Day 1: Thur 29th June 2006
Ride: Bewdley to Laon - 355 miles
After months of planning Phil finally set off this morning, his car loaded up with everyone's luggage and his bike on a trailer. You can drive directly from Bewdley to Chamonix in a day but it's not much fun and far more relaxing to do it over a couple of days. Phil wasn't in a rush and had decided to go for the relaxing option.
The drive to Dover was uneventful and he made his P&O crossing to Calais with plenty of time to spare. The ferry was quiet and disembarkation was quick and it wasn't long before he was on the A26 heading towards Laon. He left the A26 at junction 13 and from there it was only a short drive to the hotel. A couple of hours and 137 miles after leaving Calais he arrived at Chateau de Barive, a lovely hotel just outside Laon. He'd covered 355 miles which is pretty close to the midway point to Chamonix.
