I liked Dijon. The whole place seemed to me to smell of old cheese but that could just be me… It had an exuberance about the place which was great, plenty of live music and festivities around and much fuss over food. Indeed we watched the chefs walking through the town into work on Sunday morning and they were regarded with great respect and courtesy. One of them, all of 6′4′ and easily 17 stone strutted through town in his whites, though in shorts and sandals and pulling a trolley bag. He reminded me of the alpha male barristers with whom I used to work, though none of them had his moniker ‘Papa Grand’ printed on their pinstripe suits!

Now we are off again, cycling in slightly cooler, overcast conditions. After Dijon we rapidly entered gently rolling farmland, quiet lanes, and our first sunflower fields – a sure indication that we are making serious progress towards the south. We don’t have these in the Vale of York so pictures of each other were in order.

We soon crossed the river Soane and stopped for lunch. Then, a few miles further on we entered the Department of ‘Jura’, our final Department before the Swiss border. We reached today’s destination – Pesmes – at just after 2pm and have spent the afternoon wandering around this lovely little fortified village.

Andy had to have a swim in the river Ognon – right underneath the walls in the picture above – and now we are sitting in the municipal camp site waiting for the start of what looks as though it will be a gigantic thunderstorm. The ground is so hard that none of the tent pegs are properly fixed. Oh well! For what we are about to receive……

Helen’s track of the day: Cherry Ghost, 4 am – because it was too hot to sleep.