Well, an easy day without any headaches. We had breakfast at the hotel, a relatively decent buffet-style breakfast that was all you could eat, and were on the road by 9:00 or so, an early start! Being only about 1/2 mile from the canal, we were quickly on the towpath again. With a slight headwind (which got stronger as the day progressed).
In a short distance, we were at our first lock for the day. And we were lucky, as it was actually in the middle of operations as two boats were headed in the same direction as us. So we lingered to watch all of the machinations!
Two boats queued up in the lock, waiting for the gates to close and the flooding of the lock to begin.
The closing of the lower gates. Note the two gatekeepers in blue t-shirts. They work for a company that manages the (mostly) tourist transportation on the canal.
That was fun to watch, and the only time today we saw this activity. We actually were moving faster than the boats, which move at a fairly leisurely pace. And since we were going uphill (all day) and approaching hilly country, the number of locks became more frequent. Nothing dramatic happened between Tonnerre and lunch. I did notice, though, that the further south we went, the more cyclists we saw, including many that were touring.
A bend in the canal with a house/farm on the hill overlooking it.
The canal passes through mostly small towns that don't offer many services. So if you want to eat, you really need to settle on a place by 1:00, as most places open for lunch close at 2:00. So we decided on Ravières, which seemed to be a sizable town. But even then we had a hard time finding a place to eat, and I had to wander around a bit looking for a place, to no avail. Jerry then located some locals whom he asked, in French, if they knew a place. Their recommendation turned out to be a great choice, where we enjoyed a very leisurely two-hour lunch!
South of Montbard, the towpath changes to the north side, and we lost all of our shade. And before we reached Venarey-les-Laumes, we had to take a detour, which I was ready for. I needed some road riding for variety.
But before long, we were in Venarey-les-Laumes. I was a little ahead of the boys, and our lodging was not your typical hotel, so it would not be easy to locate. I wandered into town, noting places to grab dinner, wandered through a park/campground thinking it might be a shortcut, returned to the main road, made an awkward left turn, climbed over a steep railroad bridge, and kept going. Too far, as I missed my turn! But I figured it out.
Finally, after a big climb over the railroad and a missed turn resulting in a second climb, I made it to our chambre d'hôte, La Grande Ferme.
South of Montbard, in addition to the lack of shade, we also encountered strong headwinds. When I turned north to cross the railroad, I felt surprisingly strong as I climbed over the bridge. Only when I missed my turn and had to reverse direction and come back south was I reminded how strong the wind had been most of the day. But we made it (of course). The proprietor did not speak English, and my French is very rusty, but we made do, and I was in our room and showered by the time Jerry and Happy arrived. Now, off to dinner!
Today's ride: 48 miles (77 km) Total: 202 miles (325 km)
