Blogs from Redon, Brittany , France, Europe

Tuesday 28th May Today I took the train from Guipry-Messac to Redon, downstream to the south. This is only about a 20 minute train trip, Redon is actually closer to Guipry-Messac than Rennes is. Redon is a middle-sized town, but its importance lay in its port, and its role as an inland navigation crossroads. It lies close to the tidal limit of the Vilaine, at the point where the Nantes-Brest Canal crosses the Vilaine, and where the River Oust joins the Vilaine. All these factors made it an important port, tax and customs post, and boat building place. As well as the canal and rivers, it has a basin port which accesses both the canal and the Vilaine. It's all quite complicated, and there is a real profusion of locks, docks, and bridges, including swing bridges ... read more

So after my stay in the South I made the long and treacherous journey across France to Brittany, by train, lugging about 45kg of luggage behind me. I set out at 11 o'clock from Toulon - luckily my pastor was kind enough to escort me to the train or I might have had some difficulty battling my way down the stairs and up the escalator. When I got on the train I felt I was about to re-live the unpleasant memories of my first train journey in France all those months ago and that’s more or less what happened. Only this time it was worse. I braced myself for the hour journey to Marseille, standing up, wedged between the luggage. It would seem that as much France prides itself on efficient and punctual public transport, they ... read more