Woke to morning rain, with forecast for scattered showers most of the day. The plan was for Christine to accompany me to Clamecy, where we would have lunch before sending me on my way. There had been much discussion as to whether we would have "great pizza" in town, or a picnic lunch along the way. Due to weather concerns and first day jitters, I opted for the picnic lunch. After all, what could be more French than a ham and cornichon sandwich on bread fresh from the Boulangerie? Not to mention cherries from the market. The rain abated, sandwiches were assembled, and we were off about 10:45. By the time we reached Clamecy, the rain had started to come down harder. We found some shelter near a campground for our picnic, after which Christine bid me a fond farewell and bon voyage.
Christian intently slicing ham for picnic lunch. Notice the impressive leg of ham!
The day remained cloudy, with spits of rain and occasional spots of sunshine. There was little traffic on the canal, neither bikes nor boats. The route is paved and mostly wooded, often bordered by fields Charolais cattle. A number of the canal houses are under renovation, which - according to Christine - is something that the government is trying to encourage. Even the locks are getting spruced up with new and colorful paint jobs. In addition to the bright pink seen yesterday near Prégilbert, I saw red, turquoise, royal blue and forest green. New shelters with interior seating were found at most locks south of Corbigny, one of which provided an excellent spot for an afternoon sandwich and cherries.
The cycle path illuminated by a small bit of sunshine on an otherwise cloudy day
I left the canal near Epiry and it was a nice change to be onto some varied terrain. After about 8 miles, I arrived at Hotel Camping sur Yonne, my stop for the day. It is a delightful place on the banks of the Yonne River, offering rooms as well as tent camping. The owners, Peter and Annemiehe, are Dutch and have owned the property since 2009. I was joined by two other guests, Hetty and Marc, for a great meal and good conversations. As Hetty and Marc are also from the Netherlands, they are avid bikers and very much interested in my trip and in my bike. They each took a short spin on Vivien George, and we all enjoyed a coffee before saying goodnight. Day 1 is in the books.
A Dutch treat on the Yonne River - after dinner coffee with Hetty, Marc, Peter and Annemiehl
5 years ago