JURA

Waking up in Luisans will take you back at least 100 years: the roosters crow, the church bell rings, the milk is from next door and the eggs on the table come from chickens with first names !

You’ll see many more sleepy villages and smoking chimneys on today’s ride and you’ll inevitably have questions about how to move house to these hills : What is the price of property around here ? Do most houses have internet connections ? But the pleasure of cycling is moving on, however slowly. Of course, you can always come back !

The small city of Pontarlier lies ahead and we’ll have a late lunch there so that you can look into the shop windows and walk the cobblestone streets of this fine jurassic metropol. Once outside the city limits, you’ll look up to see the majestic 11th century fortress: Chateau de Joux . Yes, it’s open to visits.

You’re now at Lac Saint Pointe. This is France’s 4th largest natural lake and it is fed by the Doubs river which you’ve been admiring all week. You may now finally see some local French tourists, but no jet skis or speedboats here…just folks fishing in rowboats, hikers looking for mushrooms and children chasing after frogs.

Today is a short day with little elevation gain, and that’s fine. You’ve got a magnificent Belle Epoque hotel overlooking the lake and plenty of promenades to work up an appetite for the gourmet meal that awaits us in our hotel’s grand dining room. But consider getting to bed early because tomorrow is another story !

Images of today