St. Malo

I was conflicted on whether to head to the far northwest of the country, Brest, or head further northeast to Caen. I decided on St. Malo b/c of the images on Google, the oysters (come to find out they're not in season until September), but mainly b/c I need to gain some ground if I want to make it to St. Petersburg before I meet my brother in Switzerland on 7/25. Isabelle and Sophie also recommend I come here. Isabelle even set me up with her younger brother Vincent who lives with his wife only a few minutes from the plage (beach).

Vincent and Isabelle couldn't be more different, although they have some of the same manorisims.

Instead of going into town, I choose to eat diner with Vincent and his wife, and their four friends, all from St. Malo. I'm glad I did. It was quite the time. They definitely like to have a good time. House music bumping, small plate after small plate, bottles of rosé, fromage (cheese), desert, cafe. I felt terrible not bring anything but my bike and the few words of French I know.

Many thanks for hosting me, Vincent!

Today I will see the old town of St. Malo, eat crepes, and end up at Mount St. Michael.

St. Malo - affluent, pirates, maritime culture, celtic music

St. Malo promenade. I never did find out what those old posts were. Maybe the remains of an old dock?

The architecture and techniques of building homes have varied a lot from the south to the north of France, but this home was just unique. 

I've always wanted a saltwater pool. Here's the closest I'll probably get. 

Nantes

I could go on and on about Nantes (pronounced non-t), but just know that I have love for this town, Isabelle, and her family who have grown dear to my heart. I lived here for 7 weeks in 2001 during a study abroad program at UC. I've since visited twice because my experience here has had a profound impact on the direction in my life.

I arrived at my old host family's house, 24 Rue de Destillere around 7pm. A teenager  answered the door, "bonsoir!" It was Gigumet (sp). Crazy, she was 2 when I lived there in 2001.

Later that evening, Isabelle (my host mother), invited me to stay for dinner with the students who were in the same program I had done at UC. Isabelle has hosted students for the last 16 years. It was their "last super" with their host family b/c they would soon be off to Belgium and then back home. Memories rushed back into my head while the students were sharing their experiences. They were pretty much the same as mine but with different names. 

The students asked me why I was biking and traveling around the world. The question has been asked many times to me so I knew exactly what to say, but in that moment, what hit me was after staying in Nantes in 2001, I wanted to see more of the world. I knew that then. That trip was one of the first stepping stones to why I'm here today. It could be traced back to the table we were eating at that night. Sharing the same stories, eating the same wonderful food that Isabelle prepared. 

Madame et Monsieur Talvande

Isabelle, Sophie, and Gigument (left to right)

Me, Isabelle, and Sophie. Sophie is studying to be a dentist. Good luck Sophie! 

Oysters from the Talvande's holiday home on the west cost of France (Brittany).

The Basilique Saint-Donatien (after the fire). 

The fire (pulled from google images). 

Why travel is so important...

I had to share this short video because to me it defines why travel is so important. It cuts deeper than, "I like to visit cool places".

La Rochelle (birthday)

It had been 5 days of camping and long rides on the EV1 so I decided to pick a decent spot to celebrate my birthday. The choices were many but it came down to Bordeaux or La Rochelle. I decided to skip Bordeaux and head to La Rochelle by train because I really enjoyed the path I was on and that kept me more in line with my next big destination of Nantes. 

I could not have been happier with my decision. Good things were happening even before I hit the small port town. I told the ticket clerk it was my birthday and I got a discount on my train ride (52 Euro to 36 Euro). The billet was probably just on sale but I'd like to think she hooked it up.

Just before getting off the train I struck up a conversation with a couple (Ann Marie and Alex) from St. Louis. They were in La Rochelle for two weeks because Alex, who's an historian, was there to do research on the relationship between La Rochelle and Louisiana. How interesting. He was able to give me a quick rundown of the city before we got off at our stop. 

Like most times when I'm not camping I have to go hunting for WIFI so I can connect with the hotel or my AirBNB host. I finally made it to my AirBNB apartment, perfectly situated in the heart of the old town. My host's mom, "Queen Elizabeth," could not have been more warm and hospitable.

Later that night I wandered around the city, found an Irish pub. Irish pubs are great because they're so welcoming. Typically the barkeep speaks English and that goes a long way when traveling alone. While at the pub I ran into some locals who had come back from Île de Ré (an Island just west of La Rochelle). Again, I was lucky because the girl I met, Manon, spoke english. She told me she learned how from watching American tv shows like True Blood, The Walking Dead, and Swap People (I laughed). Outside of losing a dart game, that was one of the best nights of my trip. 

The next day Manon gave me a sunset tour of the city. So cool to see it through the eyes of someone who grew up there.

Connections matter. The most memorable times on my trip are when you can connect with the people. Traveling gets you to a place. A connection allows you to understand where you're at and why that matters. 

The host's mom, Elizabeth.  

Manon and I in front of the De Generation En Generation art.  

The market where the women would sell fish that their husbands caught.  

Haunted house!  

Sunset. La Rochelle.  

EuroVélo

I'm glad I didn't start on the EuroVélo b/c if I was hitting the mountains and traffic as I did in Portugal and Spain I'd be rethinking my plans to continue by bike. You gotta go through the hard times to give you perspective during the good times.

Compared to the roads I was on before, the EuroVélo 1 feels like I'm on a roller coaster. It will hug the entire Atlantic coast of Europe when it's finished. Currently it runs from Hendaye, France to Rosccoff, France and a little of the UK. The views and sounds on the path almost sing you to sleep. I've become lazy on this trail, going slow and taking in the slights and sounds, occasionally hitting the beach to work on my tan. 

The last few nights I've heard the waves crashing as a camp just seconds from the beach. 

It's now been a month and I'm realizing what my capabilities and limits are. What my tolerance for is for the unpleasant. I think I'm finally adapting to a new lifestyle.

The views of the EV1. 

Wedding in Léon. The daughter of a firefighter marring a firefighter. 

The beach, just on the other side of the pines. 

Sand dunes around La Teste. 

EV1 path. 

Sustainable logging along the EV1.  

Yes please!  

Probably the best meal of my trip so far. A big THANK YOU to Cidean (the owner I think) who made sure I left with a full belly and happy.  

A parting gift from Cidean. I ate the whole container in my tent that night. So good.  

Pelote (Jai-Alai) Match

I stayed two extra days in Hossegor to see a regional championship Pelote (Jai-Alai) match. Pelote (pronounced pull-et) is the sport of the Basque Country and it's marketed as the fastest sport in the world b/c the ball can travel up to 200 MPH.

I first saw a Pelote court on my way to Burgos, Spain and then saw a lot more once I hit Hernani. I told myself I need to go see a match. Most of my traveling has been about the destination, so this time I decided it would be about an event.

I've seen the sport on TV, but it's hard to get a grasp of how fast the speed the ball travels and the whip sound that's made by the player thrusting the mit to the wall. It reminds me a little of hand ball meets tennis meets 500 hundred (a game we played as kids where dad would throw up a baseball and put a certain value on the ball depending on difficulty, goal was to get to 500).

The even itself was a great experience, but what I didn't account for was the time waiting for the match. Hossegor is sleepy little beach town with a Cali vibe. I got a chance to relax catch up on my blog and other little tasks that you have to get done but put off until you're able to sit still long enough.

The day before the big match I scouted out the place to make sure I knew where it was. Here a couple local kids getting a lesson.  

The equipment. Pelota (ball), Xistera (glove).  

Way Of Living Life (WOLL). Locally brewed Hossegor beer.  

The café I spent a lot of time at. Good vide. Good WIFI speed.