Day 16: Stage 12: Mouthier Haute-Pierre, 15 kms Cloud & Muggy, 27°

Moulins!

A short day was in store by design so we took our time over breakfast and gearing up. This was a very good stop with a high quality meal last night. This was my rabbit. 

And you know dessert is going to be excellent as well. 

We finally said goodbye to a wonderful town, and as our daughter Erin tells us it’s basically home to Gustave Courbet. We think Erin just texted this out of her head. Those art historians! French 19th C painter. Big on Realism. He featured Ornans a lot. Painted the every day when that was a new idea and presented it on monster huge canvases to equate it with history painting. So his burial at Ornans takes a whole wall at the muses d’orsay. Big influence for later artists like cezanne or van gogh as well. 





A relatively flat stage, until the end. 





We basically puttered along taking photos and looking around until we arrived at Vuillafans for a break. Pretty little town. 

A small bar was open and pretty busy at 10:00. 



Then back over the river. It wasn’t long until we came across a beautiful river mill, moulins. Quite old. 

Then it was on to an old rail trail and this bypass when we arrived at a couple of tunnels. 

Coming down the side of the tunnel was a bit of a scramble, but we managed. 

Then back onto the rail trail which follows La Loue which is a decent sized river. 

Dad, we found more of your friends! Quite the flock! If you like this photo I could use it in your calendar.  

Then another mill showed up! 

And yet another mill. 

The climb. Often at the end of a day, right? Guess I have to get use to this for Italy. 

We arrived at our stop for tonight. A pretty village that won a regional character award. 









Looking for a stamp. 

No stamp here, but interesting old church with a cool steeple. We did however luck out at the Marie (town hall). The door was open, but they were closed. I heard voices upstairs and not one for being too shy in this sort of circumstance I walked up and was greeted with great enthusiasm when they saw my credential. It was a complete fluke that someone was there. She did a great job of placing the stamp in the correct place. It’s dead easy, but has been messed up in my credential 3 times so far😂

We stopped for lunch on the way through town at 13:00. A bit basic, but we will need the energy build for tomorrow. 

This is the old rambling family home we are staying in tonight. There is a pool to the right that of course Annemarie tested. 

This is the entry way fire place. Wow! 
L
Our hosts will make dinner for us tonight, sort of like staying in a gite. 

Things have unfortunately shifted for tomorrow. I’ve been looking forward to walking this gorge to the headwaters m, but the way is apparently to dangerous. It’s blocked by a no enter sign, and though someone ahead of us posted that they had made it though ok, we are being advised to not attempt it. A new walking path is being built in response to slides and rock falls. Sooooo, we have to climb up out of the gorge and walk along to top. It will be a long tough day. I’m about to way mark the various trails we will have to follow, though our hosts have said it’s pretty well marked. Best be prepared in case it’s raining.