We are not going to make it to Dijon today as planned. Some butts are not holding up, and it's better not to tempt fate with a 65-mile ride. So we decided to bike as far as Barbirey-sur-Ouche, which is about 45 miles and should be easy enough. And that way, we'll have more time in Dijon, arriving tomorrow around noon and having the next day off as well. Our first rest day!
So off we went after a nice breakfast at La Grande Ferme served up by Madame DuBois. The property comes to her through her husband's relatives and dates to the early 1500s! She was also kind enough to do a load of laundry for us!
The day was slightly overcast and cool. Perfect cycling weather. The pictures tell the story!
We clearly were getting into the "mountains," which you can see in the distance here. The locks were more frequent and closely spaced the further south we went.
Finally, we arrived in Pouilly-en-Auxois, which is the highest point on the canal. From here, it is all downhill to Dijon. This is also where the canal enters a tunnel for 3330 meters!
The couple running our chambre d'hôte, Gabrielle and Michel, were delightful hosts. First thing was a pitcher of water, followed by a beer. Then a discussion about dinner. The hotel restaurant was closed, but Michel had an in-law who could prepare us dinner for 25 euros a head. We immediately took him up on that and, I think, had the better part of the deal.
So clean up and then dinner, a five-minute walk next door. Dinner was set up outside, but on the walk over, we felt raindrops, so asked to move inside. No problem, of course. Aperitif? Oui! Kir Royale, and she left the bottle on the table so some of us helped ourselves to a second glass (tomorrow will be an easy day after all!).
Then the salad. Salade niçoise. Then jambon persillé, a local specialty of the Burgundy region. Main course: Beef Bourguignon! With potatoes. And red wine. Of course. What a delightful meal. Oh, and dessert! We were stuffed!
