Brittany Journal - day 1

Introduction

This is a diary of my solo, 2 week cycle camping trip to Brittany in May/June 2012.  I’ve been inspired to write a diary by cycle tourists with their own blogs and tales of adventure on crazyguyonabike.com.  Obviously this is a mini version of the majority of the tales on there, but I hope it will be interesting non the less.

24/5 - Day 1 – Miles cycled = 1 (car to the ferry port)

The day has finally arrived.  8 months after booking the ferry from Portsmouth to St Malo, the day of my ‘mini adventure’ has arrived.

I am undertaking the trip to mark my 50^th birthday.  I had considered a ‘challenge ride’. Lands End to John O’Groats or the Channel to the Mediterranean but in the end decided that an ‘unplanned route’ trip to Brittany would be more enjoyable.  It really doesn’t matter if I cycle 5 or 50 miles a day, complete a big circuit of the Brittany peninsula or a short trip on the Voie Verts (dedicated cycle ways), the main thing is that I enjoy my time away.

I arrived in Portsmouth 5 hours before my 8.15 pm sailing and spent a couple of hours at the Mountbatten Leisure Centre overlooking the estuary.  The sun was shining and there were lots of cyclists and runners about as well as people just lying on the grass enjoying the afternoon.  Everyone seemed pretty chilled out and relaxed.  I popped into the café for coffee and a pan au chocolate to get me in the French mood before dropping the car off.

I had found parking at a residential house via parkatmyhouse.com, half the price of the ferry terminal car park and very convenient (5 minutes from the ferry terminal by bike).  I cycled to the terminal and checked in, I had one and a half hours to kill before getting on board.  Why do I always have to be so early for everything?

I boarded the ferry at around 7.  I was first on and went straight to the stern, to the cycle storage room.  Mine was the only bike there and I didn’t see any other cyclists, which surprised me, I thought that with this being a popular route there would have been more of us.

I went to find my cabin and was pleasantly surprised.  It was a spacious two birth with en suite and a window view out onto the bow of the ship, a top spot.  I dumped my belongings and then headed up to the café for dinner. Rump steak with a indiscernible but agreeable sauce, dauphinoise potatoes – very French – broccoli and peas, followed by an excellent raspberry tart – at £2.20 an absolute bargain – all washed down with half a bottle of Chateau Noaillac Medoc 2007.  If this sets the culinary standard for the rest of the trip then I’m in for a treat (I very much doubt it will).  Christ, I sound like Michael Winner.  This is without doubt the way to travel.

I managed to finish dinner before the ship set sail so went up on deck to watch England disappear into the distance, I managed to catch a brilliant sunset and then retired to the bar.