There was no drama today: no storms, no wind, no miscalculations. Boring. And so was the scenery. At several points, the route took me away from the Saône and through monotonous fields. Even when I cycled alongside the river, it was just as dull.
I passed two charming towns. One small — Verdun-sur-le-Doubs, where the Doubs and Saône rivers merge. The other — Chalon-sur-Saône, a medium-sized town and birthplace of photography pioneer Nicéphore Niépce.
I briefly considered stopping there for lunch, but the thought of pushing myself through another 35 km afterward didn’t appeal. So I just did a quick tour around town.
Once again, for my overnight stop I chose a place with a campsite and a supermarket. I’d never heard of Tournus before, but to my surprise, it has not one, but two Michelin-starred restaurants. I even tried to get into one — but it was full (it is Friday, after all). I took a stroll around and was struck by how pleasant the town was. The old town is bigger than I’d imagined, with narrow streets and plenty of cafés, restaurants, and shops. It also has a beautifully preserved abbey that dates back to the ninth century — or so I believe. This town is a real gem.
I’m glad I stopped here instead of pushing on, as I’d originally considered. I guess there’s still some common sense left in me after all.
Today in numbers:
120 km – distance cycled
875 — Abbaye Saint-Philibert was founded
1826 — the first photograph was taken by Niépce