Walkabout at BelongaMick - A NABD Business Affiliate

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, 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

The next 85 miles was stunning. The first part is dominated by gorgeous curves and bends as you head out of town and passed the zoo (mind the pedestrian crossing). Then the roads straighten up. I mean literally straighten up. I don’t think I’ve seen many roads straighter than these. The Roman’s must have been here, or the French planners decided that they could do it better. You ride for 9 miles before a slight bend, then another 9 miles before another curve, and so it went on.

I arrived to a lovely reception from the proprietors and Julie had put on a gorgeous dinner, so a quick freshen up before eating. Then a few beers before an early night.

I love old buildings with explorable nooks and crannies. As Mick is still in the process of refurbishing the barns and other buildings, many of them are still as they were left many years ago. The complex is basically a group of small houses and barns. When Mick and Julie moved here in 2003, they started off with one house. As others became available, they purchased them and then began re-building them. Most of the buildings are old stone, one or two rooms, with hay lofts and tiled roofs. Mostly derelict, but all in

It is fascinating to listen to Mick talk about the history of the buildings and the people who lived in them. Some of them, like ‘the Professor’s house’ look exactly the same as when the occupant left. The big open fireplace still has the ashes of the last fire, complete with the fitments for a hanging cooking pot. The ornaments and pictures still in place. Mick explained how the Professor had ‘modernised’ over the years, installing a wood fired oven with hot water tank first, then getting electricity and even a fridge, which is still there and would qualify as an antique. Mick explained that there used to be a large bed in the same room, which was basically a large haystack with wooden benches either side to step up on. Pictures of the Kings and Queens of Europe were above the bed on the wall, the Kings over his side and the Queens over her side.

Even the hanging lights in the middle of the room had a story to them. When they purchased a tractor in the 1960’s, they no longer needed the oxen, so they made a light fitting out of the yoke. Incidentally, that old tractor is still sitting in the field (Mick says he has got it going and is using it now!)

Whilst exploring the other unrestored barns I could feel that thrill of stepping back through the ages and getting a small glimpse of what life used to be like. Where the family and animals lived all together in the one room. Or walking into a small barn still complete with the old oak plough for the oxen and the newer metal replacement next to it.

As mentioned before, I was so happy to see that Mick is doing a very sympathetic refurbishment. The Gîte I stayed in has many of the original features left in it, which gives it such warmth and history. The big stone fireplace, the beautiful oak timbers and stone walls. But he hasn’t forgotten about the comforts of modern living either, a lovely modern shower, and all the mod-cons you need for a comfortable stay. I love the history and beauty of old buildings, but I also appreciate the luxury of a flushing loo and a proper shower!

Mick was happy to show me around the place, and tell me the story behind it all. They have really done a fantastic job on the place so far. There’s a bike garage with ample tools to do any work needed, 14 Open House Issue 99 along with a drying room if you should happen to get caught in a downpour. Mick even offers a breakdown recovery for bikes within 50km. I was also horrified to see a gym, for those so inclined. More of interest for me was the current project of turning one of the barns into a bar and restaurant. A good example of how Mick is trying to preserve what he can of the place is the way he is doing this conversion. He has fitted a modern door to the inside of the stone door frame, but is fitting the old oak door to the outside of the frame, so from the outside it looks as it did before.

It is lovely to sit in the warmth of the evening with a cold beer, listening to Mick’s stories of his bike riding travels. Or ask him about the French taxes, especially my favourite, the subterranean tax, if you dig a hole you have to pay tax on it!

Away from the buildings you can walk the fields which is also awash with its own nooks and crannies to explore. Mick is trying to re-plant some of the area with ferns and fruit trees to go alongside the established oaks, blackthorns and loquat trees and there is a lovely little lane to walk through complete with a canopy of old trees.

The most noticeable thing is the peace and quiet. I live in a small village that people say is quiet, but this is on another level. In every direction you see fields. The only sound you hear are the abundance

of wildlife, the owls, woodpeckers, cuckoo and swallows are happy to give a soundtrack to your solitude. The cows next door will give you a cheery moo whilst curiously watching you and if you look closely, you may see the odd lizard or even snake (none of which are dangerous!)

If you are so inclined, there are a number of walks around the area, or into Bethines itself. But I am of the opinion that if I have a bike, why walk?

The roads around Bethines are conducive to some great bike rides. The small towns and villages offer a variety of interesting destinations, dependant on what you are looking for. Mick is a lifelong biker and is happy to offer advice on ride outs and places to visit. If he has the time, he’s also happy to give you a tour of the area and the best roads to ride.

I decided that one of the must-see villages is Oradour Sur Glane. I won’t go into the details here, but suffice it to say that the whole village was wiped out and burned to the ground by the Waffen SS in World War Two. Being a bit of a WW2 buff, I already knew about this place, so wanted to visit the actual village and see it for myself. Walking around the village, with its houses in ruins, burnt to the ground or spattered in bullet holes is a sobering experience. The atmosphere is so all encompassing, that it is hard to get away from the suffering that was experienced.

The village of Ghosts.

Mick had said that Saint Savin is the next village over and has a lovely Abbey, a UNESCO site, so a slow ride to have a look at that, then a leisurely ride down to Montmorillon which is the large town of the area.

Montmorillon straddles the river Gartempe and has some lovely bridges giving great views of the river. It is also the ‘City of Writing’ having various museums and areas devoted to the written word.

Once back at BelongaMick I found Mick and a few friends pondering over setting up a pig roast for the following day’s ‘grand opening’ of MJ’s Bar and Restaurant. As the very old (and very small) French benches were falling apart with age, I decided to build them a new bench, for proper sized people. I picked out some nice oak planks and some battening and once completed I carved my name and the date on the underside (so if you sit on it – you’re welcome!)

Mick said he wanted to have a ride out and show me around the local places before I went home, and he certainly knows the area. Taking me down some lovely roads and to some beautiful places. We ended up stopping in the beautiful medieval town of Chauvigny where we wandered around for a while and had a coffee before heading on again. Stopping for a smoke break at a lovely chateau with its own lake. Then on to La Tremoille before heading back to Micks.

As I would be leaving early in the morning, I packed what I could and prepared the bike for tomorrow’s ride before having a few more beers and an early night.

As is usual, I had a terrible night’s sleep. Why is it that when you need a good night sleep you always get a crap one? Anyway, the alarm went off at 5am and I struggled out of bed and packed the rest of my gear.

Julie had been up early and packed me a baguette for the trip, as well as putting a pot of coffee on and some croissants out for me to breakfast on. Mick came out to wish me farewell and then I was off. The day looked like it was going to be gorgeous again, and it was cool enough in the early morning.

The ride up north was lovely. The sun started to come up on my starboard quarter and it lit the sunflowers up like a golden guard of honour. Traffic was non-existent and I happily rode through the morning.

By lunchtime I had reached Rouen and decided to ride into the town for food. I quickly found a place opposite the Gare Do Rouen and sat outside to have a very nice lunch. I did think I may get a parking ticket or something whilst I was there, as I was parked over some painted yellow lines and I could see some Gendarme pointing and looking. But luckily they were just admiring the bike.

I arrived at the ferry in plenty of time, which was lucky as there was a queue to get through British Back in England the weather turned colder, unsurprisingly, but it was an uneventful ride home. I’m always shocked when returning to the UK about how bad the driving standards are and it takes a short while to get my head back into ‘UK mode’.

Mick and Julie have definitely got this guesthouse thing down to a fine art. It was less of a B&B, and more of just stopping with friends – with the icing on the cake being the unsurpassable food!

I will definitely be back.

Vic

Mick tells me that they have since been filmed for a new series on Channel 4 to be screened around March 2022, so one to keep a look out for.

BelongaMick also offer a 10% discount for NABD members, just give them a call.

BelongaMick

Les Brouillons - Bethines - 86310 – France France: 05 49 84 90 35 UK mobile: 07970 371 063 https://belongamick.eu

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