Monday 9th May - A lighter load for the hills...

I was to stay at Francis' house that night, so I was able to leave some of my rucksack load there, as Francis dropped me off in Ornans to continue walking... 
Starting at the statue of the boy with the harpoon: 

I walked through the pretty little town along the river and into the meadows...

By now there was beginning to be an Alpine feel to the area, even the cows had bells on 'clanking' as they went!! 


I was ambushed by five women out for a walk... Gigglingly wondering whether I could 'entertain' all 5 of them!! What could I say??... - Laughing and keeping walking!! 

I had a pleasant walk along the river up to Lods and Voullafons with wayside shrines regularly along the way:

 






I had lunch at Moutier St Pierre

Then heading up along a nice green lane, with the perfume of the trees and bushes filling my head with scent... I could have just lay down... Only I had a big climb ahead of me... and the mountains had started to appear in front of me... Which I would have to get over!!

I headed up into the Gorge de Noualles a steep climb leading up to the source of the Loue river... 
Not till after a good two hours climbing the steep rocky and muddy track ... With different waterfalls along the way!

It was a hot humid climb, almost like an Amazonian rainforest, even with a lighter pack it was still tough! 

I made it eventually... Where the river started its journey gushing out of the depths of the Jura mountains!!

I then had to climb out of the gorge, heading up and out, along the top Cafe for an ice cream, before continuing my climb up above Ounans, where I was met by Francis and Cove' at a lovely chapel - St Mary of the Angels (like my birth church!).

 










My days walking was quite completed, although I had done over a days section... We then had to visit the source of another river, near to Francis' home, the source if the Lison for what Francis described as the 'obligatory pilgrim picture' he takes of all visiting pilgrims:

More sightseeing en route to his house before I was able to shower, eat and get to bed, ready to continue on my journey...