I take it all back…it was epic. I knew day 1 would be fairly tough as I was coming from sea level but with a heavily packed bike even the slightest incline was a push.
The start from Roscoff was mostly on tarmac lanes but there was almost no traffic so it was pleasant. The roads in the area are ‘rolling’ which means brake all the way down then sweat all the way up!
The scenery is beautiful in this part of Brittany with regular sea view as well as the rolling countryside.
Arriving in Morlaix was a surprise as the town is much bigger than expected. With a very grand Hotel de Ville.
I had a quick lunch and moved on as the time was pushing on due to the hilly nature of the terrain.
The route Morlaix led me to a Voie Vert, this is a greenway which in this case is an old railway that has been repurposed for walking and cycling. The climb out of Morlaix is long but only steep at the start. I found the climb tough on the heavily loaded touring bike. It is around 16 kilometres long and it took me around 1 hour and 20 minutes to finish it!
After the climb from Morlaix the progress was much easier. With around 35 – 40 kilometres of the stage being on the Voie Vert made for a pleasant end to the day. Even the rain stayed away for most of it!
We stayed at the Camping Municipal de la Vallee de l’Hyeres just outside Carhaix Plouguer. We even treated ourselves to (another!) ‘luxury’ accommodation…a Roulotte (traditional French Gypsy Caravan). Very nice! And I had a beer!
Well done hope all the rest is smooth X
Marnet
Looks good Ste, how far are you going in total?
Hi Notey! The ‘plan’ is to do the whole thing…around 1250 kilometres to the border of Spain. But I’m taking each day as it comes!