28 Days Later

The French love a countdown. Whether it’s the sales (Les Soldes), La Retour (the start of the new school year), or a big event such as the Olympics or the Tour de France, you’ll frequently see ´J-xxx’. And today marks J-28 - just four weeks to the first stage of this year’s Tour de France. 

Just 28 days - or in my case just 25 days until I head off to the Land of the Ch’ti in preparation for this year’s Grand Depart. 

Preparations are well underway. There’s a little fettling needed to the bike, and shopping and packing lists to prepare. Some nights I’m in commercial hotels, but often in Airbnb apartments - so those nights I can cater for myself, and I’ve even got the luxury of a washing machine on one stay. I will have to visit supermarkets, but want to keep these to a minimum, and buying as much stuff as possible in advance will help. 

But it’s all becoming very real now. 

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