Last night in France...

The last couple of days have been exhilarating, challenging and the scenery inspirational. Heavy rain last night rendered my climb thru the Loue valley more akin to time in the Borneo jungle than the Jura Mountains as I walked along streams, alongside waterfalls, clambered up sinewy trails and dodged rockfall, landslide and tumbling trees - not to mention chamois too, who avoided me more. Thank heavens for new boots and my stick!

I am now about 10 km from the Swiss border in Pontarlier; nice town with an ornate gate that reminds me of Alnwick.. Although methinks Pontarlier gets more sunshine somehow. Tomorrow night will be in L'Auberson which is just short of my destination, Sainte Croix, there being "no room at the inn". This is all very well, til you factor that the next day, Orbe, my lodging is a further 5 km out of town which adds a nice 15 ish km on to the day which in car terms means nothing but for a bipod like me.... 3 hours plus on the road, a 7 hour day potentially now a ten hour day. That can be a real ball breaker to put it bluntly!

Pics: the yellow markings I follow at present (ear piece is my iPod, music as Confucius said is a pleasure the human soul cannot do without); waterfalls in the Loue valley; scenery approaching the Loue and (pine forests) before Pontarlier; gnome waving at me and pony in his dormobile keeping out of the flies!