The Nivernais canal

For the last two days we have been traveling up the Nivernais canal from Decize to Clamecy via Corbigny. It has been very hot and we suffered yesterday as we had to travel a long way to our destination. Although cycling along the flat is easy on the legs it puts a lot more strain on your hands and backside as there is no chance to freewheel and lift from the saddle and your weight is always on the handlebars. The canal is used only by pleasure boats and there are few towns or villages along the way, so the scenery can get a little monotonous at times. One exception was the run of 16 locks before Corbigny. The canal goes over a hill and is fed by another canal before plunging downhill. the old lock houses appeared to have been purchased by craftspeople and it was very interesting passing by strange sculptures, pottery and woodcarvings at several of the locks. Some were clearly occupied by those with an alternate view of society. The buildings at the other locks are all of the same design, although the owners have renovated them to different degrees and some have quite pretty gardens and verge plantings. Heading out from Decize that morning the fields at the side were mainly wheat, with some Charolais cattle in pasture, and the canal bank was fringed with reeds along both sides. There were plenty of people fishing and most had four or more rods each. As it was a Sunday there were also groups of families that had come out for a picnic and some had pitched tents and were making barbeques. Corbigny, our town for the night, was completely quiet and we had a hard time finding somewhere to eat. In the end we found a small creperie and had a pleasant meal with a pichet of rose wine. Today we only had around 40km to cycle, less than half the distance we covered yesterday, and we took it very easy as it was around 35 degrees. We are now in Clamecy, which is by far the best town we have visited since Decize, and will probably stay another day to see the church and museum, along with resting our legs and avoiding the hot day that is expected before a storm that will bring the temperatures down to the low 20's.

Typical lock house on the canal.





Cycle paths along the canal





Point where the canal (and cycle path) meets Clamecy


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Location:Rue de la Gravière,Clamecy,France

Tales of the Riverbank

For the last two days we have been traveling along the cycle path by the Canal du Centre. Not only is it easy cycling, but you also get time to talk to each other as you cycle side by side. Birds of prey glide overhead along most of the way, especially in the morning, and herons are very common. We saw a water rat swimming along the surface today and we often hear other animals scurry into the undergrowth as we pass. The canal is very quiet but there are signs of long lost activity along the way. Derelict factories, old brickworks, ironwork that overhangs the canal for loading the barges and other structures are seen frequently along the way. The traffic now is mainly pleasure craft but there are still a few large barges that travel very slowly along the canal. They are nearly as long as the locks and some have been converted into houseboats, with gardens, washing lines and even cars on deck at the back. We only passed around a score of vessels on our trip but many more were moored in harbours close to the towns. They say the canals are getting rejuvenated again, but this one still seems very quiet.

Typical canal barge




Canal du Centre



This morning we left Paray Le Monial. There was a great view from our window as it overlooked the basilica, which was lit up at night, and we were woken by the bells in the morning. They ring especially loud at 7am, presumably for mass.

Basilica from our bedroom window



We ended the day at a thermal spa town that seemed locked in a prior age. The Grand Hotel had obviously lowered it's prices since it's heyday and we booked into a room that could have been in the 1930's. Most of the residents would have been alive at that time too! It used to be a convent and was built-in the 18th century. We got a free pass to the spa but gave it a miss. The thermal spa part of town is in a hollow, but in the upper part of town there are medieval streets. We had a quiet walk around some of the streets and then sat watching the world go by with a beer.










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Location:Parc Thermal,Bourbon-Lancy,France

Chalk and cheese

The last two days could not have been more different. Yesterday it forecast rain and we hoped to have a relatively easy day traveling down by the canal after cycling back through the vineyards from Beaune to Santernay. The day started fine, but cloudy, and we were lucky to find a bar around lunchtime just before the showers arrived. The sky went black and we had thunder and lightening for an hour or so before it finally cleared. The velo route took us away from the canal, presumably to make the route more interesting, but we found ourselves literally going up hill and down dale and soon got tired. There were no tourist information booths open, so we did not know where would be staying for the night. The afternoon wore on and, although the scenery was very pretty, we had some concerns about getting a hotel. We finally arrived at Montceau les Mines at around 7pm after cycling for over 80km and the first hotel we tried was full. We got the last room in another and were relieved to have a place to stay. We ate at the hotel and were in bed soon after. Today was a different story. It started fine and sunny as we followed the canal down to Paray le Monial and we arrived fresh and early in the afternoon. We found a good and inexpensive hotel in the centre of town and spent the afternoon sightseeing. It's a pretty religious town, in that there are several churches, a basilica and a museum of religious art. They are all impressive and the town in general is well laid out with gardens by the river and canal. We are still feeling the effects of yesterday's long and hilly cycle but hopefully we will be back to full strength tomorrow.

On the way back south through the vineyards of Burgogne



Old derelict church






On the Canal du Centre going out of Montceau les Mines


This was once the largest coal washing plant in Europe



Paray Le Monial





Modern 3D religious art made from small ceramic tiles suspended on line



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Location:Rue de Palinges,Paray-le-Monial,France

The sights and treasures of Beaune

Whilst the main reason for tourists to come to Beaune is the wine, there are also some other sites that make the visit worthwhile, not least the 'Hotel de Dieu' which was a hospital for the poor and supported by two main benefactors. It was religious in nature and also had some vineyards, the wine from which was auctioned off for charity to support the establishment. They employed the finest craftsmen of the time to produce decorative buildings and they furnished them with fine paintings, sculptures and tapestries, presumably with the intent of making the environment pleasant for the poor and sick. They were still running the hospital into the 1950's so most of the equipment in the pharmacy, kitchen and other rooms is still there. Here are some photos of the buildings and interior.




























We also visited the museum of wine and then had some ourselves over lunch.
Gazpacho with poached eggs


Braised ham with spices and rice



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Location:Rue André Marie Ampère,Beaune,France

Tour de Bourgogne a velo

Our trip from Chagny to Beaune followed the Voie Verte on the Canal du Centre before diverting along a veloroute through some of the best vineyards in the world. The veloroutes can be used by cars, but they are usually away from the main roads and only used by farm traffic. This one was exclusively through the vineyards and some small villages on the way to Beaune. It was a lovely day and we stopped for lunch in an old chestnut orchard where some picnic tables had been placed. We usually buy some sandwiches and fruit and occasionally a 'plat du jour' if we are in a town or village. Cherries and apricots are in season and are at their best right now. You can also pick cherries in the wild as there are plenty of trees by the roads and cycle routes. It was a fairly easy ride and we arrived in Beaune at around 2pm. Unfortunately the hotel staff were away until 5pm and the automatic booking machine did not like our VISA cards so we passed the time in the centre at a shady cafe. We are staying in Beaune for two nights to give our legs a rest and plan the next part of our journey. Do we head north towards Dijon or back south and up the canals to Auxerre?

Lunch stop on the veloroute


Off again!



We looked this winemaker up and some of the wines go for over 300 Euros a bottle!







Typical route map


Meursault






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Location:Rue André Marie Ampère,Beaune,France

Long & easy on the Voie Verte

Yesterday we travelled the whole day on cycle paths and it was a real pleasure to relax and ride side by side along the old railway lines and by the canal, particularly later in the evening when trees along the riverbank were lit from the side and boats were mooring for the night. We travelled a bit further than planned and clocked up 80km after deciding to travel from Chalon-sur-Saone to Chagny. Earlier in the day, as we were leaving Cluny, we passed by the National Stud just as they were about to feed the horses and took a few photos. It's also the area where the Charolais cattle originate. This area has no vines and so most of the fields contained either horses or cows, with the occasional donkey. The Voie Verte's are very well designed and looked after. The old station buildings have been renovated and are used as bases for cycle hire, picnic tables are scattered along the route along with fresh water points and information boards. They have planted some areas with flowers and fruit bushes and we helped ourselves to some red currants along the way.










Old painting we saw in a church on the way (National Treasure )



Voie Verte (old station on the left)


Climbing wall



Chalon-sur-Saone (refueling stop with ice cream in the square)







On the canal path towards Chagny






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Location:Rue André Marie Ampère,Beaune,France

Julienas to Cluny

We left Julienas, and the Beaujolais region in general, and cycled down through the vineyards and small villages into Macon, a huge town by comparison. The small roads and green fields changed into busy roads and grey factories as we approached. It seemed strange after so long in the countryside and we felt out of place and uninterested in looking around the centre, which was full of shoppers on a typical Saturday morning. After a brief visit to the tourist office to find the safest way out to the Voie Verte we headed off to Cluny. This town has the remains of one of the oldest and largest abbeys in Christendom and a medieval village and ramparts to go with it. It was more of a tourist attraction than we thought and the centre was thronging with day-trippers. This also meant that there were plenty of cafes and tourist shops so we had a tea break and some delicious cakes before entering the abbey. It was sold off in the late 1700's during the period of religious intolerance to four buyers who dismantled most of the buildings and removed the statues. One owner left a part untouched and this is what you can see today. They French government commissioned a 3D version of what the abbey would have looked like and you can view this through special rotating screens at various points on the visit. These old reconstructions align with what you actually see to give you a feel of the whole. It was a pretty special place and very awe inspiring in it's size and complexity.

Typical house front in the village. The number of windows indicated the wealth and position of the owner.



Cluny Abbey Remains







Upstairs in the 18C addition


The wooden roof in the upstairs cellar building




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Location:Rue André Marie Ampère,Beaune,France