Day 53. 43mi into Les Montagnes des Vosges and its old mining towns. Cool, dry, feels like fall. Col de Ribeauville, Col de St Marie, Col de Raids and onto the former principality of Senones. Jenn made a camp friend.
Days 50, 51 & 52. Into Alsace. Vineyards, storks & wine. Once again we’ll detour from canals and head for the hills. This time into the Vosges mountain range. From there, our next stop is Belgium, some 300mi away through Germany and Luxembourg.
Days 48 & 49. 110mi to Cernay. Can’t have peaks without valleys I suppose, but I’m sure going to miss these mountains. A couple days along the canal to Alsace for wine and pretzels.
Day 47. 55mi to Goumois, on the French-Swiss border. Tomorrow we leave Jura. Happy to have met this cow.
Day 46. Cool mist turned to frigid rain, forecast to persist through the day. We caught a train to Pontarlier after 20 miles. Yesterday was Champagnole to cheer on the stage 7 start of Le Tour Femme and join the local club for a “Cyclo Rando”, which departed behind the team car caravan. The jerseys were a nice touch too.
Days 42-45. 123mi around France’s strange and wonderful Jura. Mist hangs in mountains and hovers over fields. Despite a holiday festival and a major sporting event, it feels otherwise empty.
Days 40 & 41. 80 miles to Morez where we’ll spend a few days riding unloaded in France’s Haut Jura. The last few days have been some of the best riding of the trip, so I’m really looking forward to fully exploring the region.
Day 39. Another blistering hot day, 43mi cleaved in two by Col du Clergeon. While a stiff climb from the east, the descent packs 15 switchbacks into five breath taking miles, ending in the vineyards below. But now I’m out of @bikesaviours stickers.
Day 38. 55mi to Annecy. Hot, dry, still. Shady trees and a snow capped Mont Blanc taunt me from afar.
Days 36 & 37. 102mi of easy rolling on the Rhône below sun scorched vineyards to Lake Geneva and into France. Funicular at sundown, ferrying sun scorched beach goers back up to town.
