Day 38 – to Montécheroux

A day of drizzly rain with the cloud lingering not very far above.

I was keen to hike along the Jura trail to the Chateau de la Roche, not quite sure exactly what it was.

We set off mid-morning on a muddy path with pretty much the forest to ourselves.. until we reached the ‘Chateau’. The Chateau is no longer, but in 1100 it was constructed in a huge cave in the cliff, which extends into it for 50 metres or so. Quite a lot of noise disturbed the misty silence, gradually raising as we climbed towards the grotte. There was a school group there, of about 50 14 year olds, with their teachers. We chatted for a while, a little with the children, but mainly with the languages teacher, who, fortunately for me, was accompanying the group. They were from Montbéliard, about 20 kilometres or so, and specifically a deprived area of the town with much unemployment. It was good to meet them, the sort of thing I was leading myself for many years. Good to see them out.

Back at the parking in Saint-Hippolyte the space was being used by many trucks, several dropping skips off. Though the weather had improved, it was no longer a quiet spot.

I got chatting to a German guy in the motorhome next to me. He now lived in his van, having ‘lost his home’, he didn’t expand, a year ago, and was now retired. Probably about the same age as me, but with a cowboy hat and leather trousers. He said he had met a French girl, two days ago, and they were now together. She arrived shortly afterwards, and we chatted. She was a fair bit younger than him, probably 40, and had left home in Nantes to travel, on foot, a few months ago. This was lunchtime, and though chatty and pleasant, she was clearly quite drunk.

Interesting people.

I left mid-afternoon, stocked up at the supermarket, then headed for a village up in the Jura ridge, Montécheroux, just 10 kilometres or so. There was a campervan place at the football club. The weather had now cleared to a fine early evening, and after a wander, I settled for the evening’s rugby.