The Jura and Lac Aiguebelette with Ulla 7.2024

I started creating the blog at Blodspot, but the app keeps crashing, well I don't want to rewrite everything here, so you can find the beginning here:

http://weitergutpfad.blogspot.com/2024/07/der-jura.html

Part 2:

http://weitergutpfad.blogspot.com/2024/07/der-jura-teil-2-ab-120724.html

7.7. Freiburg Pictures 1-3
8. Besancon and arrival at Lac Vouglans Pictures 4-6
9. Etival u Claivaux le Lac with bike 7-15
10. Waterfall and St Christophe hike 16-22
11. Cascades de Herisson and Tuffs by car and locked bike 23-26
12. Rain hike east bank by car 27, 28
13. Via Ferrata and Beach Maison by Bike 29-32
14. Abbey Baume and Chalet-Chalain by car and bike 33-49
15. Plage de Bellecin and Orgelet m bike 50-56

16.7. In the morning I make coffee and tea as usual, then I go to the beach and do the sun salutation. Then it's the last chance to jump off the rock. No police at this time! I dive into the water hole again just to be on the safe side. Everything is deep enough, then up onto the rock. Wow, pretty high. I jump boldly and end up lying on my back a bit during the long flight, which I feel on my bottom when I dive in, but I do it again straight away. We continue to Aze in Burgundy via Louhans and Tournus. I noticed Louhans on the map because there are so many small houses on the shopping street. And the town actually turns out to be worth seeing. There are arcades in front of the houses, but there's no one there at the moment because it's lunchtime. Only three restaurants and cafés are occupied, we stroll through the alleys and have a coffee before we drive on to Turnus. We park on the Saone and walk up to the large abbey church. I remember having been here before. The interior of the church is beautifully bright and clear and the vault is very high. We also visit the crypt and the cloister. It is already 3 p.m. and our stomachs are rumbling. We eat the muesli on the banks of the Saone before heading to Aze to the next campsite. It is only half full so far and we still have a choice. We take a spot near the sanitary facilities with water and electricity. After 45 minutes the tent is up and we can toast again. Today we have millet for the second time, this time with vegetables and meat.

17. 7. 2024 Wednesday: It takes us about an hour to get to TC. We want to experience the midday prayer there. To do this, we go uphill 200 meters on small roads and then a really nice long descent down into the valley. There we come across a railway cycle path that leads from Macon via Cluny to Chalon. Soon Taize comes into view and we cycle up to the old church. Unfortunately, we cannot enter it because music recordings are taking place there; only during the break can we take a look inside from the door. Everything is bright and freshly renovated. We continue through the bell tower to the community grounds. The church still has a nice atmosphere. It is still empty and we can find a place at the front and relax. Little by little, 54 monks arrive and the midday prayer begins as usual with lots of singing and silence. That is beautiful.

We head back to the campsite via Cormatin with its small shop and Bray with its beautiful view from the church. I actually wanted to go past the pond to maybe swim there, but the path is overgrown. So we head to the outdoor pool. But it can't keep up with the lake. We are the first in the restaurant in the middle of the village. Unfortunately, the menu is only available at lunchtime, so I have pizza. As the sun sets, I write for the blog.

18.7. Bike tour to Cluny. We cycle south to Verze and then turn into the vineyards. Below us is the Chateau of Berze. With the e-bike we quickly master the 200m of elevation and on the descent we head towards Cluny. We first visit the church in the suburb, then the remains of the giant monastery and after the evening meal and coffee break we head back over the mountains to Aze with our shopping. The detour to the Etang turns out to be pointless, not a bathing pond but a private fish pond. Unfortunately, the old pannier rips on the bumpy road and the shopping ends up in the dirt and gets damaged. :(( But buying wine on site works well. Then we chill, swim and cook.

19.7. Aze. Change to Lac Aiguebelette near Chambery. The day starts quietly. I make coffee and tea, do the sun salutation and wait for the baguette. The guy overslept, but Matthias can reassure me via WhatsApp: he's on his way. After breakfast, the tent is quickly packed up and we head to the next campsite near Chambery. We decide to drive overland and take our first break in Bourg-en-Bresse. Unfortunately, the town doesn't appeal to me. After a bit of searching, we find Place Edgar Quinet and the Jokobin gate next door. Another look at the Cathedrale Notre Dame and then on. The route drags on and we have a picnic at Le Rhône. At 4 p.m. we reach Camp Mont Grêle. It is simple and well occupied. We get a quiet spot right next to the tall reeds, but unfortunately we can't see the lake. It takes us an hour, then we can toast the setup with beer and coffee, slightly stressed. Off to the lake, cook and then another 2.5km to the public beach for sunbathing. The sun sets at 8:57 p.m. Beautiful!

20. 7. Lac Aiguebelette. Today I boil water for coffee and tea with sun salutations and the sun that sizzles all day, 32°C. Before breakfast I go to the camping area on the beach. There is already a lot going on here, but it's very relaxed. I'm the only one in the water. After breakfast Ulla gets on the stand-up paddleboard and I get on the bike. We want to explore the lake and take turns paddling. But that's not so easy because most of the places on the lake are private and I don't know where I can meet Ulla. So despite my requests I am denied a short meeting with Ulla on the jetty because the area is private. Then we lose sight of each other and I can't find Ulla anymore. It's only by chance that we meet again on the rocky shore. After a snack we swap places. Ulla cycles around the lake and I cruise with the stand-up paddleboard. We spend a quiet afternoon at the tent. After potatoes, scrambled eggs and salad we go back to the SU beach. It is still very crowded there despite many clouds that prevent you from seeing the sun.

July 21st at Lac Aiguebelette. Normal morning routine. The sky is cloudy and it looks like rain. Just as I want to go swimming, it starts to rain so hard that I first clear the ditches around our campsite in my swimming trunks so that all the rain doesn't run onto our campsite. This takes 45 minutes and Ulla's mattress still gets wet from underneath because a puddle has formed under the tent, which we later fill with reeds and grass. The lake is warmer than the air this morning and the raindrops are bouncing happily on the water again. After breakfast it is dry. We ride our bikes to 580 meters. From here we walk to Col Crucifix, 900m. On the way we have several beautiful views of the lake. Unfortunately, on the way back we go through forest and clouds that block our view and the path is very slippery. We have a picnic at the open grottos. This evening we want to go out to eat. We only stop at the third restaurant, the Sunset. The selection here is also rather small. Ulla takes a burger and I have the ham and cheese platter. We then have the pastis "at home". The evening ends with a beautiful evening sky and a SU.