CYCLING HOLIDAYS IN BRITTANY - THE FRIENDLIEST REGION OF FRANCE

THE PEOPLE OF BRITTANY - The Bretons...

Brittany is unique. Jutting out west into the Atlantic, it is the Celtic homeland of France. With strong links to Wales, Ireland and Cornwall. Reminders of its history are everywhere - lonely celtic crosses by the road, huge standing stones, the celtic names and the strange language spoken by the old folk in tiny village bars. The Bretons do not consider themselves to be truly French, rather a nation within a nation. As a people their warmth and friendliness seem inexhaustable and over the last twenty years many of our customers have come back with tales of little kindnesses, long bar room conversations and simple generosity. Perhaps the most graphic example of this being that crime in Brittany is practically unknown. In all that time not one of our customers has had anything stolen, despite bikes and valuables left unattended for hours. In fact every year we get told of wallets or cameras forgotten in bars or shops being still there hours later. If you want to learn more about the area go see www.brittanytourism.com

For a great website about Megalithic monuments go here…

Below you'll see an interactive map courtesy of Google maps

THE COUNTRYSIDE

Brittany has so much to offer the cycletourist. Our base is in the centre in a tiny village called Gouarec; quiet, unspoilt, with few tourists and a rural landscape little changed in the past 50 years. Here the fields are small with tall hedges full of mature trees. As the farming is less intensive than in most of Europe there is wildlife in abundance, and some of our cyclists have even seen such rarities as wild boar. This part is not flat, but has a rolling landscape that at least gives you downhills to rest on! The tiny country lanes that make up much of our routes are very quiet, you are more likely to meet a tractor than a car. These lanes link ancient villages, each with its own bar and usually a baker where you can buy bread baked that morning, or the most mouthwatering cakes. For those who like it easy, we have the Nantes-Brest canal at our doorstep, with its cyclepath beside it running for over 100 miles. Other cyclepaths mean that if you wish you could cycle off road on the flat for most of a week. The rest of Brittany is within easy reach of our base in the centre, bustling market towns, wide lakes, and beautiful river valleys. You can go south to the coast where sandy beaches stretch as far as the eye can see and Megalithic standing stones dominate the landscape. This is a more commercial area, if you fancy a quieter less touristy area, the dramatic north coast beckons with its sandy bays and steep cliffs. Perhaps you'd like a tour to one of the offshore islands on the north or south coast or cycle up to the windswept moors - anything is possible. One thing is for sure, everyone who comes here falls in love with the place. For more heavy sell on cycling in Brittany go here.

THE CLIMATE

When we first started getting enquiries from the internet I was amazed at how many emails asked questions like "what is the weather going to be like in the second week of August?". I thought this crazy until I realised that for many people they live in countries where you can plan a barbeque 4 weeks in advance and be sure what the weather is like! Brittany is not like that, and in common with the rest of Europe (whatever the brochures tell you) it has 'weather' - i.e. you can make an educated guess on what the temperature will be, but it's never going to be more than a guess, and sun/rain/wind etc will happen during the summer at some time or other, what you get on your holiday will be down to chance... So what follows is only the most general idea.

Brittany is on the west coast of France and in summer it has a warm temperate climate. It does rain sometimes, which is one of the reasons its countryside is so green and wooded, but it would be an unusual week if there was not more sun that cloud. On average Brittany gets only 5 days a month when rain (even light rain) falls during the summer months of June, July, August and September, so a wet week is unusual to say the least. It can get pretty hot in the summer months, up to about 35 degrees, but unlike France south of the Loire, you are unlikely to get scorched to the tarmac, believe me we've cycled in the south in August and it can be blistering! Overall Brittany has an ideal climate for cycling as it doesn't suffer the extremes of heat and rain/storms etc that you risk further south, but bring waterproofs as well as a sunhat! BUT the most important thing is that whatever the weather you will have a good time providing you are prepared. When cycling in the rain you can only get so wet, after which you just drip. As it won't be cold and you are generating heat you'll not be cold and wet (or miserable) and the rain will provide more excuse to dive into bars to dry off. On the other hand if the temperature gets very high then the secret is to do much of the ride in the cool of the morning and then enjoy the sun in the afternoon. If you come properly equipped and most important of all, in the right frame of mind, the weather; good or bad, is just part of the holiday. In 2007 for example it was a grey damp summer (as was all of France) and yet no-one said the weather had ruined their holiday, several said that they preferred it to being too hot and the general opinion was that it was of minor significance. The important thing is that several said that they would not have come if they'd known the weather would be like it was, but after having cycled the week they realise what a mistake that would have been.

Food and Drink!

The Bretons are big eaters... That means they don't generally go in for the peeled prawn, sprig of dill and some 'drizzled' pink sauce that you might get in Paris. Here if you want seafood (and it's some of the best in the world) they give you a lot! In most cases you'll be eating wonderfully cooked local food whether it's vegetables from north Brittany, beef and Lamb from the heartland or fresh fish from the coast. It is true that vegetarianism is rare in Brittany, but having said that the local delicacies of Crepes, wonderful salads and the ubiquitous (and excellent) pizzarias mean you won't starve and most restaurants have ceased to call a bacon omlette 'vegetarian'.

French beer is usually the fizzy, strong 'Euro Lager' of which I'm not a huge fan, but Brittany boasts several breweries (e.g. Coreff) that make excellent beer. As you cycle through the countryside you'll pass the apple orchards that produce some of the best cidre in the world (and an evil spirit called Eaux de Vie), really refreshing on a hot day. As for wine very little is produced here, but that doesn't mean that you can't get a perfectly drinkable bottle of 'plonk' for under a Euro!

For more on this delicious topic see my food article and for ideas on campsite cooking Jenny and Evelyn's Gourmet Guide...