La Cluse-et-Mijoux

We were expecting a hot day, so rolled out of Erlach fairly early. We rode along Lac de Neuchâtel, now back in the French speaking part of Switzerland, then up away from the lake through the Gorges de l'Areuse and further up the Areuse River to Val-de-Travers. We were on a mission to spend our last Swiss Francs so enjoyed some pastries and rivella before discovering a nice outdoor pool just outside of Fleurier where we spent a couple hours during the hot afternoon. We had one last short but very steep climb, then crossed back into France and the Rhône River watershed. Once again we were welcomed into the home of a cycle touring family in La Cluse-et-Mijoux thanks to Warmshowers. We had a great evening with Jean-Charles and Beatrice and their three daughters Gabrielle (16 years old), Marion (14), and Suzanne (9) sharing stories about bike touring, outdoor adventures and Yukon fauna, as well as getting to taste the typical meat (saucisse de Morteau), cheese (Comté, Morbier, Cancoillote) and alcohol of the area, which included absinthe!Read more