta
Voila, 25 minutes later we are ready to hit the road.jpg
Voilà! 25 minutes later we are ready to hit the road... despite our jet-lag
We spotted a Cofidis team car before we even left the airport.jpg
We spotted a Cofidis team car before we even left the airport
Descending along baie du Mont St-Michel to Pointe du Grouin.jpg
Descending along baie du Mont St-Michel to Pointe du Grouin
movie
Brittany coast panorama near Rotheneuf.jpg
Brittany coast panorama near Rotheneuf
A couple hundred feet of off-road cycling to get near the point.jpg
A couple hundred feet of off-road cycling to get near the point
Entering the inter walls of the Saint-Malo fortress.jpg
Entering the inter walls of the Saint-Malo fortress
The next day, Roscoff at low tide.jpg
The next day, Roscoff at low tide
We traveled half way around the world for a glimpse of the rare and exotic Roscoff sea gull.jpg
We traveled half way around the world for a rare glimpse of the exotic Roscoff sea gull
Eglise Notre-Dame de Croas-Batz from our Roscoff hotel room at noon.jpg
Eglise Notre-Dame de Croas-Batz from our Roscoff hotel room at noon (with the bells sounding)
movie
Church at night.jpg
.. and at night
Check the tides if you plan a romantic sailing date on the English Channel.jpg
Check the tides if you plan a romantic sailing date on the English Channel
French lessons - 1. if you get lost look for Toutes (All) Directions 2. Hotel de Ville is not a hotel, it's city hall.jpg
French lessons - 1. if you get lost look for Toutes (All) Directions 2. Hotel de Ville is not a hotel, it's city hall
Enjoying a smoke by the road.jpg
Enjoying a smoke by the road