D'Isle-et-Rance canal

Renne was like a ghost town when we rode out. Even though it was 9.30.

Strange ! Just a few council workers. We found one solitary shop open so we stocked up for lunch.

The locks are all manually operated like the ones in England so the lock keepers houses appear to have been sold off. The gardens and houses down this canal are spectacular

There were heaps of cyclists and a lot with packs like us but in the first 50kms we never saw one boat except those moored

Then at Onze Ecluse ( 11 locks ) a crowd was watching 2 German boats come down the locks. 

  The penny dropped. It's Bastille day!

  France's biggest holiday

Every one wants to go to the midi to cruise the canals but this part of France is much prettier both by boat and bike

It's 3.30 and we've done 60kms so we start checking out the villages for a bed

 OH BOY. Nothing, no one home or closed for the holiday. Try the next town , then the next...

Finally we find a bar open in Treverien

 Julian spoke English and did some ringing around for us. He contacted David , from Jersey, who contacted Ian and Clare, from Guernsey , and then David came and took us there . By bike of course

 What a stroke of luck. Ian and Clare's Gite " La Rue" is a beautiful old french farm house . They put on a barbecue for us and we had our own Bastille day celebration

If you're thinking of a holiday in France, this Gite is ideally situated and Scoobie said to tell you , the email address is 

 IANCGILES@GMAIL.COM