Weymouth to Guernsey to Dinan 27 miles 09/06/04

Up at 04.15 this morning. A quick strike of the camp, then onto the ferry for 06.00 - 15 mins early.
Weymouth to St Malo is a 9 hour trip stopping at Guernsey for a few hours.
It costs £35 one way, with daily sailings until September with Condor Ferries.
I was the first passenger onto the boat. It's spooky inside one of those ferries, all echoes and dripping wet!
Weymouth looks good from the sea with the curve of the buildings showing them at their best, I stood on the back deck and watched England vanish into the mist and diesel fumes with a strange feeling, a little unsure of what was to come, but very satisfied to be going!
This is a FAST boat and it's seriously windy standing on the deck. There were lots of kids all laughing and excited, and all trying to keep standing upright. Their games added well to my mood.

Guernsey












What a difference!
It's beautiful, smart, clean, has no litter, no shouting, no tat, no arcades and ice cream, and nobody rushing.

Live webcam here

I liked this place, from the first moment. The docking town is called St Peterport, it's calm, classy, quiet and relaxed.
An old guy asked about my trailer, and sat talking on the quayside about where I planned to go on my trip. Friendlier people here, a very nice place, I will come here again.
I rode around the town for a while. The hill behind the town is the type that gets steeper as you climb and I got that "I've started so I'll finish" feeling, it feels like it goes on for ever!!
I thought I might get a view of the harbour from above, but there was no vantage point, it was all private gardens with high walls.
The ride down again was fantastic, all zig zag swooping curves at 25/30 mph, pushed along by the weight of the trailer. A good circular route back to the harbour.
I need some sunglasses, to keep the bugs from my eyes, but in these boutiques they start at £107.00!! I'll put up with the insects.

Got back to the ferry for 11.45 (12.15 check in), and was waiting at the front of the queue when two ladies rode up on lightly loaded mountain bikes, going to St Malo. Got chatting, they were from Guernsey, going on holiday to France. We met up again at disembark and ended up riding out of town together. They showed me their campsite at St Samson, Dinan.
Just after hydropower bridge is junction with the D266, take it and when the sharpish left hand bend starts to open out, turn left onto a disused railway (cycle path). It takes you straight to St Sampson

campsite link here


Lower part of Dinan.


The girls are called Jan and Annie and their route is all straight and level riding, about 17 miles. A perfect introduction to France, thank you ladies!!
Got my tent up an found that the bloke on the next pitch, a caravanner, goes to Spring Harvest every year in Skegness, the town next to mine.
Small world, I can't get away from the place.

Jan and Annie bought a mobile home here, they come down from Geurnsey when they get the chance and this is the first time they have done it by bike, 17 miles on a bike, not so bad ladies, normally they use a taxi.

First arrival in St Malo was a little worrying, French first on the boat's tannoy and I don't speak more than a few words of the language. France looks good from the sea though, Large rocks/small islands offshore and low hills behind the shore, large beaches, nice buildings. .
Off the ferry and up through the town, it's just like riding in England. Plenty of room here, space to move about, lots of cyclists too, all nod and bonjour! I say Bonjour and they say "hello - English?" haha I must have a terrible accent.
So far so good. Very nice and helpful people, though its acutely embarassing that I don't speak their language as well as they speak mine.
I lost an hour today through the change to French time, it's getting on for 10pm (French) and it's still light. Someone is playing American music in one of the caravans, Slim Shady + D2 - My Band... people singing along.... rap with a French accent sounds a little stange.

Miles today incl. Guernsey 27 +
time arrived here 19.00 (F)
Site is La Hallerais
St Samson
DINAN
campsite link here