We survived the evening storm sitting under a porch roof, and then eat very well at the smartish restaurant beside the camp site. Breakfast, on the other hand, was from the boulangerie as usual, though on a picture-perfect bench beside the river and the 13th century water mill.

Today we have followed the river Ognon upstream for a while, with flat ground becoming increasingly difficult to find! The barns are getting larger, with overhanging Swiss style roofs, and the roads have signs indicating whether of not they are cleared of snow in winter. Beautiful country.

Just after lunch we arrived in Besancon – a very up market town. We weren’t sure they’d let us in but luckily we found an Irish bar, where the talkative owner provided Guinness and wanted to know all about the trip. We have reached the stage where claiming to have cycled from Paris gains respect! And just about makes credible our claims about riding over the Jura to Lausanne!

Now it is downtime on the out of town camp site – preparing ourselves for harder days ahead!

Helen’s track of the day: Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill, because I must be getting psyched up for all the climbing ahead…