Gouarec to Moncontour

June 6, 2019

Rain!

I woke up to the wettest tent yet, but not because of the rain showers yesterday. In fact, when I had to get up in the middle of the night, the sky was clear and full of stars. (This campground doesn't have lights so you can see the stars.) It was cold, though, the coldest night so far, and definitely too cold to stand outside and stargaze.

Not rain. Dew, perhaps with a little help from condensation, was the culprit. And the sun wasn't nearly strong enough to dry anything before I wanted to be on the road.

So I packed my soggy tent and damp sleeping bag and mat and headed off shortly after 9. I decided to return to Bon-Repos by the canal because it's a 5 beautiful kilometres and should connect with the road through the Gorges du Daoulas.

I'd seen a brochure about the abbey at the campground and decided not to visit for several reasons: admission seemed high for what you get, it didn't open until 10, and the weather was forecast to deteriorate so I wanted to get as far as I could before the storms arrived.

I saw the abbey easily travelling east. Travelling westbound, it's hidden by big trees and you need to turn around to see it.

The Abbaye de Bon-Repos. You can't miss it travelling eastward!

I didn't see the road through the Gorges du Daoulas. I tried a couple of options, but it wasn't where I thought it should be based on the map. I finally ended up back in Gouarec and took the yellow road to Laniscat. From there, I wound my way east-northeast to my destination for the day.

In Laniscat. D44 is the road I'd meant to take! Note that place names on signs are in French and Breton (except the very long names are in French only)

I hadn't gotten all that far, about 25 km including all that faffing around looking for gorges, when I noticed a very dark sky off to the south with winds picking up from that direction. I stopped and put on full rain gear. I was riding along a ridge and could see what was coming and I wanted to be ready.

It caught me just as I was rolling into St-Mayeux and, what luck! There was a bar, open. The sign said "bar" and "alimentation" so I thought I could sit a while if necessary.

It turned out to be a bar (in France, that means coffee, wine, beer, nonalcoholic beverages) with a small épicerie in the back. Three old fellows were sitting at the bar with their "petits verres" (it was almost noon) and one had a very friendly border collie. I had a grand café crème for only 1.20€ (usually they are at least 3€) and bought a pack of tartelettes in the shop. The rain had stopped by the time I finished my coffee so off I went.

St-Gilles-Vieux-Marché was only 3 km further and would have made a great lunch stop. There was a hotel-restaurant there with several workmen parking and heading in, a good sign, so I'm told. But the sun was shining and I needed to ride.

Three bikes in Saint-Gilles-Vieux-Marché

The other two bikes won't be leaving anytime soon!

I didn't have anything for lunch as I figured I'd be eating indoors today if I could. I checked Merléac on my way through. Nothing, dead. Next was Uzel and the rain was starting just as I arrived. There was a sign for a hotel-restaurant so I followed its arrow, but before I found it, I found a little brasserie with a large number of touring bikes outside. At the same time, the skies opened. I went in.

It turned out to be the Yukon families again, along with two couples from Australia. Twelve cyclists sitting out the rain in one small brasserie!

I had a (very) large sandwich and small glass of wine (total 4.20€) while it poured and hailed outside. The storm let up and moves were made to leave, then it intensified again and everyone sat down. We finally all rolled off in our three different directions in a lightening drizzle.

I'd used the brasserie's wifi to book a room in Moncontour. Heavy rain is forecast for tonight and tomorrow morning and my tent is certainly no drier than it was this morning. I usually put it in a pannier with just the poles and pegs on the rear rack, but it was too wet so it was bungied on the rack all day.

Approaching Moncontour, my route led me along some backroads, also known here as farm tracks. This is what I saw as the last track met asphalt again.

Moncontour was a bit of a surprise. It's built on the side of a hill and I approached from the other side, as it were. Suddenly it was there, on a street heading steeply down!

Garmin thought I should ride down this street to my hotel. It's very steep!

I went this way and Garmin had to adjust. It's a good thing because it had actually been navigating me to the back (where the individual rooms open onto a narrow street) and this road curves around (and gets steeper!) past the front of the hotel. I saw the sign before following Garmin's instructions to turn and go around the back.

Hostellerie de la Poterne has been excellent. It's under new management and the new managers (owners?) are busy renovating, including painting the restaurant area themselves. It's an unusual layout: there is a small parking area with the lobby and restaurant behind it facing the street, but the rooms (only 7 or 8) open directly onto another narrow street behind. You exit the lobby and either go to the right and around the building by the side stairs or go out to the street and turn left three times to enter the narrow street. The rooms are actually on the upper floor.

The narrow street is so narrow at its ends that a car could never would fit through. When I mentioned to the proprietor that I had lots of wet stuff, she brought me a drying rack and suggested I set it up in the sun in the narrow street. I did, and I set up my tent too. I should have taken a picture, but didn't.

It was quite windy so I couldn't leave my tent unattended (even weighted with a couple of full panniers) so I took the opportunity to oil the chain and pump the tires before taking my bike around to the garage.

After moving my almost-dry gear into my room, I went for a walk around Moncontour. It's quite pretty and not full of tourists. I saw a few but certainly not many and zero tourist-junk or ice cream shops. And three places to choose from for dinner!

The town is trying very hard to develop its tourism, I think. They have a small mediæval city to work with and appear to be focussing on that aspect. There are well-done placards explaining the history of various places and elements and (I like this) metal signs hung above various services and businesses (école, boucherie, pâtisserie, etc.)

Placard describing the Poterne Saint-Jean. My hotel is just outside the ancient wall, across from the poterne (gate).

Looking back down through Poterne Saint-Jean. That's the little abbey you see beyond and above the wall.

I took the photo because it's an interesting building, but it's also where I ate later and the food here is great!

In Moncontour. I could swear the old fellow who just finished watering his garden and went in was wearing a polka-dot cycling cap, a Tour de France souvenir.

I made a good choice for dinner! Vegetables! And lots of them. I spoke with the chef/owner (I think) when I payed and she was very pleased I'd loved my meal. I mentioned the dearth of vegetables in most restaurants I've been to and she said it was because of labour. Preparing fresh vegetables is very labour-intensive compared to meats and frites. I wonder if that's the reason. I don't remember this problem on previous trips, but others I've met and discussed it with have also noticed and lamented it.

First course: salad with lots of veggies. My photo of the second course didn't work but it was a omelette with lots more veggies on the plate.

Dessert was included in the formule. I've now learned that, if you can't decide, café (or thé) gourmande is the way to go. I'd already started before I remembered to get a photo.

On the way back to my hotel I saw this. He'd blocked the road at both ends (where a vehicle could turn to find another way) before lifting this big stone thing over the wall. It took more than one try and strained his truck and crane to their limits.

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Today's ride: 62 km (39 miles)
Total: 2,143 km (1,331 miles)

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