Mon 2 Jun 2014 Cumulative distance 1376km
Refreshed from our two-day break we were all pleased to be back on the bikes and headed for the Channel coast. We had a long but easy day as we followed the Canal d'Ille-et-Rance from Rennes to Dinan. The canal twisted and turned and our route was considerably longer than the shortest possible by road but in the pleasantly cool conditions, with no wind, no traffic, good riding surface and beautiful scenery we were content to cover the greater distance.
The Canal d’Ille-et Rance-runs from the north to the south through Brittany and connects the English Channel to the Atlantic by linking the rivers Rance and Ille. The Rance runs northward and discharges into the Channel near St-Malo while the Ille runs south and discharges at Rennes into the river Villaine which, in turn, discharges on the south-coast into the Atlantic.
The canal was constructed as part of a strategic plan for waterways in Brittany. It provided an inland connection of the ports St-Malo, Lorient, Nantes and Brest and circumvented any naval blockages of these ports by the English. Orders to construct the Canal d'Ille-et-Rance were given in 1804 by Napoleon. The 80km long canal, with its 48 locks opened in 1832.
We arrived in Dinan in the late afternoon and soon found a small hotel in the old town. The town was quickly emptying of the daily contingent of day-trippers and by the time we had settled into the hotel, changed our clothes and ventured out to explore, we felt as though we had the whole town to ourselves.
Dinan is a medieval town perched on a hilltop overlooking the Rance river and has many fine old buildings, some of which date from the 13th century. The town retains a large section of the city walls, part of which are accessible. The old town, with its narrow streets, old wooden framed buildings and famous clock tower (itself on a lean) is a fascinating place and the views from the old city ramparts are superb.
Canal d'Ille-et-Rance
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Dinan
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Rennes
Sat 31 May & Sun 1 Jun 2014 Cumulative distance 1293km (no change)
Rest and recreation days in Rennes before continuing on our way north to the English Channel, and then east through Normandy. After almost four weeks on the road, a longer break seemed warranted.
We did not know what to expect from Rennes and have all been very pleasantly surprised. It is a delightful city with many grand buildings and wide squares, interspersed with narrow streets with crooked wood-framed medieval houses. As this is a student city there are cafes, bars and restaurants everywhere - most well frequented - and we kept discovering more as we wandered about. The place has a nice 'feel' to it, especially when the sun comes out.
Chores were done on Saturday (the usual washing, bike maintenance, planning etc) and Sunday was set aside for relaxing - life's tough.
Rennes
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Weekend Market
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Rennes
Fri 30 May 2014 Cumulative distance 1293km
After an elegant breakfast, using the château's lovingly-cared-for crockery and ornately decorated silverware, we said farewell to our friendly host and headed off towards Rennes, the capital of Brittany. Our route avoided major roads and covered around 80km across undulating terrain. We were all optimistic about the weather and started out in knicks and short sleeves but the misty conditions soon deteriorated and we had to stop to pull on our wet weather gear again. The saving grace was the lack of wind and the magnificent scenery, beautifully moody in the grey light.
During our travels we have seen lots of birds, especially large hawks that glide effortlessly over the fields, looking for prey. However they are usually not welcomed by other birds in their area and we were fascinated to watch again as a smaller bird harried a large hawk - diving and climbing, swooping and turning, forcing the hawk to take evasive action. This continued for several minutes and it was uncertain how it would end as a poorly judged manoeuvre from the smaller bird could see it in the hawk's talons. They faded into the distance, still fighting, and we moved on, not knowing the outcome.
The sun reappeared in time for us to stop for a picnic lunch by a beautiful pond, complete with benches, and we luxuriated in the warm sunshine and again shed our waterproof gear. The rest of the trip to Rennes was generally easy, aside from a couple of short sharp climbs, and we reached the outskirts of the town around 3pm.
Rennes (population ~200,000) is the first major town that we have stayed in and we followed well-marked bike lanes and 'Centre Ville' signs until we reached the central area. We had no idea where to find the tourist office to get hotel information and, when we arrived at the central area, we were greeted by a sea of people. There seemed to have been some celebrations or festivities in one of the old town squares and the masses were just then dissipating. The atmosphere was exciting - there is obviously a lot of life in this place, a major student centre from what we have read.
After questioning a couple of the locals we found the tourist office - illogically, rather well hidden away - and then did a round of the hotels, seeking somewhere central, comfortable and not outrageously expensive, as we plan to spend two days here - a long break by our standards. Our luck held and we were soon happily ensconced in a small two-star hotel, a street or two back from the centre.
Craon to Rennes
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Our Route - Central France
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