The same story again, trying to find a Boulangerie, was not possible here, but the Tabac had baguette so we were saved. Today we are travelling together with the Swiss gentlemen to Montbeliard. We have 14 locks to pass through. The German, who also arrived in L'isle etc etc informed us that after lock number 8 we have to return the remote which we have used to work the locks. After that we have to be accompanied by the VNF personnel, that is the canal people, and we have to inform them before 4 pm the day before of our plans. So we have things to do in Montbeliard! Rain is predicted for the whole day today and the prospect of 14 locks in the rain is not very inviting. However, it turned out to be a wonderful trip, with cloudy skies, but no rain. The rain came after we got into port.
Christian and John, the Swiss gentlemen, ahead of us. They are heading to Mullhouse where their wives will meet them. They live on lake Geneva,
Here we are crossing the Doube river, and this is goodbye to the Doube which has been accompanying us for the past week.
And hello to the Allan River which will be us for the rest of the canal.
Arrived in Montbeliard at about 12.30. A much more prosperous town than the towns and villages we have passed today and yesterday. Parks, central shopping area, castle, lovely homes and gardens. The reason is probably because the Peugeot factory is nearby. Christian told us that Peugeot was stared by two brothers of Hugenots descent.
The town is full of different types of decorations. Here Leslie adding colour to the pot plants.
In the Pres de la Rose, a beautiful garden, a maze, the Science Pavilion and Foucalts pendulum clock.
The perpetual motion of Foucalts pendulum clock in action.
At the North or South Pole such pendulum completes a full circle in 23 hours and 56 minutes while at the equator it doesn't circle at all. It just swings back and forward.
The town of Montbeliard was built around a hill which was once a Roman fort.
This is the chateau of Henriette de Wurtenburg. In 1397, Henriette, a descendant of an old French family "united her destiny and that of the Her city with the German empire. As a result Montbeliard remained a German principality on French soil untill 1793", quoted from Fluvial Guide. I suppose that means she married a German?
Interestingly, this town is known as a Protestant city.
We have now contacted the VNF and together with our Swiss gentlemen we have to be at Lock number 8 at 10.30 tomorrow in order to be accompanied by the VNF through a number of locks. None of us are sure if we know what this entails but we will see tomorrow?
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