Snap, crackle and popped!

Sunday….was, er, ‘interesting’! I’m sitting writing this on a bench outside a church in the back Arse of nowhere in a town which could easily double up as a grave yard! I had forgotten just how absolute the shut downs are in France! On the one hand it’s nice as it’s so different from the 24/7 openness of most places but….when you want a coffee and a Coca Cola it’s shite!! Fortunately I had packed sandwiches, snacks and fruit so sitting in the church square was very pleasant – quiet, but very pleasant!
After a battle with Maps to get me out of Rennes (note to self…..avoid Rennes!) I found myself utterly lost in an apartment car park when this little shite of a dog (when I say dog, I mean ‘rat’ so favoured by the French) chased me, much to the owners amusement! In the end I sprayed it with coke but in so doing lost my balance and whilst remaining upright my panniers weren’t so lucky, snapping off the rack. Snap being the only word as the clasps that hold the pannier to the frame sheered right off. Whoops! I’d only done 10k and my day looked over. I sat for a while pondering what to do.

Remembering I had my faithful cable ties and a spare strap I made a temporary repair. Bingo…we were mobile again. Periodically Maps took me off down lanes and tracks ….not ideal with panniers precariously strapped to the bike! But somehow they stayed together with minor adjustments every now and then. Some of the tracks were pleasant enough whereas others were simply outrageous….having to push the bike up crazy embankments and over ditches, and in one situation being confronted, having descended down a gravel track, with a small lake! I had to push the bike up the track and when I found terra ferma it only redirected back down to the same bloody track! One day I’d like to meet the little shite who devised the ‘cycle’ routes in Maps. If you had an ordinary road bike it would simply disintegrate! There should be warning on this part of the App….something like ‘only use this option if you’re completely bonkers and are happy to wreck your bike and wear your cleats out, as you’ll spend more time pushing than pedalling. No refunds offered because if you’re mad enough to use the app you’re not safe with money!’
Today was also about the head wind too….so many times I just ‘popped’ – it was just unrelenting as it swept across the open fields.

I eventually arrived in Sabre sur Sarthe around 5 – 8 +hrs at 15kph average! This was a day that kept on giving…..the ‘open all year’ campsite was very much not open, and the hotels were booked out because of some horse racing carnival in town! Oh the joys, the joys. I sat and contemplated my fate for an hour or so, so buggered from the ride I was unable to contemplate moving an inch further. I pitched up outside a motel which was shut until 6:30 but it’s wifi was free so I hot spotted off it to track down a bed ….no easy feat! But in the end alls well that ends well. Went to bed buggered!!

Monday; hop, skip and a jump!
Rest day with a short 25k spin to my first experience of Warm Showers, an app which connects you with fellow cycle tourists who can host you for a night – hot shower, food and bed! My hosts lived in close to Sable so after finding something to repair the pannier I set off and after an hour arrived to this sleepy village. I enquired as to the whereabouts of the hosts address in this heaving metropolis with the one person I could find, who had no idea! In France it’s a patience game….so I rested and waited and soon a woman arrived who, whilst not knowing the couple or the address, went out of her way to find it then asked me to follow her in her car until we arrived at Daniel and Huguette’s gorgeous French cottage. Both retired educators, they greeted me with such warmth, friendship and…food!! Lots of food. They have travelled far and wide on their bikes, all the while stopping to paint/draw, or simply soak in the atmosphere of where they were. Incredible. And when I came to sort out my bike I found a few more issues which required tools….Huguette was on the phone sorting it out, got me to a shop where the problem was solved and drove me back. Today I experienced the real France, with their quiet generosity and kindness, willing to open their doors to complete strangers who share a common love of cycling.
What it also taught me was that cycle touring is not about the destination but the journey. On Tuesday I had planned to cover the 150 to the next host but made a decision ….nope, slow down, stop flogging yourself. Stop after 80, then get to the host on Wednesday fresh! An important lesson for me as I’ve found I’ve been focussed too much on ‘how far’ not ‘what did you see’, something which is long standing trait of mine, thinking others will be more impressed with the huge distance! Thank you Huguette and Daniel!

l pleut comme vache qui pisse!!

Well, just as forecast, the weather was as good as it said it would be….shite! I woke to a very wet tent having got completely waterlogged over night (tho I slept very well apart from that bloody wasp sting). It was a mad panic to get things put away dry, but I gave up in the end when I discovered that I had forgotten to put away my winter rain cycling jacket I had hung on a nearly tree…to dry! It was soaking ….nothing says ‘let’s go cycling today’ than putting on wet cycling gear! Not that it made a blind bit of difference as within 2 minutes I was soaked anyway. It wasn’t ‘cats and dogs’ rain, but a constant fine rain which gets in to your clothes in minutes. In Ireland, they’d say ‘tis a grand soft day’! Feck ‘soft’ it was bloody wet…full stop! But it was actually quite warm -around 14 or so- so whilst I was pretty soaked I was never really cold. That might have something to do with the heartbreaker hills in Brittany ….short, 12-15% ers that sap you of energy but keep you warm! On a few I was in my granny gear and struggling to hold the front of the bike down. But even these stinkers gave way eventually to more reasonable roads. My ‘Maps’ set on ‘cycle’ mode delivered again…delivered me to dirt tracks, footpaths and deviations which took me through every small hamlet and god forsaken hole on a mistaken belief that cyclist love nothing more that adding countless kilometres to their trip by sidetracking you in to these lost worlds ….via goat tracks, farm yards and orchards! But…don’t tell Maps, but it was actually very interesting and did keep me away from…well, from civilisation actually 🤣🤣!

I eventually made it to St Briuec (too many vowels to know which order they come in!) to find that the owner of the Air BnB I was due to stay in had forgotten to put the keys in this state of the art digital key holder! After sitting around in wet gear trying to think what to do (as I don’t have wifi) I thought ‘ I’ll just check under the door mat’ 🤣🤣….yep. All that wanky digital thingy and the keys were under the mat!

Breezing along in Brittany!

I had a shite night….the wasp sting was so irritating I couldn’t sleep. At around 4, having tried everything including putting my hand in the freezer, I remembered I have anti histamines in my magic medical kit! That helped!

I set off before sun rise here (like the French it arises late here – 8:32!), and was treated to a lovely sunrise. Today was one of those days where you smile at the joy of riding. The roads were exceptional, the landscape stunning, and when Maps took me off road it did me a real favour-15+ kms of dirt track cycle path which is stunning. Apart from having to learn how to ride over the fallen conkers and acorns- that was like riding on marbles or ice but I worked it out quick enough – you just belt over the top of them as fast as you can!!

Todays ride was 112k of glorious riding. I arrived early in Rennes, which couldn’t have been more of a contrast to the preceding 112k – a concrete jungle devoid of any character (though I’m staying on the outskirts so the city might be better…I’ll pass through tomorrow so I’ll let ye know!!)

On the move….again 😊

Hi everyone. Thank you for staying with me while I’ve been somewhat stationary in the UK and Ireland. But time has come to move on. Before I left Cork on Wednesday Barry and I cycled to the ferry port at Ringaskiddy crossing over the Lee estuary on the small car ferry, and met two ex colleagues, now friends, Sinead and Karen (who had brought enough food to feed an army….which I appreciated as I had loads to eat on the ferry 😊).

There was a sadness in leaving Ireland…for now. I’ve no idea what’s ahead or how long it’ll be, but I know I’ll be home again when the time is right.

Trouble comes in three so they say…!!
Bonjour! Well I slept very well on the ferry last night and we pulled up to the quay at Roscoff bang on time. It was 8 am local but pitch dark! Not what I had planned for,so a mad scramble ensued to find lights! I popped in to Roscoff town for breakfast and had the very best coffee and croissants- so delicious. Got chatting to an Italian guy who has been in Ireland for a year and is now hitting the Brittany coast chasing the waves. A real surfing dude! It was so good to reconnect with like minded travellers.

When I left, the slight drizzle had turned to rain! So I headed off knowing I only had a very short 45 or so to do today. It really didn’t take too much effort to ride on the right – I was a little apprehensive about it but it was actually pretty easy!
Following my maps I stayed on the D roads, but then got pulled off one section as, well, apparently cyclist aren’t allowed. It was frustrating as it meant adding significant Ks to my trip.

So I turned my Maps reader to cyclist mode and sure enough, before long I was off down tracks and wooded paths….but it was good fun….I knew the bike could handle it so off we went. But by this time Bob was making an unholy racket….bottom bracket…again! Notwithstanding the advanced warning of my presence (thanks Bob) the scenery was wonderful, and the small towns were delightful even in the rain!

So I got to the farm campsite early enough and set about pitching my tent. Only to discover that one of the inserts that allows the carbon poles to join together was…not there, rendering the whole tent useless. But once I’d worked out how I could fix it, I sat patiently for over an hour until I had a solution done! Tent up, food had and a walk to the small village shop followed! Then I got on to fixing the bike, which I managed to do (for now) then….got stung by a wasp that had decided my tent was a great alternative to the hive. Sweet god it hurt like feck. For hours. I can’t use my right hand as it’s swollen up like a balloon and I could cook my tea on it it’s so hot! But hey….that’s three things so I’m hoping thats it 🤣🤣! Rain forecast all day tomorrow but then brighter the following few days 🌞. Really looking forward to where Maps.me will take me tomorrow…foot paths, tracks and trails. Given it’s gonna be wet I’ve opted for a warm bed tomorrow…sod the cost!

Sending my love and warm hugs to the two most important girls in my life – Charlie and Niamh. Miss you both so much.

Well I’ve been here for nearly two weeks now. It’s been an interesting time – meeting old friends, cycling the byways of Cork, and generally just stopping and being. Whilst I’m always happy to be here, there’s a weird sense that I’m not home, not yet. My arrival in Ireland was premature given the situation with dad. I had not planned to be here (insofar that i planned to be anywhere) , so it all feels ‘temporary’….it’s difficult to describe, but I know I’m not happy to put down anchor just yet….in time, for sure, as west cork has always been my final ‘home’ when the time is right, a place I can retire to disgracefully 🤣. That time is not right m, now.

These past two months have been quite discombobulating – being away, but not traveling, focussed on various things that had to be done – a sort of suspended reality. So I’m yearning to get back to the solitude of the open road, to be back in my own head and thoughts, whilst simultaneously being challenged physically and mentally and experiencing new experiences each day.

I’ve been able to get a few days of riding in, thanks to my mate Decky who lent me a racing bike whilst Bob was again in for surgery! I’ve managed to get up to the mist covered hills around Beal Atha na Marbh (Bealnamorrive….I think it means hill/town of the dead), Cobh (pronounced ‘Cove’) and my favourite ride around the Old Head of Kinsale.

Sooo…what’s next? I’m heading to France, and then on to Switzerland before hopefully flying to Thailand to give me access to those parts of Asia I wanted to do back in August – Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. But as the saying goes – ‘wanna make god laugh….tell him you have a plan’! Whilst a staunch non believer, the principle is so true. I’ve learnt on this trip to look no further than the road immediately in front! But due to something called visas I’m having to do some minimal planning, and Claire, my long suffering but outstanding travel agent in Adelaide, keeps me on my toes when it comes to ensuring I’m lined up in advance!

I’ll write again when I’m in France …sur mon velo🇫🇷🚵

Tuesday: Fishguard to Wexford
God it’s so so good to be home 😊.
After a great nights sleep in Fishguard, I boarded the ferry to Rosslare with some trepidation as well, the ‘vomit comet’ usually lives up to its name! It was blowing a gale and raining when we pull away from the quay. I met another Aussie cyclist who was heading to Ireland – she had been through Europe and traversing the UK, but it seemed she had spent more time on trains than the road! Two days ago she was on the South coast of England, so I was naturally in awe at the distance she had traveled, especially as her loaded bike weighed a massive 40kg…I couldn’t lift it! Anyways, it turns out she had got a train to london, then a train to Birmingham. Then a train to Cardiff. ‘Oh, so you rode from Cardiff to here….that’s a tough gig’. Nope….train to the ferry port! I’m a bit perplexed why you’d haul a fully loaded bike around the UK on a train….but, hey Ho! Perhaps she’s got the right idea and I’m the fool!

The crossing was absolutely fine as it turned out. The ferry was pretty empty so I was able to lie down and sleep 😊.  I got in to Rosslare at 4:30 and was greeted with cold, wet and windy conditions. But it was such a delight to cycle on the road to Wexford…on a well maintained bicycle lane 😊😊. I decided not to camp and spoil myself in a B and B, tho finding one was a challenge and….eye wateringly expensive! But just to be home, to watch RTE news, to have a cup of Barry’s tea, hearing the Angelus at 6…was great. The host was also so so Irish…she could talk the legs off a table, and before I even got to my room I knew her life story 🤣.

Tomorrow the weather is shite..,or simply, Irish! After the heatwave of the summer, it’s like winter has come along and said ‘so you think that was challenging…hold on to your hats’! I’ll see how far I get tomorrow towards Cork which is 185k from here. But given the sheer cost of things here, I’ll prob need to sell a kidney to get accommodation tomorrow night en route. I’m sitting writing this while having a pretty ordinary burger and chips from the local ‘greasy spoon’…when he charged me i thought he was quoting me the sale price of the shop!! ‘No, that’s fine, just the burger and chi….oh, that is for the burger and chips…well, does that come with three nights accommodation and a coffee making machine…?’

Wednesday- Wexford town to Cork. I had the bestest best breakfast I’ve had since leaving Adelaide….fruit bowl, cereals, toast, coffee and fried eggs, bacon, sausage and beans. Fully loaded up I left Wexford town quite unsure if I’d make it to Cork in one sitting or two. The roads were undulating with long sweeping climbs and short descents but what knackered me was the unrelenting wind and the occasional drenching. At times I was pedalling harder downhill! It’s a little soul destroying when you’re putting in so much effort and clearing 13-14k an hour! But, I plodded on, loving the lush green fields, old cottages and Irish pubs, tractors, slurry spreading and…fantastic bike lanes ALL the way! I felt safe on the roads which, after the trauma of England and Wales, was such a delight – I wasn’t gripping my bars tight and was so much more relaxed. I got to Waterford- I had to leave the main road/bypass to get to the city centre where I had another full Irish breakfast 🍳 ! I then realised I had to cycle the 4K back to the main road adding 8k to a ride distance of 185! I wasn’t happy! But slowly I made it to Dungarvan, then on to Youghal and got in to County Cork around 5:45. I still had 45k to go in fading light and periodic downpours. I made the decision to light up and push on to Cork, arriving at my best mates house around 7:45. He had moved since I last stayed with him..he’s now in Dublin Hill…,a shocker of a climb out of the city which I crested at a magnificent 4.5kph!! I was utterly spent, but so pleased to have made it. We shared a great evening of banter and laughs before I collapsed in to bed. Barry and I have been friends since the early 90s – a dear friend, godfather to Charlotte and an incredible work colleague and mentor. Barry is a pen and paper guy, resisting the push towards technology 🤣….so it was absolutely no surprise to learn when I arrived that he had….no wifi!! So typical! So connecting to the outside world has taken on a new level of complexity but like everything this trip has thrown at me I’ll find a way around it!