More from the Jura:
Nicole’s other thirteen-year-old granddaughter, Valentine, arrived at Geneva airport (from her home in Spain) to spend a week. She’ll go to Paris with Nicole and then take a train to the south of France to visit with her other grandmother. Then she and her brother will take a train to the coast of France where her family has a summer home. It’s amazing to us how these young people can comfortably move about Europe on their own.
Nicole’s other thirteen-year-old granddaughter, Valentine, arrived at Geneva airport (from her home in Spain) to spend a week. She’ll go to Paris with Nicole and then take a train to the south of France to visit with her other grandmother. Then she and her brother will take a train to the coast of France where her family has a summer home. It’s amazing to us how these young people can comfortably move about Europe on their own.
We continue to "enjoy" rainy, overcast days but try to get out for short walks and to visit area sites. The distillery in Pontarlier, where they make Pont Sec and other local liquors, is very interesting. We had a nice tour and learned how they continue to produce as they have for over a hundred years. We learned that during WWI there was a fire very close to the distillery and in order to avoid an explosion of the vats of alcohol, the owners opened all the taps and let it run into the streets. People were scooping it up as it ran down the gutters and the soldiers were collecting it in their helmets and drinking so much that some died. The river was white from the Pont Sec and later a smaller river was white as well, which is how they learned that the rivers were connected by an underground stream.
We stopped for a lunch of pizza and ice cream which Marie and Valentine particularly enjoyed.
Le Chateau de Joux is a famous landmark here. (see photos above)
This chateau, near the chalet of Nicole, has a ten century history of commanding a view of the gorge cut between sharp rock formations. This opening through the rocks provided a passage for military and commercial traffic beginning with the Romans when they traveled from northern Italy to Flanders and Champagne. It served as a military conduit as recently as 1940 when the Germans invaded France.
The castle has also served as a prison, most notable when Bonaparte sent troops to Haiti to quell the Black uprising in 1802. The leader of the uprising, Toussaint L’overture, was brought to the chateau and imprisoned. He was found dead in his cell one morning, the victim of the weather, tuberculosis and his exiled status.
The last moderniztion of the castle was completed between 1879-1881 by Joffre who subsequently became a Marshall.
This chateau, near the chalet of Nicole, has a ten century history of commanding a view of the gorge cut between sharp rock formations. This opening through the rocks provided a passage for military and commercial traffic beginning with the Romans when they traveled from northern Italy to Flanders and Champagne. It served as a military conduit as recently as 1940 when the Germans invaded France.
The castle has also served as a prison, most notable when Bonaparte sent troops to Haiti to quell the Black uprising in 1802. The leader of the uprising, Toussaint L’overture, was brought to the chateau and imprisoned. He was found dead in his cell one morning, the victim of the weather, tuberculosis and his exiled status.
The last moderniztion of the castle was completed between 1879-1881 by Joffre who subsequently became a Marshall.
On our last day with Nicole, we took a beautiful drive through the mountains and stopped at a favorite smokehouse and bought some of their special meats: beef and pork, very thinly sliced, to bring back and have with raclette. It’s always nice to bring a little bit of France home with you.
We reluctantly bid farewell to our friend, Nicole, after she promised to try very hard to visit us in the U.S. next year. Other options are to meet for a week or two in Montreal,Canada or San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Wherever we meet, it's always great to be together.
Next stop - The Morvan region of France. . . . . .
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