Today, Sunday, got off to a bad start as we were woken before 6am by very loud ‘music’ and clapping-along from just a few yards away on the lake shore. Bloody hooligans! A baptism party. So much for the peace and serenity of this beautiful place. But apparently you can’t get up and bawl at religious observance – no matter how raucous, thoughtless and antisocial. So we shook the dust from our feet and rode into town for an unnecessarily early breakfast at the boulangerie.

I had been looking forward to the next section for months. The road followed valleys, high in the Jura, gradually climbing from 1000 to 1350m, with pastoral scenery in the valley floor and wooded mountains above. It was cloudy on the tops and there was rain in the air. And there were cows with bells.

Mid morning we entered France and had coffee in a tiny border village where we were the main event of the day for the four old men well into their wine. Could this really be only a couple of hours cycling from Geneva?

The Col de la Faucille (1323m) is a spectacular spot. It is a notch in the huge limestone ridge that has, for 2 days, been separating us from Lake Geneva. The approach from the north gives no hint that you are about to be gobsmacked by the sudden and stunning view of Geneva and all the French Alps to the south as you pass through the notch. Sadly, there was cloud over much of the alps, but it was still superb. This col is also the first major watershed of the trip – from the N sea via the Rhine to the Med via the Rhone.

In the distance we could see the Jet D’Eau fountain in Geneva. After lunch on the col, we screamed down 1000m in 15 miles and were very soon beside the fountain. A fabulous descent – though slightly spoilt for Helen by getting stuck behind 3 Scottish cyclists on fast road bikes whom she lacked the killer instinct to overtake at speed! Helen claims it was concern for their masculinity!

Here is the view back up to the notch from part way down, just before passing the site of the CMS detector access point at CERN (no photo) and re-entering Switzerland.

After a pause for refreshment in Geneva beside the Rhone we continued to our b&b – a fabulous house with a fantastic garden owned by the campest exiled Algerian painter you have ever met! Day off in Geneva tomorrow.

Helen’s track of the day:
Not Perfect by Tim Minchin.
A sentimental song but it was in my head for a good part of the day, which was not perfect but pretty good. Going wheeee down the mountain into the warm sun of Geneva was easily the best bit!