Via Francigena across the Alps

Welcome to the home of the artist Gustave Courbet.  Too bad I am too snackered to appreciate it!

Although it rained all the night before and during the day up until about 2 pm, I didn’t need my poncho very much as most of the track was under a sheltering canopy of trees.  Everything looked good for a great start of my journey along the Via Francigena across the Alps, at least until I got on to the wrong trail – twice!!  I had planned to take the trail which would result in three shorter (25km) stages instead of the two long stages on the alternate route.  Somehow – again, twice – I got on to the longer trail.  This resulted in adding another 10 km to my day’s journey for a total of 35: not a good way to begin for someone in my physical shape.  Nevertheless, I managed to find my way to this lovely village in the region of Franche-Comté. 

Besançon was a most interesting start: a Gallo-Roman city with an imposing citadel.  The museum of archeology was simple in its presentations and layout so you didn’t feet you had just done your duty to culture and civilization.  The geography of the region is gorgeous, with beautiful rivers cutting gorges through great hills of limestone: hills that are mostly covered in mixed coniferous and deciduous forest.  This is a very rural area with large fields planted in grain crops and corn, and with pastures filled with cattle.  As I said, most of my trail was on track in the forest.  One of the most interesting parts was the last 8 km along a former railway right-of-way carved into the side of a deep gorge.  Fortunately for me it was wide enough and its sides treed enough for vertigo not to be triggered by the drop of some 300 meters! 

Today is another day and I am hopeful there will be no more mistakes in direction.  Maybe I will be able to stop and take a few photos, including the many wildflowers along the way.  All that depends on how the rain holds or falls as I climb higher into the Jura. Love to all, D.