flies in my suit on wednesday and today's (Friday's) journey

yes, dear reader, in an effort to keep this blog less confusing and up to date (only one day to go!!!! phew!!!) I am posting about what happened on the day before yesterday's trip and what I am doing today. I realise I have been a whole day behind for this whole blog but ho hum what can you do.....

Anyways, what happened on Wednesday - seems so long ago I can barely remember it!! Ah yes, I recall - I woke up in the lovely farmhouse, had the usual french breakfast - always seems as if they cut up an entire baguette and put it in a basket with some home made jam, plus a croissant - too much bread, and then headed off towards Combourg.

It was a pretty blustery day and has made me realise that whilst cycling in the rain is never a joy, it's much more preferable than cycling in a strong head wind - imagine me, dear reader if you will, struggling up a hill in rural france, crunching down to the lowest gear possible (I managed to use the lowest gears several times) only to reach the apex, try to tumble down the other side but find it impossible due to the wind - it was that strong that I could not get any speed up. There were moments when I was pleading, out loud, to the wind to stop - that's how bad it got.....

I also had to use a bit of instinct at certain times going through towns where the map was just not detailed enough - one such incident took me towards a motorway junction- I tell you, it was pretty terrifying, I thought I was going to end up actually on the motorway, it's really hard to tell whether there's an alternative to going down a slip road.... here I am contemplating my options whilst at one such junction....

And just when I got past all these massive junctions back onto the rural roads that I am getting to know and love, something else happened - I could hear a fly buzzing really loudly by my ear and went to swat it away - only to discover that it had actually found its way up my sleve and into my top. I pulled over obviously in a massive panic that it was going to eat me or something and the buzzing stopped - I assumed it had gotten out and ran my hand over my right shoulder just to check - I touched a lump and the buzzing started again - it was still stuck in there - cue much tugging of top to try and get it out to no avail - after a minute of this torture, there was only one thing for it, yes, dear reader you are correct, I had to take my top off whilst on the side of a french road. I think at least one car went by, if not two but the fly was out.

The rest of the day was plain sailing after that, I can tell you!!!!! The "ball pit" I was hoping for turned out to be just a lake but you could cycle all the way round and swim in it where there was a little man made beach - another non-swim due to coldness for me i'm afraid but I did get my toes in.....

Arrived at my nice little hotel on the lake in comnbourg, quick outfit change and then straight to the chateau - after yesterday's amazing gardens I am now big into the chateaus - check this one out, it was massive

Got to go inside although no snaps allowed i'm afraid so you will just have to look at the one above and imagine lots of rooms with old furniture - it was the home of Chateaubriand, the writer, and there were loads of interesting relics from when he was there - letters, seals, passport from when he was in the uk embassy. the tour guide was also amazing - she was speaking in french but kept telling all these ghost stories for the kids and screaming really loudly at various points in time - quite amusing if you have no idea what they are in relation to.

We also got to see the mummified remains of a cat (Look away now cat fans!!!!) - apparently it was custom to concrete a black cat, still alive, into the walls of a chateau to keep the bad spirits away - pooooooooor kitties, I don't think there was a provision of Whiskers left each day for them.....

Had a massive dinner and a massive sleep before heading off for Dinan, where I am now, sat in a sunny square writing and just about to head off on today's ride - again, getting shorter, as Rod rightly pointed out, down the slope of the Gaussian curve......

Today is my second to last ride, back up to the coast to a place called Saint Jacut de la mer - looks lush and I am hoping it will be hot and i can finally get the courage up to swim!!!!!!!!