Montbéliard (1)

7 July 2015:  Today was difficult.  The heat wave continued full blast.  It was already 27 degrees at 7:00 am, rising to the high 30s in the afternoon.  The sun really pounded us as we hiked on a dirt road across open fields in the afternoon. 

We were unable to find any accommodations on or near the GR5 in this area, notwithstanding searches on various websites and a call to the local tourist office.  So we decided to take a bus at the end of the day from Chatenois-les-Forges to Montbéliard, where there are many hotels.  We trimmed the last two kilometers off the hike by hitching a ride into Chatenois-les-Forges.  

Our initial plan was to spend two nights in Montbéliard and to hike during the day between those nights:  We could take a bus in the morning to Chatenois-les-Forges, resume hiking on the GR5 north and east of Montbéliard, and then take another bus back to the city at the end of the day.  The following day, we could return by bus to the place where we had stopped and resume hiking.  The next destination would be a place where (hopefully) accommodations are available. 

Once we were settled in our room at the Hôtel de la Balance, we changed our plans:  We decided that we need a day of rest.  So we'll spend a quiet day in Montbéliard tomorrow.  We'll skip that arc of the GR5 north and east of the city (we recall from 1989 that it is not a particularly attractive section of the trail, as it skirts an urban, industrialized area), and re-connect with the trail in Dasle southeast of Montbéliard. 

We can look forward to better conditions as we hike into the Jura the day after tomorrow:  The heat wave finally broke this evening with a big storm (heavy rain, with hail).

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We started the day with another hike over a forested hill with the ruins of a late 19th century fort, offering big views of the surrounding countryside:

We emerged from the forest...

Happily, we again found a good place for our picnic lunch at just the right time. 

We appreciated the water fountains that we encountered in villages along the way. 

This war memorial is distinctive, with the painted soldier:

We walked on this open road for about an hour. 

We were pleased to walk in a forest for awhile – until swarms of very aggressive flies found and accompanied us. 

On the bus to Montbéliard:

The Hôtel de la Balance in Montbéliard:

The general decor of our room has been preserved since it was used by General Lattre de Tassigny as his residence during the Allied offensive through the Belfort Gap into Alsace (late 1944–early 1945). 

After a long day on the trail, we enjoyed a good couscous dinner: