How can we get lost? Let me count the ways.....

Culture is alive and well in the land of baguettes and bikes!  We managed to find an open pizza place last night and had a superb meal, complete with a carafe of house wine which would have put most high-class British eateries to shame ( although as the Mechanic has just pointed out we have never knowingly been to a high-class anything). We had a bit of a surprise this morning when the raisin bran cereal we selected turned out to contain not raisins as we had assumed, but lumps of dark chocolate. While a cut above cocoa pops it still wouldn't have been my breakfast of choice.

Today we left the very rural part of Brittany we had been in and although we were hardly in an industrial landscape, we certainly went through more towns with more business parks than previously. We decided to stop trying to be clever with the navigation and use some more obvious roads, although still avoiding the equivalent of 'A' roads. This meant the road surfaces were better, so we travelled faster, giving us more time to get lost - which we did several times. I find it hard to follow a map when only a seemingly random selection  of roads and places are included on it. This led to a 70 mile day and slightly frayed tempers, although as we were going faster we still arrived in Redon by 3.30pm.

The place we are staying is fantastic and one of our cheapest nights. Effectively it is a B&B, but we have a huge room with a living area (including rocking chairs) and a big patio area with table and chairs. Pity it is miles to walk to get anything to eat!  Anyway I said I would explain French road arrows, which initially added to our navigation issues. Those of you familiar with British OS maps will be aware that when a hill is marked with black arrows to show how steep it is, the arrow head points downhill - not so in France, where they point uphill - which led to some early confusion in the holiday. In addition one black arrow at home means >14%, here it means 4-9%. Two black arrows at home means 20-25%, here it is 9-13%. Three arrows at homes means forget it, get off the bike and push! Over here it means >13%, so quite a difference.

Thing I love most about France at the moment - they let you open your hotel window as wide as you like! Basically if you want to throw yourself from the 10th floor, on your own head be it (probably quite literally).  I do rather resent having to pay the equivalent of the national debt of a small African country for 2 cans of diet coke - but I suppose you can't have everything. 

Warm and humid today but cloudy, sun on previous days - first showers forecast for Sunday, but their forecasts are probably no more reliable than ours. Photos at the start are of the Chateau in Josselin and the Mechanic relaxing at our accommodation. The last is at our lunch stop in Maelestroit. The I-pad is refusing to accept any pictures in portrait format, so selection limited today.