I had not planned too much detail for this tour beyond Besançon, hoping that would work out to meet up with Cycle Blazer Keith Klein near Dijon and then make it to Noyers by the weekend. Thus, my rather ambitious planning to date. Now, however, I was feeling the need for a rest day. An additional complication was the bleak weather forecast that also began to play a role in my decision making. Consequently, my current plan was to take a rainy rest day in Dole and meet Keith for lunch of Friday in Gevrey-Chambertin, his home town a bit south of Dijon. As the forecast predicted continued unsettled weather, I restricted book my lodging one day at a time.
The forecast for today was pretty accurate – cloudy and windy with minimal chance of rain until late afternoon or evening. The route to Dole continued along EV6, following the Doubs and, at times, the Rhône-au-Rhin canal. The landscape was similar to yesterday, perhaps a little less scenic as the cliffs were less dramatic. The biggest difference was the wind factor, steady at 15-20 mph with gusts almost twice that. And it seemed to be almost always a bit of a headwind, no matter which curve along the river I followed.
Although the scenery along the river/canal was similar to yesterday, there were a few of points of interest. The first was the Besançon canal tunnel that traverses 350 meters in length under the Citadel of Besançon – it is the tunnel I erroneously entered yesterday and was the start of my route today. The tunnel was dimly lit, but the pedestrian/cycle walk was fairly wide and I could see well-enough wearing my regular glasses instead of sun glasses. Once safely through, I headed down the canal, rejoined the Doubs river and was soon passing the Château Médiéval de Montferrand, once a fortified castle from the 12th century.
Safely through the Besançon canal tunnel - the tunnel runs under the Citadel, exiting on this side at the dark half-circle near the center of the picture
Further downstream, just before reaching Thoraise, I encountered another canal tunnel, the Thoraise Percée. A narrow pedestrian walk traverses its 185 m length, but cyclists must go up and over a small headland to reach the other side. I made it to the far end of the tunnel just as an excursion boat was about to pass through. A small group of young men successfully navigated the boat through the tunnel almost as if they were playing a video game, an experience which could have been helpful. Flush with excitement, I took a short break on the far side of Thoraise.
The next big excitement of the day was a bona fide Route Barré. Of course I hesitated at the sign, which indicated not only that a bridge was under repair but also directly mentioned both pedestrians and cyclists. However, it was apparent from the locked fence across the route that I would have to follow the detour. The “deviation” sign was a bit confusing, but construction workers directed me down a short gravel path along the river and I was soon back on the paved EV6, following along the canal as it took a direct, inland route to avoid to the meandering river.
Shortly after Ranchot, the route left both the river and the canal and took me up onto a small plateau where a cold wind was howling fiercely. Storm clouds raced across the sky and I struggled to hold the camera still enough for some photos. Back down along the canal I ran into a somewhat strange trio in the process of changing a flat - I stopped to offer my frame pump, but it was useless for their Schrader valves. As we were talking, who should ride up but the smiling Spaniard that I passed by yesterday, a man the trio had also previously met along the way.
Patrick O'HaraHi Susan. Does your frame pump not have a reversable head that inflates both Shrader and presta valves? Sometimes you can screw the head out and flip it around for inflating both types. Just wondering. Reply to this comment 1 month ago
I made it to Dole without further incident but the first impression of my apartment in Dole was not the best. The doorway from the street had no sign nor indication that I’d arrived at any type of lodging. But I gingerly turned the handle and the door opened onto a spacious courtyard filled with plants. At the far side was a large burgundy door with a small “Bienvenue” sign and a keybox on the wall. I entered a large spacious one-bedroom apartment with a full kitchen and washing machine. Great!! However, there were no linens, neither bedding nor towels. I could not immediately get in touch with the proprietor, but when I did reach Samdrine she came over immediately and made everything more than acceptable. And it turned out to be a wonderful apartment with a charming hostess and super location - directly across from the childhood home of Louis Pasteur and just a few minutes walk to the historical center of town.
And the apartment looked out onto the birthplace of Louis Pasteur. A trip to the museum housed in his childhood home was on the must-do list for tomorrow
Patrick O'HaraSue and I were in Dole in 2013, and we remember pausing at this door on our walk around town. Reply to this comment 1 month ago
Susan CarpenterTo Patrick O'HaraHow did you like Dole? Maybe it was the rain, but it had a charm of an old French town unmarred by tourism. I kept thinking they could make historical movies without too many modifications Reply to this comment 1 month ago
The skies opened up shortly after I’d settled into the apartment, a torrential downpour with winds that banged the shutters. I made a quick run to the store for dinner and breakfast supplies then hunkered down and pondered my course for the next few days.
It's raining all over France! I'm the blue dot, the gray dots are potential destinations for the next few days
Today's ride: 37 miles (60 km) Total: 2,480 miles (3,991 km)
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Kathleen ClassenI loved reading this, except for the weather. It brought back such great memories, and oddly enough we had the same weather. Wishing you sunny skies. Reply to this comment 1 month ago
