The sleepy hollow of Geneuille was a little more awake when we left this morning no sheep were seen. And we passed quickly through some woods to the edge of Besonçon. On entering town after a coffee in the commercial zone we were amazed by the sheep on the wall. Very well done and anti barbed wire.
The city seems famous for several things. Birthplace of Victor Hugo, a socialist philosopher called Fourier and clocks! The tourist office had two modern ones there are several clock makers in the town and there is The Astronomical Clock in the cathedral. Made between 1858 and 1863 it is an amazing engine as well as a work of art. It tells time in at least 12 different places, phases of the moon and tides in several French ports and topically for the time in St Helena and in Cayenne, a port in French Guiana where convicts were sent in the past. As in the UK to Australia. The cathedral is in the lots of pillars Greek looking style we have seen in a number of churches over the last week or so.
The city is on a large loop in the River Doubs which joins the Saone at another Verdun, not the one you heard of. Since we are now in limestone hilly country the reason for the loop is a rock of harder than the rest limestone on which is a 16thC citadel built once again when artillery was just getting started. The rest of the town is mostly on the near island with several bridges. The one we crossed was built in 19c and the again post WW2. There’s also the remains of what might be a Roman theatre.
Tomorrow we march on over a couple of hills and to a campsite on the river Lou, a few wooded valleys lie between the two rivers. Good training for Switzerland!