Day 15, over the top
Day 14, Up a hill slowly, dust, aluminium, bats.
The main road goes through a good few kilometres of dusty smoky industry, it looks like they are mining roadstone or something. Huge railway sidings. Later research reveals that this is an aluminium smelting unit, which was run-down but has recently been purchased form Rio Tinto by a German company, Trimet, now being expanded, hence […]
Day 13 Progress, lizards, apples, Hannibal.
A bit more to do today, but not too bad. What amazing things motorways are for economic development, there are industrial estates all along this valley, existing I guess mainly because this main European artery passes nearby. This experience is similar to walking the North Downs Way where the M25 is never far away, the […]
Day 12 Mountains come out of the sky.
Day 11 Rest
I eat in the restaurant again, “Sandre” which is “Zander” which is a very large Perch, in butter and caper sauce. Drink local – Chenin-Bourget, it’s like the wine yesterday.
Day 10 Last day in Jura
Today was the longest so far with the biggest ascent. Won’t get boring with details though. Let’s cut to late afternoon … it’s about 6 p.m. and I’ve done 70km and over 1,400m ascent, my knees and hips are complaining a bit, thunderstorms are predicted and I have promised to reach my accommodation before 7. […]
Day 09 Anatomy of a climb.
Now having descended to this town I need to climb back up to the route, so today is all climbing, hardly a downhill kilometre. I have planned a route going steadily up the side of the valley, on a not too busy road (hopefully). I liked Saint-Claude, it has character and the bustling market topped-off […]
Day 08 struggle or what!
The plan for today, made back in the comfort of my living room, was far too ambitious, involving two sections of the route, challenging in themselves. So I was going to do the first section (mainly uphill) on the road, then decide about the second. But this didn’t go well, lots of walkers on the […]
Day 07 A note on luggage
Day 06 Morteau to Malbisson
When I leave a hotel in the morning, having just eaten a good breakfast, I don’t feel like buying food for lunch, but it is usually necessary because village shops are very few and far between in rural France.At the bakery this morning the chap in front of me in the queue had full lycra […]