Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Its amazing just how many different exercises can be performed just with buying one additional piece of equipment for the gym at the Brittany holiday cottage. Having now a set of heavy dumbells has really provided an opportunity for a diverse range of additional exercises and I'm seeing the benefits just 10 weeks away from my show.

After the pictures were taken last Wednesday, I need to make adjustments to everything I am doing, just one thought I had was to stop having milk in my coffee, It may not sound much but doing the maths it makes great sense. One cup with milk 15 calories, ten cups per day 150 calories, over a week 1050 and over the next 10 weeks that's an amazing 10,500 and with 3500 calories per pound of fat that would mean loosing 3 pounds just with cutting the milk out.

So with cut backs in diet and additional cardio, fingers crossed I'll get down to the condition that I need to be,I'll have some more pictures taken within the gym at the end of the first week of September when my goal is to have reached 14 stone.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Had a good workout this evening in the Gym at the Brittany holiday cottage with my training partner. As Ive only got 10 weeks to go now before my competition decided to get some pictures taken, it really hit home that I need to do more cardio, at 15st 6lbs I really need to get down too

13 stone. The creatine starts Saturday, I really need to get out every day on the bike or for a walk and start getting very strict with the diet. I have a feeling its going to be boiled chicken and water for the last week prior to the show. My next goal is to be under 14 st by the end of the first week of September, leaving 4 weeks to drop the last stone.

Guest staying at the holiday cottage for the last 2 weeks have been using the gym during their stay and have enjoyed the fact the gym is just next door to the cottage.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

Le Citron Vert is a Bar-Restaurant located just 3 miles from the Brittany Holiday cottage with pool in the market town of Baud. Its located behind the church near the public swimming pool.

When ever I have friends stay with me I have always popped down too Le Citron Vert for a bite to eat or for a drink and a game of pool in the Bar area. The restaurant also has a terrace area to eat alfresco of to enjoy a drink.

Ive personally tried all the main course dishes over my time at the Brittany holiday cottage and enjoyed them all;

Entrecote: ( Sauces aux choix) 13.00 euros

Sauces: Beurre Maitre d'hotel, au poivre vert ou roquefort

Escalope de dinde a la creme champignon 11.50 euros

Cotelettes d'agneau parfume au romarin 13.00 euros

Magret de canard et sa sauce aux airelles 13.00 euros

All the dishes are accompanied with fries and salad

In addition to the main courses there are 4 different salads for starters and as expected from a creperie a wide choice of sweet and savory crepes plus a menu for children at 6.50 euros

The new owner of the restaurant Frank is extremely welcoming and will ensure you enjoy a nice meal at his restaurant, cooked by his wife, during your stay at La Forge Brittany holiday cottage.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

Another great day out via the Brittany holiday cottage with pool is the Branfere animal park, situated just 20 miles the other side of Vannes. Walking along paths in beautiful surroundings you come across various animals and in particular children love the petting zone and I really enjoyed the bird display, what made it so different were the types of birds being used in the display and Id certainly return again for another day out.

Each year I go to all the local tourist information offices in the surrounding towns and gather all the years details so guest staying at the holiday cottage have all the information at hand and can just get on with enjoying their holiday and making the most of there time at La Forge.

Brittany Fishing via the Holiday Cottage

I have reported a guest of La Forge Brittany holiday cottage had a go on the Tarun with a fly rod during his stay on an earlier post, this is his report of how he fished the river plus a picture of one of the wild trout he caught.

As far as tactics are concerned it was caught on a size 12 Kate Mclaren (anyone who fly fishes should know the pattern but it is very much a scottish loch fly) and i fished it on a floating line in the runs of water at the heads of the pools. Cast the fly at 45 degrees across the current , let it drift round and then a slow figure of eight retrieve. I only fished the single fly on a 6 foot leader because the conditions limited the use of a longer leader and I would have just have had tangles with two flies as the casting technique was somewhat unorthodox.
I would have to say that casting isn't easy as the river is covered in trees and the river has a lot of slow water which is good for spinning or bait fishing but a waste of time for fly and you really do need at least waist waders , my wellies just about did , only one wet foot !
Best wishes
Paul

The other tactic I see the French fisherman use is to spin a dead bait, they have several cast in one spot before moving along, during a session they might fish over a kilometer of the river, because of all the trees I purchased the shortest rod I could find just 1.8 meters which allows me to cast the bait 8 or 12 meters along the river before the retrieve without getting snagged. The rod set up is available for guest of the Brittany holiday cottage to use during there stay.

Ive had meny an enjoyable hour walking along the river bank in search of that elusive trout seeing the odd Otter during my session.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

For some holiday makers nothing beats wandering around the local French markets sampling the local produce and soaking up the lively atmosphere, during your stay at the Brittany holiday cottage with pool its easy to visit a different market every day if you wished.

Monday: Auray has a lovely market in the morning that inter winds along all the streets and the old port of St Goustain is a great place to catch lunch or simply have a nice cup of coffee overlooking the river.

There are also markets in Pontivey and Gourin.

Tuesday: Arzon, Damgan both have morning markets

Wednesday:Vannes has a lively market in the morning and Damgan during the summer months has an arts and crafts evening market.

Thursday: Just down the road from the Brittany holiday cottage is the market of Locmine or a recommended market by guest this year in Hennebont.

Friday:La Trinite sur mer has a morning market.

Saturday: Baud, Damgan, Josselin, Vannes and Lamou Plage all offer morning markets

Sunday: A great morning market in Carnac.

All the markets offer local grown produce, fresh fish, bread and some offer live stock.

What ever you want from a French holiday the Brittany holiday cottage with pool is ideally situated.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Just 3 miles from the Brittany holiday cottage with pool is the market town of Baud, located behind the Intermarche supermarket is Le Podium night club. To be honest at 42 I felt rather old in the club when ever Ive been there, although it does not open until midnight the majority of the patrons are between 15 and 19 with a scattering of older people and it does feel more like a school disco, hence Ive only been twice on different nights to see if the age range changed alas not.The only other time Ive been was when I went with a group of French friends after a night out just to continue the night further and again our group of 20 were the oldest in the club.

Ive been there 3 times now and have never seen any trouble and it does feel a very friendly place to have a dance and boogie.

The entry fee is 10 euro's but with that you get a free drink of your choice.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

The Brittany holiday cottage with pool is surrounded by some great tourist attractions and some wonderful coast line. Just 20 min away from Carnac is the headland of Quiberon, the main beach is above and from here you can catch a ferry to the Belle de Isle ( The Island of beauty). Last year guest of the holiday cottage visited the Island and said it was indeed very beautiful and worth the trip.

While the east coast of the peninsular is very calm the west coast is more rugged and wind swept and is very popular with wind and kite surfers.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

Another great day out for the children staying at the Brittany holiday cottage with pool is the Pont Scoff Zoo located just the other side of Lorient. Ive been there several times with my daughter and she has always enjoyed it as I have, the Zoo has several displays during the day with the Parrots, Sea Lions and Seals.

I will post different tourist attractions close to La Forge the Brittany holiday cottage with pool over the next few weeks.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

The Brittany Holiday cottage with pool is situated within a beautiful location and is surrounded with great things to do during your stay.

Carnac beach was voted one of the best 20 beaches in France and is a half hour car journey from the Brittany Holiday cottage. Just outside Carnac is a great day out for the children in the form of a bouncy castle park, there are over 20 bouncy castles including a couple of water ones, so please take swim suits and towels. Also within the park is an obstacle course for the children.

I spent a great day there with my daughter and her friends and they had a great time, It does get very busy in the summer but there are loads of benches and seats within the park to enjoy a picnic.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Just 7 miles from the Brittany Holiday Cottage with pool is the lovely town of locmine, I'm now riding my bike there and back 5 times per week to try to shift the weight. Last Friday I was 15 st 7lbs and after doing cardio 5 times per week and having a restricted diet the weight seemed to stop coming off. I decided to have a binge day eating as much fatty food as I could eat.

I started with a tin of beans, 3 whole fried eggs and a steak, lunch 250 grams of cheese and a pack of ham with a whole French baguette and butter, dinner was steak, eggs and chips plus I managed to get through a litre of Ice cream (1000 calories in the tub) plus some chocolate.

On Saturday morning I weighed in at 15st 11lbs, from Saturday the diet recommenced plus the cardio and today I weighed in at 15st 6lbs. The hope is I will be at least 15st 4lbs by Friday.

I have also increased my weight training by an additional day therefore training 4 times per week in the Gym.

New guest arrived at La Forge last Saturday and are using the gym themselves during there 2 week stay at the holiday cottage, both were impressed with the standard of equipment and the versatility of what exercises can be performed.

long term rental at the Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

During the low season the Brittany Holiday cottage with pool is available for long term rental during the month of November and from January until the end of March. The normal cost per week during the low season is £249 if you book 4 weeks the cost will be £700, which includes electricity and water cost but not heating.

So if your looking for a base to explore Brittany for house hunting or just to get away for a month or two La Forge can provide what your looking for.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

I have been at the Brittany holiday cottage with pool since 2006 and April every year has had great weather a fact that seems to be undiscovered by holiday makers until this year when the cottage was booked for April. This year we had great weather in March also.

I open the private swimming pool mid March with the heater warming the water up ready for the start of the main holiday season starting in April. Special deal for the month of April:The normal cost per week is £549 from April through too end of May, but as a special price book 2 weeks for just £699 plus enjoy the flexibility of having a flexible start date.

Why not enjoy the Easter school holidays enjoying the French weather at the Brittany holiday Cottage and enjoy the private pool.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

The Brittany holiday cottage with pool is available to rent all year and at Christmas the cottage will be fully decorated for the festive season with a warm log fire awaiting your arrival.The cottage is available from 22nd December to celebrate the Christmas period, the normal cost per week for this holiday period is £549 but you can book 12 nights to enjoy Christmas and the new year in France for a special price of £749.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

New guest arrive today via Guernsey for a 2 week holiday at La Forge Brittany Holiday Cottage, the previous guest that stayed this week had to leave a day early due to work commitments, there comments from the guest book:Fabulous relaxing time.Kids loved the pool and chickens. Good luck with your life in France.

The family loved the pool and enjoyed it each day, 2 of the children were competitive swimmers and the Dad said it was nice just to see them play and have fun in a swimming pool rather than the hours of training that they do back in the UK.

The holiday cottage is available to rent all year long and the private swimming pool is open from the start of April until the end of September and is heated throughout the time.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Just 5 minutes away from La Forge Brittany Holiday Cottage lives some friends Emma & David who bought the other 2 cottages that the previous owners of La Forge had owned and now run them as holiday cottages.

Today they have given me a call to say that they have the month of September still available to rent. Both cottages sleep 6 and have 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and come with a swimming pool that is shared.

If anyone is interested to book just contact me through my email address:laforge@hotmail.co.uk and I'll pass your details onto Emma.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Voted one of the top twenty beaches in France; Carnac is just a short car drive from the Brittany Holiday Cottage and with my love for ice cream I always pop into my favorite ice cream parlor with over 125 flavours.

One of my hobbies is Scuba Diving but I must confess I have been limited to the types of diving I've done. All my dives have been in nice warm water over 27c with good visibility of over 30 meters and only 30 dives logged.

Last year I had a friend over for a holiday and I decided to go for a dive via the dive school based at Carnac while he went sailing. It had been 2 years since my last dive holiday in Egypt and always in the past if its been over 6 months from my last dive I have always had a check dive with an instructor to make sure I was confident in the water.

Now totally my own fault because as a diver the only person you can trust for your own safety is yourself and this particular day I failed big time, I told the dive instructor that it had been 2 years since my last dive but I am a very confident diver and asked 'do I need a check dive?'The instructor said that it was not necessary and he and I would buddy up for the dive and he would keep an eye on me.

I had told him what my past diving experiences were and he said no problem.

Firstly I was given a full dive suit as the water temp was 16c and was asked how much weight I needed for my belt, I said I had no idea as wearing a shortie in the past I was down to 4 kilo's and had no idea of the buoyancy of a full colder water dive suit.

On the boat out to the dive site I discovered that the dive instructor was not just looking after me but he was diving with a group of 7, we put 10 kilo's on the dive belt and he said he had an additional few kilo's on him if I required additional weight.

So with 10 min to go before we reached the dive site we all got kitted up, my gear was not checked by the dive instructor and I did not check him as he was busy sorting out the party.

When we entered the water I could not believe the visibility it was like pea soup down to 5 ft and being one of the last to start my decent everyone had disappeared before I had got down to 5 meters. At that point I was struggling with my weight belt, it was basically slipping off my waist and sliding down my legs, struggling to sort the belt out I was now all alone, 20 seconds later the dive instructor came back up to me but indicated for me to surface and he was being followed by the rest of the party.

When we were back on the boat he said he could see I was having trouble but the anchor had come loose and he decided to save the boat first from drifting off rather than assisting me. We then re-positioned the dive boat and this time my equipment was checked.

Once in the water everything was fine and we got down to the bottom at 20 meters and started to swim along the sea wall, the instructor was leading the party and I found myself at the back of the party. I decided to try and get closer to 'MY BUDDY' only to find it impossible as all the other divers were blocking my way, I then moved up a little to swim over the pack to get close to the instructor but when I was hit with all the bubbles from the tanks below started to go up.

That's when to be honest I don't know what happened apart from panic, the dive party disappeared, my mask was clouding up and I had no idea if I was stationary or drifting upward until it was to late and I had started to accelerate upwards as I became more buoyant and broke surface a few seconds later. I was disgusted with myself because I have never before done that and knew how dangerous it was.

I had to make a decision because I knew I must now be missing from the dive party and after sorting myself out went down again to join them. At 20 meters I located 2 divers and joined them thinking they were my party only to find they were a separate pair that were on the same boat...now what to do, I stayed there for 30 seconds to see if I could find my guys but no joy.

Now were they still down here or had they surfaced to find me, I decided to go up and sure enough the whole party were near the boat, they had been down for only 10 min in total and now the dive had ended due to me getting lost.

It was a very quite boat ride on the way back.

Back at the dive club I booked a check dive for the following day and just said that I was not used to the diving conditions. The next day I arrived back in Carnac to be told that due to bad weather the visibility was to bad to dive, I said I thought the previous day was bad at which point they said 'no that was ok'.

In front of all the other divers I said to the dive instructor I had a confession to make, he asked what. I said sorry I lied, I'm not actually a qualified diver, I just wanted to have a go yesterday. The dive instructor could not grasp exactly what I had said so after repeating it his mouth dropped with shock, he realized his mistake. Even though I had them in my bag he did not ask to see my licence or Dive log before I dived with them.

The thing that really hit me after the dive the previous day was if I had died no one had my details, no one knew who I was and it really hit home the lack of professionalism.

Hence a very important lesson was learnt, never forget your training and speak up if your not happy with the situation.

Talking to some of the other divers there are some good dive sites around Carnac but as yet I have not had the urge to go back....I think I need a few dives in comfortable surroundings to regain my confidence.

What ever your sport or hobby your sure to find it close bye the Brittany Holiday Cottage and I'll be happy to assist to find out details of what you are interested in prior to your holiday at La Forge.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

The children staying at La Forge , the Brittany holiday Cottage this week are really enjoying the pool and Chickens, especially collecting the eggs each day.

Yesterday I could not believe the size of egg one of the hens had layed, it was twice the size of the normal eggs, so large the egg box could not be closed....now that must have been painful to lay. It turned out to be a double yoker and tasted lovely.

I'm now feeding the birds a mix of pellets and corn plus try to give them some greens each day, either fresh green grass or lettuce.

I used to keep Koi back in the UK and used to spend ages just sitting beside the pool watching them swim around, the chickens have the same appeal, I have a bench beside the run and enjoy just sitting down and watching them interact.

Its been a real pleasure keeping chickens at the holiday cottage for myself and the enjoyment of the guest staying at La Forge.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

The final video from the circus visiting the Brittany holiday cottage with pool last summer.Its a bank holiday here today as the French celebrate Bastille Day, I'm of to Josselin to watch the annual celebrations as the town travels back in time and relives the middle ages.

This weeks guest staying at the Brittany holiday cottage have already gone to watch and enjoy.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

The final video's from the circus visiting Baud last year, just 3 miles from the Brittany holiday cottage with pool. During your holiday staying at La Forge you are spoilt for choice of great places to visit, things to do and see to keep you entertained.

Each year I go to all the local tourist offices and gain literature for all the events during the year and place them inside the Holiday Cottage for your perusal.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

The Brittany holiday cottage is situated in a lovely rural hamlet called Kerbourbon just 3 miles from the market town of Baud. As mentioned in an earlier blog the circus is in town tonight, so I've enclosed another video from last year, although animals are used they look in good condition but the show also contains other good acts from the family of performers.

The Brittany holiday cottage is available to rent all year and we are now taking bookings for 2010, book early to avoid disappointment.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Just 3 miles away from the Brittany holiday cottage is the market town of Baud and tonight the Zatta circus is in town. They travel around France and stop at Baud every year, I have been twice now and really enjoyed the show and thankfully the show was fresh on each occasion.

If the circus is not in town during your stay at the holiday cottage no need to worry because 3 or 4 different circuses travel around Brittany during the season so its easy to find one.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Its amazing and enjoyable to see the reaction of children staying at the Brittany holiday Cottage when they see the chickens. New guest arrived yesterday and the children were thrilled to see them and delighted to collect some fresh eggs.

The picture above shows the chicken run 1 week after the chickens arrived, 6 weeks later not a blade of grass can be found within the run and holes have been dug all over. It highlights the need to keep them in a designated area over wise they would create to much damage if left alone to roam the garden.

A friend was looking to buy an eglu chicken run that's a hen house and run combined that houses 2 hens and can be moved around the garden, but what Ive seen with my birds I'd rather just one corner of the garden effected by them than all over, particularly that the spot they are located in was not used and has now become an attraction.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Brittany holiday cottage with pool fitness update; well all the bike work plus counting calories is starting to work being that I'm now 15st 7lbs. Looks like my July target of getting below 15st is on track before the start of August. Ive not been this light since 1998 and it feels good having been up to 19st in 2003.

I popped down to the public gym in Pontivey this week for a change and it was pleasing to see other people were noticing the change in my physic.

I'm now just doing weights 3 times per week but cardio every day. As you can see from the picture above being natural its not a question of size but of definition, that was taken prior to my second competition back in 1994 at a competition weight of 12st 2lbs where I placed second at Stans Gym.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

This weeks guest of the Brittany Holiday Cottage have just left after a great week away, a lovely couple from Scotland. There comments within the guest book were: Lovely Gite-A great location for visiting the surrounding area, weather good and a great pool. A very relaxing week and a perfect holiday spot-will recommend and return.

I will post more comments from the Brittany holiday cottage with pool guest book in the future.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

Just 100 meters from the Brittany holiday cottage is the river Tarun, this weeks guest from Scotland is a keen fly fisherman and decided to have a crack at the Tarun.

With fishing licence bought plus a pair of wellies he fly fished working his way up stream and only 10 mins into the session caught his first Trout. Unfortunately that was the only fish he caught in the 2 hour session but as every fisherman knows just being on the water is enough.

Later in the evening he returned to the river and during another hour of fishing caught a slightly larger fish than the earlier one- still not a keeper but enjoyable to catch.

Fishing licences can be bought in Baud and I will be happy to assist in any fishing queries that guest of the holiday cottage may have.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

With 19 weeks booked this year at the Brittany Holiday Cottage with pool, I'm now fully booked until the end of September. All the extra work I have done with promoting the cottage over the last 12 months seems to have paid off.

I'm still hoping to book the Christmas and new year period this year and have started advertising the 2010 season within the website of the Brittany Holiday Cottage. Its always been a goal to have 20 plus weeks booked per year, so fingers crossed.

For the 2010 season I have decided not to increase the rental rates, therefore they have been frozen for 3 years now making the cottage great value for money.

Brittany Fishing via the Holiday Cottage

Just 5 min away from the Brittany Holiday Cottage is a small private lake, last night I had my first night fish in the hope of catching a large Eel. You are allowed to fish with 2 rods and I had each set up with a running ledger offering garden worms, because the lake is heavily stocked I decided not to use ground bait.

I started at 8pm and at 11 pm had my first run that I missed, the next came at 12.30 and after a great 5 min fight I landed the above Carp, as a guess I would say it was around 7lbs being long and lean.

Unfortunately that was the only fish I caught and the last of the runs, in hindsight maybe I should have ground baited the swim....I may not have caught any Eels but I could have more fun with some Carp.

For those wishing to fish via the Holiday Cottage I'm always at hand to assist if needed.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Woke up to a beautiful sunny day today at the Brittany Holiday Cottage, the cycling seems to be working for shifting the weight, I'm now finally down to 15st 7lbs. Ive been doing 10 miles each day on the bike and really enjoy the cardio workouts for once.

Its been 12 years since my last show the ANB Mr Wales in October 2006 ( picture enclosed) I came in at 13st 4lbs for that show, it was the first time I'd dieted down and took creatine and found that I did not loose as much muscle as previous contests.

This is defiantly the hardest time I have experienced for shifting the weight, I guess its all part of getting older...so hats of to all those people who compete on a regular basis in their 40's, 50's and later.

This week I also started counting calories and discovered that I was actually eating around 2400 per day rather than my planned 1800, that's now been adjusted so with the extra cardio and less calories fingers crossed I'll stay on track.

I'm using the gym again at the Holiday Cottage later today for : Back, Biceps and Shoulders

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

The additional dumbells is a great benefit within the gym at the Brittany holiday cottage, I trained last night with a friend and with up to 35 kilo dumbells a range of new exercises have opened up for me:

For chest:

Dumbell presses; Flat, incline or decline
Heavy dumbell flying; Flat, incline or decline

Shoulders & Back:

Heavy Shoulder press
Single arm dumbell rows
Dumbell shrugs

Arms: its just a joy to start using heavier weights for dumbell curls or extensions

when spending money in the gym I try to create as many different uses as possible for the money spent.My goal is to make the gym at the Brittany holiday cottage home away from home for those serious about weight training or keeping fit.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Re-investing money back into the Brittany Holiday Cottage just makes good business sense to me. In 2007 the downstairs living area was redecorated and new curtains were bought plus pictures and soft furnishings.

In 2008 the gym was created and the plastic terrace furniture was replaced with a good quality set of wooden table and chairs. Also that year the bedrooms were changed from one double and two twins to the new arrangements of two doubles and a twin, a new double bed was bought with a range of new bed linen.

Before the start of the 2009 holiday season at the Brittany Holiday Cottage the bedrooms were all decorated.

I hope that returning guest to La Forge Brittany Holiday Cottage see the difference each year and can see my working principles in practice......look after your guest.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Since buying the Brittany Holiday Cottage with pool I've enjoyed putting my own stamp on the property. One of my favorite hobbies is gardening and over the last 3 years I have planted many mature plants to create instant impact within the garden and wanted to create my own slice of paradise.

One element was to plant loads of sub tropical plants to enhance the guest relaxation around the pool while enjoying the sun.

One of my favorite plants is Tropicana also known as Canna which has large banana like leaves and produces 6ft tall flowers from July through too October.

I guess looking back each year Ive re-invested 25% of the rental income back into the Brittany Holiday Cottage to enhance the property each year, either in the garden or within the house.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

With now just 13 weeks to go before the competition things need to start getting tough as I still need to loose 2 1/2 stone.

From the Brittany Holiday cottage Ive got a choice of bike rides ranging from reasonably flat too undulating for the entire circuit.

This evening started with a 5 mile circuit with a really hard initial hill, followed by hills throughout then finished with a 4 mile stretch on the flat just to keep the legs moving. I have stopped the diary on calories consumed each day but I think from tomorrow id better start again and keep to a strict 1800 calories per day and review after 2 weeks.

A friend down the road is looking to start a cycling holiday business as the local area is perfect for road racing as well as for enjoyment.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

After a cloudy start today the sun made an appearance around noon at the Brittany holiday cottage and it turned into a gorgeous afternoon.

The chickens are doing really well, laying 4 eggs per day, they really enjoy the excess produce a friend is bringing around from her vegetable patch. When I was back in the UK I asked about the colour of the yokes as mine were a very pale yellow and was told to feed the chickens more greens. Since then the yokes have turned a nice orange and its fun to watch them devour a large lettuce, cucumber or some tomatoes.

Once the mature apple tree in the garden has ripe apples I'll feed those to the birds as well, I find them to sharpe for my liking.

In hindsight getting the chickens was such a good idea, all the guest staying at the holiday cottage enjoy watching them.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Its been a lovely day again here at the Brittany holiday cottage so I enjoyed the pool before the new guest arrived this afternoon.

Popped into Baud after the guest arrived and bought a new saddle for my mountain bike, the best 30 euros Ive spent. What a difference for comfort on ridding the bike, just popped out for a 8 mile ride with no pain at all...now the road work starts, with just 14 weeks to go before the competition the weight really has to start coming off me.

My aim is to be below 15 stone by the start of August, ideally below 14st 7lbs as I'm starting the creatine at that point and have always put on weight when Ive started it, so its on the bike every day for me now.

One thing that has surprised me as Ive lost the weight is my joints have started to ache, first the elbows then the knees which has effected my training. I started taking Cod Liver oil tablets at the start of June and since riding the bike for the last 2 weeks my knees feel alot better enabling me to squat again.

I touched 15st 9lbs this week, I feel confident I'll get to the show in condition and have noticed a sudden change on how lean I'm looking with my abbs showing well now.

Its great countryside around the Brittany holiday cottage for ridding a bike with loads of hills to push your legs and the downward side to recover.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Its been another beautiful day at the Brittany holiday Cottage after 3 weeks of hot sunny weather we had a thunderstorm Wednesday evening and its really cleared the air making it comfortable to sun bath again after a few mucky days.

The swimming pool has been very welcome during these hot days, new guest arrive tomorrow, so today was getting the garden ship shape for their arrival. The cottage is now fully booked until 26th September, making this year the highest occupancy since i bought the property.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Just 25 min from the Brittany Holiday Cottage is the medieval town of Vannes where I have just come across a French teacher called Sophie Fontaine who is very charming and has informed me that one area she is looking to build her language business is by offering classes for guest staying at La Forge and within the local area.

So if your interested in enhancing your French while on holiday, Sophie will be more than happy to arrange classes during your stay at the Brittany holiday Cottage.

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym

Rennes to the east of the Brittany holiday cottage and Quimper to the west, just an hour away are 3 additional golf courses.

Kerbernez a 9 hole par 35 over 2643 yards:

From the Brittany Golf guide:It enjoys a superb natural setting on the edge of the Odet river and only 10 min away from Quimper. A compact tree lined course.

L'Odet a 18 hole par 72 over 6390 yards plus a 9 hole par 27 over 1203 yards

From the Brittany Golf guide: Situated amongst oaks and pines in the Fouesnantais Copse, its large open spaces for high handicappers. The fairways, which but relatively short are quite flat with bunkers as the nearby beaches.

Quimper-Cornouaille a 18 hole par 71 over 6213 yards.

From the Brittany Golf guide: Overlooking the bay of La Foret-Fouesnant,this challenging golf course presenting a variety of obstacles is recommended for its design, surrounding landscape and the friendliness of this clubhouse inside the Le Mesneur manor house.