When we woke up in the morning we decided laundry was the priority for today and after consulting google we decided that we were better off here than in Switzerland to get that done. Yesterday we had talked to the campground manager about our options and he mentioned a washing machine at the Avia gas station nearby.
It was cold in the morning and Ton was comfortable in our warm bed, so she told me to go off and make sure the washers were in walking distance. I tried to remember the directions from the previous night, but promptly took off in the wrong direction. After going the wrong way for half a mile I doubled back, and realized the washer was only 5 minutes from the campground if you go the right direction. After I returned from my morning meander Ton was ready to go so we returned to the gas station.
After we loaded our clothes I went into the gas station to see if there was anywhere to hang out. In one corner was 4 tables with a coffee machine, some on line gambling machines, and a television showing the horse races at Besancon. There were 4 gentlemen in there watching the horse races on TV. They thought I was looking for the toilet so they started shouting directions at me for the toilet, when I asked if I could sit at one of the tables they laughed and said “bien sûr” which means “of course.” So for the next hour and a half Ton and I were honorary members of the Langres Sunday Morning Horse Racing Club at the Avia gas station. We learned that everyone who came in to chat with the members shook hands with everyone present including Ton and me. It was a lot more fun than I envisioned when we walked up to the gas station to use the laundry. There was a bit of drama when one of the customers started shouting angrily at the clerk, the Horse Racing Club rushed to comfort her and decided he was probably a “connard” from Paris.
After our laundry was done we returned to the campground for a lazy afternoon doing a little cleaning, and Ton cooked up a pot of rice for dinner and future meals. The campground had emptied out considerably so we relocated to a spot that had a nicer view.
After dinner Ton and I took an evening stroll along the walls of the town and back thru the center. We returned to find the campground had again filled to capacity. While today was not a day of journeys or spectacular sites, the Sunday Morning Horse Racing Club made it a memorable one.