Genghis Khan was here...

Jean and I returned to the Jura last Friday for some more cross-country skiing. We started very near from where we had lunch the week before. The vale were we started is called "Bellecombe", which translates into "Beautiful Dale", a very appropriate name. Jean had been here before and he knows that the inn at the end of the dale is a good place for lunch and not too far away. The thermometer reads -7 C when we start in bright sunshine. The snow is perfect and there is absolutely no wind and we make good progress. Today we are not alone, we greet other skiers from time to time and we get overtaken by "skaters" too. We reach the inn at the same time as a group of skiers and we hope that there is enough food. The inn is called la Guienette and run very efficiently by the owners François and Françoise. The "plat-du-jour" is ham from the bone and gratin, absolutely delicious for only € 11. It would be so nice to come back and stay here for a couple of days. There is a choice of five rooms and two dorms. The most exiting is that there is a real yurt a few hundred meters up the hill from the inn at a most beautiful spot. A yurt is the traditional dwelling used by the nomads of Mongolia and neighboring countries. It is basically a tent made by a wooden frame and covered by wood felt. This construction has not changed much since Genghis Khan. This yurt is really a large room of 35 square meters equipped with real mongolian furniture and a wood stove. The yurt sleeps up to four and costs € 110/night for two including half board in the inn. (www.massifdujura.com/laguienette)