Scattered Skittles

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1lJiME3ybAn-KyagZ-OSNICqSEqA_vUAw
Today we did our first — and last — guided tour of a chateau. It was 50 minutes, entirely in French, and about four meticulously arranged rooms. The best parts were the castle cat —
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=11GTHl_gyBmzWueJLimAUT05j2Kj-urZz
... and a sentence in the brochure that said, “After the sacking of the chateau, ordered in 1629 by Cardinal de Richelieu, the Cardinal approached Henri de Rohan in the courtyard and proclaimed: ‘Sir, I have just scattered your skittles.’”
Glad we got that over with!
Aside from the tour, it was a perfect day in Brittany. Cotton ball clouds in a blue sky, and verdant, peaceful, flat, traffic-free bike paths. 
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1q28gPLRofE7Hw8IecbObr2E2ivExnA4X
We thought of tons of people we wished we could transport to France to spend the day biking with us. It was idyllic.
The kids experienced their first authentic, old cathedral. What an atmospheric, majestic space. Ruby snapped a few photos of the windows —
The bakeries did not disappoint, either. For all you fellow gluten fans —
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1H9qwr_XxyYLEir_tbht027o2tgMyB-iN
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1fKQo6wil5YOVyg5VSwlGMYdSXxcFqgC_
Even Dave took a moment in the middle of the ride to kick back.
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=14giznfNqLzW507aDpBf_SSFNJgzROtiw
I finally don’t feel loony, daft, and bonkers for cycling long distance with kids. In fact, there are lots of other cyclists on the trail now. 
Lyle forgot to mention yesterday that we passed our 400th mile. Yee-haw!
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1ndPl7vgn2hbHPDyEjdOsTBv1PsWNfHVU
To top off a great day, there is a pool at the campground. 
We’re thinking of folks back home who are having a tough time, especially Rose and Anna. Love, hugs, and sunny days to you.
— Liv

Comments

  1. LA StarJune 14, 2019 at 4:41 PM

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  2. LA StarJune 14, 2019 at 4:45 PM

    Flat green paths and long golden baguettes - sign me up!

    ReplyDelete
  3. corvallisgadflyJune 14, 2019 at 5:35 PM

    Totally wonderful! Such a great report. May you have many such days, including the pool. When you figure out the teleport thing, please put me at the top of your list! Merci! And please note: Those castles can be great fun and amazing to see. The guided tours are normally optional and to be avoided (as you learned today). The castles along the Loire are fantastic! Kali Nichta!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJune 15, 2019 at 8:19 AM

    Such great pictures!! I'm really glad to see so much that looks fun. You guys have earned it. So much bread!

    Cam

    ReplyDelete
  5. RoseJune 15, 2019 at 10:13 AM

    Thanks for taking me along your amazing experiences. I totally enjoy reading all of your blogs. Team Gifford rocks!
    Rose

    ReplyDelete
  6. tobywJune 15, 2019 at 11:30 AM

    mmmmmm bread .......

    ReplyDelete
  7. VixJune 16, 2019 at 12:25 PM

    I'm following your blog posts and this post brought back a lot of memories of our bike tour in France 4 years ago. We had a similarly boring castle tour, stopped at bakeries daily for pastries and baguettes to go, and sought out pools or lakes at campgrounds daily.

    Glad to hear your travels have improved from the rainy difficult days in England. I'm so happy for all of you to be experiencing this amazing trip.

    ReplyDelete

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