July 5, 2018
Buxy to Beaune
Today was a return to where my love affair with bicycle travel began - the vineyards of the Côte-d'Or.
In 2009, my two sisters and I took a 4 day self-guided trip in the Côte-d'Or, comprised of Côte-de Beaune and Côte-de-Nuits. I had been living in Washington state for a number of years and we had not gotten together for a while. I was going to be in France for a meeting, but they were hesitant to join me for a sister vacation - until I proposed a bicycle trip through French wine country. I hadn't been on my bike for almost 20 years - but it seemed like a good idea. And was it ever. Biking through the vineyards with the during the fall harvest, the scent of crushed grape pulp wafting in the air, sunny days, small villages, châteaus - it was a magical ride that changed my life and brought me to where I am today. I was looking forward to a return visit.
A storm had rolled in last night, bringing cool weather and predictions of more rain. The change in temperature was welcome, but I did miss the sun. I followed the southern Burgundy véloroute to Chalon-sur-Saône where it joins Eurovelo 6 along the Canal du Centre. I had ridden a bit of the Canal du Centre during the 2009 trip, and as I neared Chagney I began to see some familiar landmarks- the small town of Rully in the distance and then the flower-festooned bridge leading into Santenay. I stopped for coffee on the square in Santenay and chatted a bit with a family from Australia who were just finishing up a week-long canal boat ride. Then it was off toward Beaune via the Voie des Vignes.
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Between Santenay and Beaune, the Voie de Vignes wends through the vineyards of the Cote-d’Beaune on small roads free of traffic, save for the occasional work truck or van. As I headed out of Santenay, the skies were grey but there was still magic in the slope of the land and row upon of vines - interrupted only by stone walls and small villages. The wines made in these towns - Chassagne Montrachet, Puligny Montrachet, Meursault, Volnay, Pommard – carry appellations denoting some of the Grand Cru and Premier Cru wines of Burgundy.
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I stopped in Meursault for lunch, looking around for protected outdoor seating as it looked like it might rain. The sky opened up midway through my meal and I moved inside, leaving Vivien George looking a bit forlorn in the rain. The rain had stopped by the time I finished lunch, the rolled through the glistening landscape on my way to Beaune. I met Tim in Pommard, searching for the bike route through town. From Phoenix, he and his wife were staying in Beaune for a couple of months and he was out for the day biking the the Voie de Vignes. We moseyed back to Beaune, and I found my way to my hotel - one that I had stayed at in 2009. I explored Beaune a bit before dinner, some old haunts and new, and marveled at how far I'd come in the last nine years - not only in cycling but also in my love of France and my comfort as a solo traveler and explorer.
Today's ride: 42 miles (68 km)
Total: 1,215 miles (1,955 km)
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The next time you come to Burgundy give me a holler. My wife (also Susan) and I live in Gevrey Chambertin and if you are in the neighborhood, as you were , it would be fun if you could stop by. Or at the least we could meet for lunch or dinner.
Cheers,
Keith
5 years ago
5 years ago