Wednesday 24 August. Langres to Montigny Mornay (camp)50km

Source of the Marne River, old barn – Cohons (note weight), “Ecluse” house (at each lock), the Saone River

Wednesday 24 August. Langres to Montigny Mornay villeneuve. (Camp) 50km
Went for a cycle around the entire Langres city walls. Quite an amazing old place.
To get back onto the canal track I need to stay on the road for a while as the canal goes through a 4km tunnel and Cyclists and walkers are not allowed through. I passed the source of the Marne river.  A pond in amphitheatre of rock walls. Couldn’t see where the water flowed out. But the Marne heads north. The Marne / Soane canal which I joined after about 10kms of hilly riding has the Soane river and canal flowing south. So Langres must be the watershed.
Whilst riding before the canal I passed a little calf, just a few days old, but almost dead. It was on the side of the road, up against the fence, covered in flies. If it hadn’t been a punishingly steep hill I would have ridden down to the farmer I could see ploughing his field down below. But I waved down a passing car and of course then I couldn’t find the right words – the farmer (ferme? No, that means closed), the man on the big machine (pointing!). There is a baby … Non cheval (horse), non poulet (chook), – what’s the word for CALF??? Or cow? Anyway the man got tired of me gesticulating and “mooing” and came to look at the poor calf all covered in flies. But it leapt up and charged through the loose barb-wire fence and staggered off across the field. There was no other stock in any paddock nearby and I would have liked the man to go summon the farmer. But he seemed to think the matter was resolved and drove off.
Was very pleasant alongside the canal. Often in the shade of tall beech trees. Even a pear tree with lots of fruit fall so I cycled in to select one to eat and found myself in amongst a bloody thousand bees, or wasps! The path was mostly well formed and slightly downhill now.
Met three young Swiss (they live in Lausanne ) or Belgiums. (I don’t know what the term is for people from Belgium!) they were heading for Belgium. Had taken them 2 days to ride from Lausanne. But one lad has blown a knee so is catching the train at the next station. They checked my route and said it was all good except for the last bit into Lausanne for which they gave an alternative . We swapped maps.
Funny camp at small village near canal beside the river. Only 4 other campers. No food here or at the village. So it’s 3day old cheese and baguette for dinner. And peanuts! Actually for such a strange little place it turned out to be the only place in the village where you could get a meal and a drink. At about 7.30 about 6 carloads of locals turned up and the owner/manager of the camp appeared, opened up a small wooden cabin and meals (hamburgers, chips, baguette rolls, croque Monsieur ). Beers. We’re prepared for the crowd. I had a meat hamburger with tomato and lettuce and it was excellent. 3€. ! Shared table with a 70yo man from Netherlands. He cycles each year, normally with his wife but she’s just had hip operation. He’s been down to the Pyrenees. Just a 2,000+ km round trip. Only trouble with finding a meal was that all the locals chatted and drank till 2am!