En Bicicleta por el mundo - Cycling the World

As I write these lines I am sitting in the kitchen of my friends Hayley & Morgans in the scottish capital Edinburgh, trying to remember all the little stories, great people and funny coincidences that happend to me on my way trough Brittany.
Hugues place in Nantes was just to comfortable and so I stayed a couple of nights more than intended but his flatmates managed to "activly motivated" me out of the house and into the saddle eventually.
Riding out of to cycle the beautiful Canal from Nantes to Brest I met Matthew from London.
He was obviously going the same way - on a shiny new SURLY CrossCheck- bicycle.
We took our time to stare at each others bikes for a couple of kilometers and chat our way to the next beergarden where we had some light refreshments. Matthew had taken a couple of days off from his family holiday, was travelling very light and riding much faster than I did, but curiously we met again and again for the next couple of days during the nearly 400km long ride and came to not only share the route but also the same hostel, a room in a french B&B, a couple of meals, several apperitives and loads of laughs on our way towards Brest.
Towards the end of our common ride he invited me to stay with his family in the house of "beau-pere" near Brest and I accepted willingly.

After a hearty dinner, a good nights sleep and a huge breakfast, Matthew finally rode with me to the next village from where I cycled towards Plabenec where I was expected by Catherine whom I had met on the Camino de Santiago in June.
Once again I was received like the "lost son" by people I had never seen in my life,I was given a room, a bed, was watered and fed with delicious foodstuff and aperitives. During the next three days, Catherine took me to a Gaelic festival, treated me to a boat ride including picnic on a beach of tiny but pitoresque island of Batz,
we visited the open-air music festival Fete-du-bruit in Landenau and the Brest aquarium.
Arriving late from visiting Brest, Catherines father willingly loaded me, my bike and the rest of my equipment into his van and drove me the last 40 kms north to the waiting ferry that would take me to Plymouth. best for last, the ride through Brittany, its people and hospitality and the calm alongside the Canal.

I had crossed France from south to north and the country had kept its best for last, the ride through Brittany, its people and hospitality and the calm alongside the Canal.

As I settled into my seat on the ferry that would take me to country number four on my ride around the globe, I checked my luggage and found a "good-bye" letter from Catherine - all the family members had signed a postcard for me wishing good luck for my further trip.

Welcome to France, the home of Baguette, Pain au Chocolat, Pernod, green fields, lovely blonde girls, Bordeux, the Loire River, hundreds of Chateuxs, Fromage, Crepes, Mont St Michel, Cidre and a couple of Velos.

Shortly after leaving Irun I finally cross into France with high expectations and looking forward to discover country number three on my way around the world and so I cycle along the coast through the area known as Les Landes de Gascone, unfortunately the school holidays have started recently and the roads and campsites fill with cars and campervans, people eager to reach the pre-booked campsites along the coast. To my surprise, the roads are not very wide (especially in the villages) and the cars often have to que behind me and wait to overtake.
There is lots of cycling tracks criss-crossing the french south-west but I get soon bored of the straight routes and the pine-tree forests to my left and right - all day long. A couple of times I nearly fall asleep because the ride along this seemingly neverchanging landscape has become quite monotonous.

I stay in a couple  of pilgrims hostals and private accomodations (thank you to Famille Lamothe!), do some wild camping and spend the night of the 14th of july (the french national holiday) in a small village campsite, enjoy the fireworks and try to speak french to the locals.
Bordeaux seems to be a nice and rich city with its stone buildings, bars and brasseries and intense student (night)life. A single night in the local youth hostal sets me back 20 € (incl. breakfast) , so I ride on through the winecountry of the Girdonde, along vineyards and past impressive Chateauxs, towards LaRochelle (where I am expected by Warmshowers host ean-Jacques) always tempted by the signs offering winetastings and good food.
Jean-Jaques and his wife welcome me like an old friend, feed me like a king and take me on a ride to La Rochelle harbour on their recumbent bikes. In the beginning I am really tense and can´t find my equilibrium on the strange machine but after 10 minutes I relax my shoulders and roll easily dow the street. It feels like cycling while sitting on a sofa. And you are the centre of attention wherever you go, people turning their heads, making comments, laughing. I am quite sure I will change to a recumbent bicycle soon...

Once in Tours I stay in the pilgrims hostel of St Martins basilica, chat with the nuns, visit the saints tomb and roam the historic city centre with its ancient little houses and small alleys right besides the Loire river. Leaing the city to cycle along the Loire to Nantes I have my first (altough harmless) accident. Somehow I fall sideways off my bike and the plastic hose of my front break rips. For the next 300 kms I cycle with one brake only, fortunately the Loire cycle paths are mostly flat and I do not have to use my break much.