After a very nice breakfast at the hotel, the stage from Baume-les-Dames to Longevelle-sur-Doubs was a mellow 45 km day. Most of the route followed the Doubs or the Rhone-Rhine canal bike path, although in a couple of spots the route diverted away from the water and into the adjacent hills. Most of the flat sections we had a substantial headwind, so our pace was a bit slower than usual.
We arrived in Longevelle around 3, and found a very nice apartment and very gracious host waiting. After cleaning up we walked a bit around the village. We stopped at a bar for a glass of wine; when I went to pay the owner said not to worry, I could pay when we returned for dinner. Dinner was a yummy salad with fries and excellent house-made smoked sausages.
Next day we continued from Longevelle-sur-Doubs to the very small village of Manspach. Due to limited facilities in Longevelle, we had bought sandwiches at a bakery the day before, which we ate at our first rest break.
Another flat stage with a heavy headwind. Sunny and warmer. We took a break for a cool drink in Montebeliard, at a little cafe right on the bike path. We continue to marvel at the massive live-aboard boats we see tied up in marinas or at random spots along the canals.
At about 30 km we stopped for a rest at a little picnic bench along the path (in the shade!), and joined a few others who were taking a break at the same spot: a German woman who is cycling from her home in Freiburg to an annual religious retreat in the south, and an older couple from near Mulhouse who were out for a day ride along the cycle path. 49 km today.
Manspach is tiny and has no restaurants or stores, but this was the only place in the area we could find an accommodation, and it is a very nice two-bedroom apartment. We walked up a couple of km to the larger village of Dannemarie for dinner, to an excellent Italian restaurant recommended by our host.
At this point on our tour, the transition from more central France to the Alsatian region (bordering Germany) is becoming very clear. Many place names in the area are more Germanic (the closest villages are Wolfersdorf and Gommersdorf), signs show a mix of French and German and the architecture is now showing timber frame construction more typical of Alsace.
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| The apartment we rented is in this building, from 1845 |
