Spring 2019

Near Belfort Day 2 - 8 June 2019

Active day today, 25 minute run then a ride around the lakes that are close to us. Lunch and a ride into Belfort. We didn’t realise there is a 5 day music festival going on. Spent a few hours walking around seeing the citadel, the lion and some of the music acts.

08.06.19 - Last night, made up yet another batch of granola - it is the best meal of the day after all! Ate the rest of the peppers and lentils - so that was an easy meal. It tried to rain a bit, but nothing much.

I was feeling quite murdery last night! Couldn’t sleep, Tintin wasn’t snoring loudly in the traditional sense, but everything around us was silent - and I couldn’t switch my mind off so his deep breathing and blowing irritated me! After a couple of hours, and for the first time this trip, I got up and re-arranged the chairs so I could pull down the double bed - and finally get some sleep!

Week 7, run 2 - done ✅. Another 25 minutes non-stop running - on a cycle track, so mainly flat! Saw a woodpecker on the way out - and a hare on the way back. Not knowing where we’re running probably helps, as I think I’d find it really boring to run the same routes at home!

Later on in the morning we rode around the area - there are multiple lakes and ponds. There is a beach at one part - there were four life guards sat waiting for something to happen - but no one on or in the water! Was definitely still a bit chilly. Saw about the biggest bull (?) we’d ever seen! He was hiding in the shade of the trees, so probably not a good photo!

Came back to Dave, read our books for a while, had lunch - then decided to go riding in opposite direction towards Belfort (the large town we passed yesterday). I wanted to see the huge lion, and maybe the cathedral. As it happened, there was a strong police presence, and we all had to be searched to get into the old town. Turns out that they were having their 33rd annual music festival, which lasts for 5 days! And even better, because of the festival, entrance fees to places of interest were waived! We only knew what was going on because we’d asked a lady who was helping out. She then walked us over to where we could leave our bikes locked up - very pleasant and helpful lady!

We walked up to see the lion. He is 22m high and 11m long, built from pink sandstone brick and is the symbol of the town’s resistance against Germany in the Franco/Prussianwar. Was completed in 1880 by architect Auguste Bartholdi - him of Statue of Liberty in New York fame!

We then walked up the ramparts to the highest point for a view over the citadel - lovely views on such a clear day.

Stopped off to listen to about half a dozen different musicians - there are 16 different stages with people from France 🇫🇷, Italy 🇮🇹,Bulgaria, Romania 🇷🇴, Belgium 🇧🇪, UK 🇬🇧, Kenya 🇰🇪, Mexico 🇲🇽, Greece 🇬🇷, Germany 🇩🇪etc - you get the idea!

St Christophe’s cathedral is very pretty, it too is in pink sandstone from the Vosges Mountains. We could go in, as it was another ‘stage’ for some musicians.