Honeymoon- Day 25- Quimper

This morning, Eric and I took the train to Quimper.  

It was a four hour train ride, but totally worth it.  

In just a few hours from now, cyclists will be completing stage five of the Tour de France.

Not every city in France is able to host the Tour.  They need to have sufficient hotels to accommodate riding teams and spectators, be along a cyclable road and, I assume, be somewhere desirable to visit.  The last time Quimper hosted was 2004.

I didn't know too much about Quimper before arriving.  I chose it because it looked nice, and worked out with our tight itinerary.  We now know that Quimper is famous for its spin on crepes.  They have a semi crispy texture (like they are lightly fried), and are folded differently.  

There is a lot of history here; it was first settled during Roman times.

Quimper (and the whole region of Brittany) is also famous for its spectacular, vibrant hydrangea.   

We arrived at the finish line over an hour before the expected arrival time so we could shop, get free stuff, and enjoy the festivities.  

I feel like we staked out the perfect viewing spot- next to a tree, so late arriving spectators couldn't muscle in next to us, and in front of a jumbotron, so we had appropriate entertainment while waiting for the peloton.  

It is pretty exciting to witness the arrival of the cyclists, maybe even more so than the departure.  A benefit to the departure is that you get to see the bikes and gigantic team buses on display.  

Unfortunately, not everyone can be a winner, but the fact that they ride about 2,200 miles in 21 segments (23 days) is an amazing accomplishment in and of itself.

World Champion Peter Sagan was the first to arrive, his second winning stage so far.

An all-female band wearing bike helmets gave a concert in front of the cathedral.  

Quimper is interesting, and even more so during the Tour de France!

It was a long train ride, but totally worth it.