Trefcon to Laon... and on to Martigny Courpierre

After a really good sleep at the Val d'Omignon Equestrian Centre - about 10 hours worth - and a big refuel breakfast we were on the road by 0900, under clear skies.

An early morning coffee stop

By 1200 we had cycled the 60 k were in Laon, which was not levelled in the 1st world war, as many towns were in this area.  Laon sits high on a hill and it was a big grind getting up there, but we made it without blowing out our knees.  Laon is a walled city that boasts a medieval cathedral, built between 1100 and 1200.  The catheral is apparently one of the best examples of gothic architecture of the time.  The cathedral was closed when we arrived so we satisfied ourselves with gazing at it with a coffee at a cafe across the plaza. 

Lunch at the Flea Market

Laon Cathedral

At Laon we had hoped to stay at a hotel in the old quarter but we did not find anything and had booked something less expensive on the outskirts of the city.  However...when we got there the room was not habitable for me - it was loaded with chemical air freshener and I had to get out.  Fatigue played into our decision-making or lack of.  There were other hotels in the area but we decided to keep moving to the next town, Cheret, where there was a Chambre d'hôte.  However... when we arrived there no one was home, so on we went.

Our Yurt for the Night

The extra mileage was not anticipated and I was feeling quite badly about making the change, but about 10km further down the road we came round a corner to discover L'asseitte du Terroir Le Moulin Bertrand, where there were Yurts (yes I said Yurts) for us to stay in, a bar with beer and dinner.  This was more than I could have hoped for and after about 85km for the day, we were both more than ready for something good.

Yurt Interior

 The proprietor had imported his 6 yurts from Mongolia.  It was a most charming type of home for the night and like a gift from above.  Sometimes it is difficult to trust that the right thing will happen and when one is tired, hungry and dehydrated faith can fly out the window.  But at least in this case, it seemed to work out fine.