31 July 2010 Saturday

 

I wake up to an overcast day which turns to a light rain shower as I leave the house,but I decide to carry on with my ride to Vannes.

It takes me just over 30 minutes to reach Vannes,and as its market day there is a lot of traffic. I park in the newly laid area to the right of the port rather than my usual spot on the cobbles by the cafes.

I wander round the market & the shops,but nothing catches my eye to buy, except these garden ornaments-cute metalwork birds-but there is no way I could carry the 5ft poles home on my motorbike!!

The port

There has been lots of work carried out around the port area,including a new Tourist Information centre and an exhibition centre, which is showing an exhibition about the lifeboat rescues, which includes these outside photographic images.

The streets of Vannes are lined with picturesque timbered houses. It appears that a modern extension has been built on the top of one of the houses below.

Another addition to the town’s landscape are these hire bike stations which are scattered around the town. The prices seem  pretty reasonable: a standing charge ranging from 1 euro for a day,5 euro for a week, 28 euro for a year, plus for each use the first 30 mins is free, 2nd 30 mins is 1 euro, then 2 Euros for each hour after that.

After Vannes I pop to the Hypermarkets on the edge of town where I buy a multi coloured coast hook for the bathroom, an outfit for Matilda in the sales 75% off,bargain! and an unusual bottle of aperitif-Merlot & Kir

30 July 2010 Friday

One of the things I love here is the number of birds that come into the garden( mainly I think because there are very few cats!) ,so first thing this morning I fill up the bird feeders with nuts,seeds and water.

I ride again to Ploermel as it’s market day. The market is mainly fruit and veg, but there are also a few clothes stalls and a few which are definetely aimed at the tourists selling jewellery  and local aromotherapy products.

I buy a copy of Ouest Franc,the daily newspaper which gives,national,international & local news,along with details of all the local events and sit in a bar with a Briezh Coke ( a local Breton Cola).

There is a band playing tonight in Josselin,which I think I will go and see.

In the afternoon I ride round to see Ken & Lesley who run the Bikers B & B in Remineac. It is very tempting to say Yes to  the stubby beer they offer , as it is a really hot afternoon, but I stick to a cup of tea, especially as I will be riding to Josselin once I leave here.

The back road from Ken & Lesleys has been resurfaced with those damn Gravillons so I take the fast route to Josselin along the motorway.

I choose the restaurant with the best view of where the band are setting up,but that table I sit on has been reserved so I  get moved my the waitress to a table with a restricted view-not so clever!

I order my meal : pizza with pepperoni & ham and a green salad with walnuts, and a shandy.

 

The band do not start playing until 7.15pm, having taken ages to set up and then only play for half an hour! Hardly worth the effort!

29 July 2010 Thursday

 

I want to try and eave by 10am this morning, so I’ve set my alarm to ensure that I don’t sleep in like yesterday.

I get up & make my way down to the kitchen where I put on the coffee, using Sara & James’ Porsche coffee machine! Unfortunately I don’t put the jug under the filter properly which means that when James comes down there is coffee all over the floor…not a good start to the day ;o(

Once again I have planned my route using the purple routes using my Best Rides Atlas ( www.thebestrides.co.uk).

From Silly William ( actually called Sille-le Guillaume but this is Jame’s name for it!) along D310 to Evron. The D7 to St Suzannes is closed,so I use the GPs to take me on an alternative route south which takes me on a lovely small windy country road , eventually rejoining the D7 to Sable-Sue-Sarthe.

Then West on D28 to Chateau-Gontier. Today is market day,so a small detour through the town centre is needed.

I am waiting in a queue of stationery traffic when unbelievably the car in front starts to reverse and before I can react she has reversed straight back into me. I beep my horn and luckily she stops. I have no idea what she was doing!  I get off the bike and check out the front wheel-there does not appear to be any damage. The woman just sits in her car & there is no point in me going to talk to her as my French is not up to that,so I get back on the bike and ride up the road-stopping at the next cafe for a coffee as it has shaken me quite a bit.

I continue on my journey. The sky starts to cloud over,and the cars coming the other way all have their lights on,so I stop to put on my waterproof top. Luckily I seem to have missed the worst of it, as the roads are really wet,but I do not actually ride through any rain.

As I ride,I am a little worried about not getting the stupid woman’s details that reversed into me-what if she has done some damage that I can’t see? But the bike feels normal and there is nothing I can do now.  As I ride up to a tiny village there is a small lake on the left and the noise of my bike makes a heron fly up and across the water-as usual when I see these birds a sense of calm comes over me.

When I get to Nozay I decide to hit the fastest route home button on my GPS-I just want to get to Caro now!

I get to the house and say my usual “Bonjour” to all the rooms.

Its then time to unpack. As I am putting away my stuff I manage to knock over a litre of vodka,which on the tiled floor smashes and goes everywhere! Well at least that’s the 3 things over and done with.

Once unpacked I jump back on the bike and ride to Ploermel to fill up the bike up with petrol and fill up my fridge with yummy French food, then its back home for my first night this year at the house.

28 July 2010 Wednesday

 

I sleep extremely well,not actually waking up until 11am! Just as well I had decided to stay on an extra night,so that we could all go out for a ride today!

Sara is working in the morning, but James makes himself busy by checking over all the bikes,including mine-what a star.

We are going to ride to Bagnoles de l’Orne about 40 miles north. This is a spa town so we pack our cossies just in case we fancy a dip in the therapeutic waters.

The ride takes us along some lovely twisty roads but it is not as enjoyable as it should be as the road has just been gritted,with miles of ‘gravillon’ patches. My bike slips a couple of times so I slow right down to 35-40 , which means I am overtaken by a lorry who has places to go!

We arrive at the town and head to the Spa, but it seems you can only use the pool if you book treatments and as these start at 70 euros its a no-go

The Spa Hotel

James planning the route home to try to avoid Gravillons

I find this stinger caught in my bike-I’,m so glad it didn’t hit me in the face-its a big bugger!

We ride back to the centre of the town,park the bikes and wander to look at the boating lake and buy an ice cream.

Sara & James share a kiss in front of the boating lake

We find a shop selling ice-cream outside the front with a huge selection of flavours.

The bright blue one catches my eye-Schtroumpf!

I ask what this is & both Sara & the lady seller say ’Smurf! !  

Smurf ice cream I’ve never heard of such a thing!!  I’m going to have to have one of these, especially when I’m told its almond flavour and for good measure I also opt for a scoop of caramel.

 

Enjoying my smurf ice cream

27 July 2010 Tuesday

 

Part III of my summer vacation starts today… I’m off to France again,this time for 3 weeks.

I catch Eurotunnel at 8.15am-for the first time I am the only biker on it ;o(

I am staying at my friends Sara & James tonight who live just outside Le Mans.

It is quite a journey so I stick to motorways (but not the Peage) & main roads.

As usual, even with the GPS!, I go wrong in Rouen but manage to get back on track.

I stop for a late lunch in Vernuil. Whilst waiting for my food I take a look at my Best Biking roads book and decide to ride the last couple of hours on pretty roads-so much more enjoyable.

I pass this huge ruined chateau- not a sight I can remember seeing before in France.

As with my Burgundy trip,some of the road I’m taken is marked with route signs

                          

By now it has got very hot,so I stop in the shade to take off my layers and have some water.

You see lots of these shrines along the road side.

I finally make it to Sara & James about 5pm,-beeping at the closed gate I am suprised when it opens by itself…James has  electrified it and added a remote control!

Sara & James have a beautiful,large old farmhouse-with various outbuildings.

A 3rd of the farm house!                               The old bakery now a BBQ house

One of the many cats                   New arrivals this year,chickens-isn’t this one a handsome chap?

And in the field at the bottom of their garden there are horses.

James is on his summer vacation-in France most people get 3-4 weeks off  end of July/August, whilst Sara is at the moment giving private tuition in English so is working at the moment.

Whilst we wait for Sara to get home,James gives me a tour of all the improvements he has made to the house since I was last here two years ago.

When Sara gets home we sit drinking Kir Royals in the garden,surrounded by the clucking hens.

One of the suprises us by laying her first ever egg!

           

Looking perplexed!                                               One of the Cockerels comes to check it out

       

There is no shell,but a thick membrane               James cuts the egg open

     

Inside its a normal egg with a yolk & a white        After an exhausting day the hens go to bed

24 July 2010 Saturday

 

Today is a big day as it’s Matilda Eve’s Christening. It has been touch & go whether it would go ahead as Dan has been having problems since his eye op on Monday,but all is good on the day.

Sally & I decorate the garden at The Prince of Wales pub,where the after party  is going to be held.

What follows is a selection of photos taken on the day-I make no apologies that these seem to focus on my side of the family & my friends…well this is my blog!!

                                      

Arriving at church                                                      Matilda & Mummy

Waiting for the service to begin

 

What a beautiful gown-from Dan’s family and nearly 100 years old

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matilda Eve,Mum& Dad & all the godparents

 

Steve’s Mum & Dad meet Matilda

These Christenings are SO exhausting!

Enjoying a chat & some Pimms- Colin, Mel, Debs & my Dad               Geoff & Mum2 Carol

Its not often an opportunity arises to have a photo taken with most of your best friends…these guys have been there for me so much over the last nearly 4 years… I love them all ;O)

            

Best shoes of the day goes to Debs                         Best daughter of the day…Vicki

We wanted to get a photo of the 4 generations,but Matilda was not in the mood for being picked up, so we all decided to join her on the ground!

       

Vicki & Matilda, with Grandad Watson                           Vicki & Matilda with Great Aunt Jill   

                 

Lily & Matilda-if they are lucky they will grow up to be as good a friends as Vicki & Charlotte

Mothers & daughters: Charlotte,Debs,Me & Vicki