YS LelleBelle: Besancon 27 May

I read an article about Besancon in the Guardian written a few years ago. The journalist describes Besancon perfectly. A gem of a place which the tourists have not discovered. Many people, us included, had never heard of Besancon before. And it has been a wonderful surprise.

It is pronounced Bösansong acvording to our neighbour swiss captain.

We are in the Jura area of France. They have their own wine and delicacies. Breakfast present to Carl, a traditional Jura sausage.

An amusing work outside a Regional information building. An elderly man is trying to get water from a hose pipe and a young boy is blocking the water by standing on the pipe. Carl discovered that when he walks past the tap the water sprouts out of the pipe.

Brasserie du Commerce was recommended by the journalist so we had a glass of Jura Chardonnay.

The Doube River makes a loop around Besancon.

The oldest house in Besancon, a bakery run by the nuns of the order of St Madeleine. Down the round is the church of st Madeleine and there we found another Jaquemart clock! The sun was in the wrong position so the photo came out black.

Rounded bell towers in Besancon. Beautiful mosaic decorated.

The Cathedral de Besancon with its rounded bell tower. Inside is the famous astronomical clock. Build between 1858 and 1869 by Auguste Lucien Verite, it has a complex mechanism consisting of over 30 pop parts and 11 movements. We did not go in party because we were slogging it up a "difficile route" to the Citadel and partly because we have seen one before, was it Salisbury or Bristol?

And this is the view from the ramparts of the citadel. Quite a climb but worth it.

Views of the Doube from the Citadel

And another fantastic view.

The Roman name for Besancol was Vesontio. It was occupied by the Barbarians then the Spanish and only became a French city in the 18 th centrury.

The enormous wall surrounding the citadel is the work of the militar architect, Vauban. Vauban is well known throughout France for his military architecture. Every town has a "rue Vauban".

Part of the magnificent rampart. Quite wonder to walk around, if a bit scary.

One of the museums in the complex is dedicated the the French resistance. 100 members of the Resistence were held and shot here. During WW II It was also used as a camp for about 2000 women and children with British connections. I have not found the connection, if these were British subjects living in the area or transported here from other places in Germany.

And this gentleman is Jouffroy d'Abbans. He was born near the village of Baume-les-Dames (where we are heading tomorrow) in 1752. In 1773 he was in prison to the Island of Saint Marguerite following a duel with the Colonel of his regiment. From his prison cell he observed the difficult manoeuvres of the man powered boats. On return to Paris he studied steam engines and then developed a steam engine for boats.