MUR de BRETAGNE to GOUAREC

SUNDAY, 9TH JUNE, 2019

Sharon & Charlie, genial hosts of Trevejean Chambres d'Hotes de Charme, Guerledan.  

Recommended !

After another excellent breakfast, the highlight of which was Sharon's home-made granola - simply the best - we set off in sunshine with assurances from Charlie that the rain wouldn't arrive until about 4 o'clock.

We joined the Green Way (V6 - Velodyssey and former railway)

at Mur de Bretagne, a very good path of compacted gravel, travelling above Lake Guerledan (created in the 1920s and a barrage built to generate electric power at Guerledan.  Twelve kilometres of the Blavet valley were flooded and the lake engulfed 400 hectares of woodland and houses including 18 locks from the former canal.

The lake is now a prime leisure resource, surrounded by walking and cycling trails).  The ride was easy, a gentle incline

 through gorgeous countryside and on reaching Bon Repos, we stopped and spent a most enjoyable couple of hours there, drinking coffee at one of the cafes suggested by Sharon & Charlie, strolling through the small market they had told us about and taking in the carnival atmosphere.  This weekend a women's long distance running race and a men's endurance race were held and there were hundreds of spectators cheering on the athletes,

as well as taking part in archery, rock-climbing, canoeing, pony rides, etc. and having a wonderful day out.  We bought a tart each, ate them and though cold they were so good we bought another couple to take with us to heat and eat later on.

Some fresh fruit was also bought for a fruit salad.

Bon Repos is home to a Cistercian abbey, founded in 1184 by Alain de Rohan, who stopped to rest there after hunting and had a dream of the Virgin Mary.  After the Revolution, the abbey p[rovided accommodation for engineers working on the canal.  An association formed in 1986 to protect and restore the abbey now organises exhibitions and son et lumiere shows in the summer season.

We rejoined the canal at Bon Repos and it was a short but absolutely lovely ride then to Gouarec and our B&B for tonight.

Here we were met by our hostess Tracey, another English lady, from Brighton.

Charlie was right, the rain came at about 4 o'clock but we were safely tucked up in our lodgings by then and when it eased, we visited the only bar open in town today for liquid refreshments before
returning to eat our warmed tarts and they were delicious, as was the fruit salad.