I am just back from a weeks cycling and camping in Brittany with my two brothers Rob and Mike. We had a great time and so many laughs. It was the same format we have done before on other occasions - but this time we made it to France. This is the format :
- occasional cyclists only - on over laden bikes each with panniers - self contained with tent, cooking equipment etc - everything we would need if the weather was terrible and there were no shops open - ha!
- a loose plan - on this occasion to follow a largely off road route from Roscoff to Quiberon and back.
- navigation using Komoot and a guide book.
- find campsites en route.
- purpose - 3 brothers - having some fun together - doing something different - getting a bit of exercise and I suppose you would say having a bit of an adventure.
We had a great week although we didn't get to Quiberon - only 2/3rds of the way. This is unusual for us - we usually do what we set out to do - but our reasons were as follows :
- As we have found before it is lovely cycling on quiet paths but actually they are relatively slow compared to road cycling and distances take longer. They were also a bit rougher in parts than we had anticipated. Robs bike especially was not beefy enough for the terrain and what he was carrying. The result was some punctures etc and this delayed us. I have to say my two brothers are so different. Mike phlegmatic, practical - organised - logical. Rob ?? Chaotic !!!. His set up often looks like a jumble sale - ha! Don't mention differences in food tastes - ha! One marvelous thing we have in common. We love a beer - we love a pint - we love a pub ha!
- The countryside was beautiful and it was no hardship stopping and smelling the roses so to speak rather than always pushing on - which would have been necessary to get to Quiberon and back in the the time we had.
- It was mid May and while we had little rain - there was a heavy dew most mornings. It was just easier - seemed more appropriate to let the sun come up a bit and dry things. This is why I love this format and have done it many times. Inevitably cycling and camping means an early night each cosy in our little tents. I always sleep well and wake early. I can then make some coffee in the little porch and improvise some breakfast while still basically in my sleeping bag and let the day slowly begin / emerge. Just such simple pleasures - ha!
A bit about Brittany :
- We crossed overnight from Plymouth to Roscoff. Brittany Ferries were very accommodating to cyclists (no project fear Brexit issues either!)
- Brittany (Bretagne) is a peninsula in North West France. (it has been referred to as little Britain).
I have got behind with this blog ( we have been back for weeks - ha! Consequently I am going to round it off quickly now and post a few photos for our record.
Two points I want to make before I go :
1) Brittany is beautiful. It is amazingly well kept. No litter - hedges and road sides well maintained. I made some inquiries about how this is achieved. The explanation - each village or parish is clearly defined. Each employs the people necessary - say 3 or 4 people to get things done. This is a great example of civic pride. I think civic pride is much more likely to be achieved in a defined area. The problem we have is ribbon development and towns and villages merging - areas of responsibility muddled. Civic pride diminished. Years ago I went to Japan. No litter. If there is no litter people are much more mindful about dropping litter. By contrast - if there is litter around - the opposite effect.
2) Population density. When we first arrived in Brittany we were so impressed by the rural scenery. Bucolic. No one around - roads without traffic. Quiet. Idyllic. We also spoke to a few Brits who have moved to Brittany. There main motivation seemed to be they got a lot more property for their money and the prospect of a much better lifestyle especially in retirement. They said however they have found cost of living is not cheap. Also Brittany is becoming increasingly depopulated as rural areas offer so little in the way of facilities. We were told Brits are welcome - very important to Brittany to help keep it going. (Brexit did create some problems but gradually they are being overcome now everything is calming down). One of our little frustrations was it was hard to find anything open. Very few villages had a functioning shop or bar. In the end our conclusion was it would be a difficult setting to live in despite its natural beauty and desirability at first sight.
But here is a much more worrying statistic. The UK population is growing faster than France's. The UK population is now about 67m - France about 65m. However 55m of the UK population live in England. France is almost 2.5 times the size of the UK. France is over 4 times the size of England. Just think about that! We are desperately overcrowded in England - our land is full. The quality of our life is being diminished. We are killing the countryside. Population growth is the opposite of "green". Those supporting mass and uncontrolled immigration need to think about that. They are irresponsible. They are stupid.
Here are a few photos of the 3 of us on our little adventure :-
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