13 February 2025 – Laon

Miles driven today = 159

Total Miles to date = 270

Much like last year, we were dithering over our departure date for this trip until relatively recently.  We penciled in last Saturday the 8^th but realised that might be pushing things a bit so we considered delaying for a full week to the 15^th.  But that turns out to be the start of the school half term break and of course prices for Le Shuttle rocket exponentially as a result.  So we’ve compromised a little and set our departure for the Continent today.

Now that we are predominantly Yorkshire based, Tesco is no longer our go-to supermarket of choice, with alternative (and cheaper) retail options closer to home.  But we have still amassed £30 worth of Tesco vouchers over the last 12 months.  So doubling those up to £60 under their handy redemption arrangement with Le Shuttle meant that our £212 outwards fare was reduced to a rather less lumpy £152.  I’m sure that we could probably save ourselves a bit of cash if we looked at taking the ferry as an alternative but it’s just so damned convenient being able to drive onto the train, not having to leave the van, and driving off again barely 30 minutes later.

We’ve had to change our extended travel insurer to Aviva this year and their terms and conditions state that unless you can provide evidence that your return journey is booked, your insurance is invalid, which seems utterly ridiculous to me but there you go.  So in a break from tradition, we have  also purchased our return ticket in advance for 13^th May, which is the very latest that we can return to the UK maxing out my 90 days Schengen allowance.  Of course our plans may change and we may want or need to come back a little earlier, so I’ve had to buy the return on a more expensive refundable basis in order to give ourselves the necessary flexibility.

Anyway, enough of the boring admin.  We’ve got a train to catch…   

We were up with the larks this morning, or the sparrows, or whatever other feathered friends were making an ungodly racket at 6am.  We quickly got ourselves back into the swing of stowing everything away ready for departure and were at the train terminal near Folkstone a full 80 minutes before our scheduled 9:16 departure and so we sneaked onto the previous train by the skin of our teeth with the doors closing directly behind us as soon as we boarded.  45 minutes later we were rolling off the other end and onto French soil.

I’m a little naïve when it comes to French toll roads.  We only used them for the final stretch before crossing the border into Italy last year and managed to avoid them altogether on our 2022 tour.  But this time around we are initially looking to eat up the mileage a little more quickly, and that of course comes at a price.  Motorhomers who use French toll roads regularly advocate automatic “bip and go” devices which you stick in your windscreen, allowing the automatic tolls to debit directly from your account.  But for those of us who don’t have these devices it’s a slightly more arduous process where we pay by card at the end of each section of the motorway you use.  Prices vary according to your class of vehicle.  As a motorhome we should be charged as Class 2 but at 3 metres high I’ve been reading that some of the automatic toll machines may misidentify us as a coach or commercial vehicle which are Class 3 and therefore more expensive.  In such instances we have to press a button and, in our best Franglais, declare ourselves as “Class deux Camping Car” and thereby hopefully rectify the error.   But thankfully that didn’t happen today.

Having quickly covered the first 130 miles, or €29.50 worth in tolls, of the A26 “Motorway of the English” we decided to make our overnight stop at Laon.  We drove past the town last year, admiring its impressive fortifications and Cathedral sitting on a ridge overlooking the predominantly arable landscape of the Aisne Department, and thought that it looked worthy of further investigation, so here we are.  First stop was to top up on diesel so we can avoid paying motorway service station prices tomorrow.  €1.67 a litre works out a little bit cheaper than the £1.43 I paid when we filled the van up before our departure yesterday.  Then it was on to Lidls in order to buy supplies for our next few evening meals, plenty of cheap wine and some of that fabulous French country beer which I utterly adore.

Then we climbed a series of switchbacks and parked ourselves up in one of six roadside bays which are specifically reserved free of charge for motorhomers.  We are directly outside the old city walls so we popped our coats on and went for a look around.

Laon was actually the Capital of the Kingdom of France from the end of the ninth Century until 988AD.  In the 13^th Century the city was fortified by no less than 7 kilometers of ramparts with 18 gates and 38 flanking towers to defend it.  It became known as the “The Crowned Mountain”.  You can still walk the ramparts in their entirety to this day.

At the Eastern end is a Citadel which was built by King Henry IV in 1594.  You can take guided tours of the vaults and underground passageways which lie beneath.

In 1134 the Knights Templar founded a command post in Laon and circa 1140 they built this octagonal chapel.  They remained here until 1307 when 14 Templars in Laon were amongst hundreds who were arrested across France for promoting themselves as a State within a State.

Amusing restored gargoyles above the Chapel entrance.

Next door to the chapel, in the former mansion of the Templers, is the Museum of Art and Archaeology.  Entrance is free of charge so we had a look around.  In true chronological order we started with a neolithic Rhinoceros jawbone.

Most of the collection was gathered by a chap called Paul Marguerite de la Charlonie from around the Mediterranean and beyond.  These are oriental perfume bottles.

A head of Zeus together with numerous other Greek artifacts. I hope M. de la Charlonie left a few bits and bobs behind for us to look at when we get to Greece ourselves!

Upstairs we found some more local exhibits many of which had been rescued from Laon’s Cathedral during restoration work.

There was also an interesting exhibition of work by French artists.

Laon has many fascinating historical buildings, although I am afraid a number of them have fallen into a sad state of disrepair.

The Cathedral is visible for miles around.  It was constructed during the second half of the 12^th Century.  It was a bit of a trendsetter in its time and elements of its structure were copied for other great French Cathedrals, including Notre Dame in Paris.

The tops of the towers are guarded by what appear to be mountain goats.

Rue Chatelaine appeared to be the main shopping street but it was pretty much deserted while we strolled along its length.

This is the Marie.  I got a bit confused last year by a number of French towns having a “Hotel de Ville”.  In my naivety I assumed that these buildings had in fact been hotels at some point in time.  It was only when I investigated further that I realized that a Hotel de Ville is in fact a Town Hall.  But that confused me further because I always thought the Marie was the Town Hall.  It seems that in fact the 2 terms are interchangeable and there is no rhyme or reason as to why one is used over the other.  Every day is indeed a school day.

We walked back out of the city via the Porte des Chenizelles.  And then followed the outside of the wall back to the van.

This is the Ardon Gate, formerly the “Royal Gate”.  There has been an entrance to the City here since the 10^th Century but this structure is part of the 13^th Century fortifications.

A little way outside the Ardon Gate is this old washhouse with running water flowing through its now somewhat overgrown trough.

We’re all alone in our little perch here tonight.  A couple of Danish vans turned up earlier but they seem to have had other ideas and have since moved on.  Temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing tonight but we are nicely tucked up with our insulted screen cover on and the heater whirring away and keeping us nice and toasty.  We are going to book our ferry from Ancona down to Greece tonight for next Thursday, a week today, so we need to get some serious mileage done over the next few days if we are going to get there.

14 February 2025 - Chalon-Sur-Saone