I started my day before 5 am in order to get Pipi and Anica safely on their way to Paris to catch their flight to Berlin. It was simply wonderful spending as much time together as we had been able to and I will miss them.
For the rest of the day, Dad, Donna got to know "Btown" better. We found a charming handmade jewelry store and took our time winding through the streets downtown, ending up having a coffee at Bar de l'U, or, The University Bar, where I've spent many an hour uploading pictures and poking around online while drinking coffee among a plethora of colors.
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| Dad and Donna outside the bar |
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| Never been there so early - look how empty! |
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| Donna in Bar de l'U |
We then wandered over the the Citadel - the UNESCO World Heritage Site that Besancon is so proud of. We decided to brave the climb (instead of the bus) to the top of the hill in the center of the city, and Dad and Donna particularly enjoyed the views:
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| Climbing up to the Citadel |
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| About halfway there - the river Doubs in the background |
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| It got quite steep at some points, but they were troopers |
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| Dad coming out from the stairs |
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| A view of the downtown from the top of the hill |
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| The entrance to the Citadel |
Interestingly enough, the Citadel is a part-zoo. It also has several rooms that serve as different exhibitions, as well as the permenant rooms where you can learn about the Citadel and it's history, as well as the architect, Vauban.
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| Making our way to the heart of the citadel and passing some... emu/ostrich-esque animals |
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| Inside the citadel, climbing to a tower to walk the circumference |
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| Walking around the top; inside view of the Citadel |
Everyone's favorite part were the stunning views from the top of the surrounding hills - it's a very green city.
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| The Citadel wall |
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| Dad and Donna tiny specks, walking along the wall with Besancon in the background |
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| Taking a rest in some shade |
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Admiring the way the river runs through the city,
making the Citadel an excellent natural defence |
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| View from the Citadel |
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| Can you see the head peaking out the tower? |
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| Dad and Donna poking their heads out to look out into the city |
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| Reverse view |
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Another view from the inside of the Citadel -
the main courtyard (with a chapel on the right) |
Dad
"Besancon is a very beautiful city surrounded by good-sized hills. The citadel took a while to climb but it was well worth the trip up there because you could see the whole layout of the town and surrounding country. Great place to live if you're organized – you've got an army... very strategic location, got a river, too. The sights were just awesome, beautiful beautiful beautiful. The town's pretty quaint, though I think I'd prefer to live outside the town more in the countryside. "
Donna
"I loved the citadel. I'd look at the top and think, eugh, Katie's already at the top... Got a little scared at the top, it was so far down... (Dad: Donna was afraid, haha). It was a breathtaking view. The big hill with the river and houses, it was so breathtaking, I just wanted to keep looking at it.
Of course, with you guys, it was just an enjoyable experience. To have Katie explain things to us really helped, and we can't speak French. To see where Katie's living was great, she made us dinner – the regions special cheese and sausage – really good."
And that's how the day ended - took the bus to my part of town, a bit outside of the scenic downtown area in a big, beige apartment building. I made them a very Franche-Comte (the name of the region) meal, and I got them back on the bus at the end of the night.
I still can't believe they're here!
Love from all!
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