Beginnings

After two lovely days spent in Paris visiting friends, walking, eating, and generally soaking up Paris, early today I took the train to the beginning of this year's tour. This ride will take me from Roscoff, on the northwest coast of Brittany, about 800 miles south to Hendaye, on the Spanish border.

Most of you know that I believe in acting, in living, based on principles. The principle involved here? To begin at the beginning. In order to do that, I bought a ticket on the TGV, a very fast train, to Morlaix, located about 15 miles inland from Roscoff, with a connection on the slower TER to that coastal town. After arriving in Roscoff I would begin at the beginning and ride directly back to Morlaix, the town with the connection, where I was to stay the night.

Most of you also know that I love France. Really love France. That's a good thing, because upon arriving in Morlaix there was no train today to Roscoff. Why? Guess. It's France. A strike! As one says you've got to love it.

So. My choice for the principle: ride my bike to Roscoff, since there was no train. Then ride immediately back to Morlaix. Or abandon the principle and investigate Morlaix a little. Put the mirror and lights on my bike. Pick up a few things I need. Enjoy a leisurely dinner and an early to bed after lovely late nights in Paris.

I stayed in Morlaix. The bicycle ride will begin in the morning. That turned out to be a very good thing, because I had left my guidebook to the route, Le Vélodyssée in Paris. Hard to imagine, I know, but true. Luckily there was a good independent bookstore in town, and they had a copy. I didn't know when I bought it how important finding that open bookstore would turn out to be.

NEXT