Just a short cycle this morning - to Nantes station, the best part of half a mile I reckon. We've pre-booked our bikes for the journey to Roscoff, but that involves 2 changes, and taking a TGV from Rennes to Morlaix, and I seem to remember there being problems with bikes on TGVs....The TER is a regional train, and I've read that they accept bikes, so no problem there. The train from Nantes is equipped to take just 3 bikes, which you suspend from the front wheel, and there are 6 of us, but we all manage to crowd them on. The TGV however is not so easy - even the French people we travel with who are doing a tour of Brittany don't understand the system. We have only a few minutes to get to the right platform and the bikes don't fit easily in the lift, my bike must be longer than Clare's. She roars with laughter as the lift door opens to see me wedged in, bike almost upright in the confined space and I make my unceremonious exit. The TGV can take about 3 bikes as well, so it's a cosy ride in the back carriage with 6 bikes and a trailer. Glad we didn't decide to do this on a tandem as originally planned. We get to Roscoff, final glass of rose by the harbour, buy Kouign Aman for Izzie, her favourite, then board the ferry. Sunny start but then fog bound, in fact the ferry is even late arriving at Plymouth because of it, never known that before. Now, I see that there's a Eurovelo route that starts in Wales, and crosses at Plymouth to France, from where you can get to.....
Congratulations, Clare and Simon! You must be home or nearly home by now. So many of us have enjoyed following your great adventure, through deepest Central Europe, along the rivers and canals, through what seemed an awful lot of rain, and up the many hills. 2500 miles carrying all your stuff with you on your bikes is a truly massive achievement in so many ways: that you managed to cycle all this way, keep up this blog, and survive with your butts - and good humour - intact. Full of admiration for your both, well done!
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