Hotel Les Palis Grand Fougeray

... but his uncontrollable drawing to beer.....so whats the verdict, do calories count when you are travelling? as i am in the mood to do a chocolate croissant taste test around france!

So on the way to Nantes, we decided to stop for lunch. Saw this place on the map called Chateaubriant and it seemed to ring a bell for both of us. I thought it had something to do with meat, and jason though it was a cheese. Turns out its a cut of beef seared on the outside and ...

Awoke to a world of misty-grey fog. Couldn’t even see the opposite bank it was so thick! Sitting in the peace you can hear birds you cannot see and the occasional plop’ of an acorn makes the cool water ripple at your feet.

Didn’t get a very early start this morning as there was so much to do! 1) listen for fish jumping 2) photograph crystal spider webs 3) watch a heron hunt off the end of the ...

... for the majority of the afternoon (thank goodness it was cute!).

After solving the food problems, the canal route decided to do a bit of a detour. A section has been flooded into a lake and the path along the shore is unnavigable for cycles. Off we went following some little signs through back roads, rail lines, and farmer’s fields - more like mountain biking than touring. Finally detoured bck to the lake to find a giant fishing ...

... brambles encroaching on the property (much to Prahla'ds dismay that one - he doesn't seem to like me doing anything that involves muscles - I'm female, so...; but he'd been looking so forlorn about it not being done and was worried about how busy he was so I said I'd do it and just got on with it and anyway, I needed to do something energetic), painting bottles for medicines/oils and so on.

Prahla'ds very sweet motto is ...

... and all healthy like) and we chatted. I met the gorgeous little cat who was upset as her kittens had been homed and she was still looking for them, poor little love. But she let me stroke her to make up for it and drank the milk Prahla'd gave her. So very cute (the cat).

Then I was shown the garden - veg patch, fruit trees, little walkways cut through to seats and tents and lots of plants that people call weeds and he and I call useful ...

... were in place to control traffic and there were many spectators on the roadside. It seems that a parade of bikers was about to arrive. We stayed to watch as many, many bikers paraded through Dinard. I would guess 200 but I really have no idea how many – I could be miles off. No matter it was fun to see them pass by.

A light meal in the hotel bistro with a couple of non-alcoholic drinks for me, and a couple of Bordeaux reds for Andre, before turning in for an early night.

Today we got to go to a party for the 60 anniversary of AFS Brittany. AFS is the exchange organization in France. All or most of the exchange students (one Colombian, one Spanish, two New-Zealand, one Finland,on Thailand, one Ecuador, one Greenland, and three Americans) spent the morning decorating the hall. We put up poster, set up tables and chairs, and made garlands. We ate a picnic lunch outside. We then got to ride the bus ...

... to go round. This was EXTREMELY weird to me, but oh well. After we all went out to a paddock for a canter/gallop. It was OK, a little slippery, so I sat up a bit straighter in the saddle and held on with my knees more. I eventually gave up on control and just held on (it was on the side of a hill). When we went the other direction my horse decided to go even faster. This was OK until we hit the slippery ...

... it to the rest of the group, however my horse was scared of him and kept trying to run away. Not fun for my nerves. I did understand that he wanted the horses to hold their heads up high (very weird), and when I wanted to turn sharply rather then use my legs, pull the rein behind my hip (extremely weird, but the horse listened to it). It is a very different style of riding here. I prefer the way I was taught.

Lovely place, recommended by a hotelier in Derval who couldn't fit us in for the night. One of the best kitted-out hotels I've ever come across in the main square (Logis de France Les Palis in Place de l'Eglise), with a cheapo classic french cafe next door if you can't afford the hyper-classy menu in the hotel.