Mick and Julie have a guest house in Bethines, France, called BelongaMick. I had been watching their journey of refurbishment with interest and I was curious to see things first hand. Some of the buildings can be traced back to the 11th century and I thought I would visit before the buildings had gone in the refurb. So it was that I found myself packing my bike in the dark and cold of an English morning and heading off on the 500-mile search for sunnier climes. The ride down to Dover wasn’t bad and the ferry was virtually empty. The coffee was free so I had my fill, which was a mistake, as I found out half an hour down the road when my bladder reminded me. Mick was full of helpful advice on the run up to my trip, suggesting various routes complete with fuel stops and overnight stops if needed. The first segment of the trip was from Calais towards Rouen and then Dreux which involved a bit of a toll road and the A28. The roads started getting a little more rural on the way to Chartres, 10 Open House Issue 99
the next stop. But with the sun shining and the traffic light, it was very pleasant. The Valkyrie is very comfortable, but I have arthritis in my right thumb, so constant speeds hurt (although a throttle control helps). This meant a few more breaks than usual (that’s my excuse!) Amazingly my gammy legs didn’t really start hurting that bad, thanks to the National Association for Bikers with a Disability, the adaptions of a Kliktronic gearchanger and twin-leavers made all the difference, otherwise the trip would have been impossible. Mick recommended a stop at Saint Aignan, in the old part of town, so I stopped for a half hour in a really beautiful part of the town. The sun was
