Europe 2018 - Burgundy The Yonne

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15 May

Heading to Sézanne today for an overnight stop on our way down to Bourgogne!  Travelling about 100kms.  Took the pretty small back roads through the forest towards Chateau Thierry.  

Passing through rolling pastures, fields of wheat and newly planted salad seedlings, lush green countryside with beautiful old villages - Villers Corretès, Ferté Milon, and Latilly to name a few.  An area ideal for cycling!  Over the Marne River into the Champagne Ardenne region where we stopped for a picnic near Montmirail.  

Luckily we  got the last place at the 'Aires' in Sézanne and connected to our free power.  
Being Kiwis we decided to go in backwards just to be different:).

Strolled around the lovely old town surrounded by vineyards.

16 May

Bought a baguette and ‘hit the road’.  Heading to Joigny as it’s on the Yonne River and close to the start of the Burgundy canal.  We’re following small farm roads on the ‘Route Champagne’ through vineyards and wheat to Nogent-sur-Seine, a beautiful farming town traversed by the Seine River.  Into Burgundy and gorgeous countryside, rolling green hills dotted with little medieval villages.  Burgundy is in east central France.  It’s famous for it’s Burgundy wines as well as pinot noirs and Chardonnay, Chablis and Beaujolis.

  

Via Sens and following the Yonne River to Joigny and Camping Municipal in a great location on the Yonne (15 euros).  We found a large pitch next to the river and a very kind ‘monsieur’ on reception.  

We arrived early enough to walk along the river into town and the Tourist Office for maps of the various cycle routes along both the Yonne River and the Burgundy Canal. 

The town restaurants and cafés blackboard menus are promoting the Burgundy specialties of Snails, Boeuf Bourguignon and Coq au vin, all of which we will try in the weeks ahead.

17 May  

A cold start to the day so a little exercise to warm up and then the camp washing machine was given a heavy load.  Good timing as the sun came out just in time to dry everything.

A quiet afternoon with Pam chatting to the camp owner to improve her French and Col starting a new “Jack Reacher” book.

A trusty Remoska chicken dinner and some fact finding for our upcoming bike rides.

18 May

Decided to stay another day as it’s so nice here, and a sunny day too!
Went for a circular walk along the Yonne River over the bridge to the left bank, then back onto the right bank and medieval Joigny town.  

Went exploring!

19 May

Heading further south to Merry-sur-Yonne today to bike the Canal de Nivernaise and explore the area.  Burgundy’s 1200kms of navigable waterways include the Rivers Yonne, Saône and Seille and a network of canals, including the Canal de Bourgogne, Canal du Nivernaise, the Canal due Centre, and the Canal Latéral à La Loire.  

Via Auxerre through woods, rolling paddocks of wheat, vineyards and beautiful old farming villages.  

Through Mailley-La-Ville and small farm roads over the Yonne River and Nivernaise Canal to Merry-sur-Yonne and Camping Merry (13 euros).  A cute camp with cafe/restaurant, bar and grocery shop.  Met lovely Zachery and David who run the camp and have given it 'personality' and a charm of it’s own.  

Found a nice grassy pitch and went on a ‘recce’ along the canal.  

Surprised to see a man high up ‘slacklining’, balancing on a tight 'webbing' suspended between two cliffs slowly making his way to the end of the 'webbing'.  There are also rock climbing enthusiasts here testing their skills on the cliffs and overhangs.  This area is called 'Rocher du Saussois' and is very popular with climbers.  Decided to climb up the cliff to the top to get a 'bird’s eye' view and a fantastic panorama of the surrounding area, Merry-sur-Yonne and the camp.

20 May

A fabulous bike ride along the Yonne River and the canal to pretty Châtel-Censoir then into the countryside.  

Through the forest, wheat fields and lovely old towns, giving our legs a good workout as we wound our way up the hills to the tiny hilltop village of Vézelay.  Thanks to the remains of Mary Magdalene, Vézelay’s Benedictine monastery became an important pilgrimage site in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.  King Augustus of France and Richard the Lionheart of England met up here in 1190 before setting out on the Third Crusade.

One of the main pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela in Spain also starts here.  Went for an explore and had a picnic with a wonderful panorama.  Back to camp for coffee and ‘pain au chocolat', 44kms.

A yummy dinner at the camp restaurant, snails then steak cooked by Chef Zachery.

21 May

Walked the canal in the opposite direction passed Mailley-le-Château and the houseboats.  Enjoyed a picnic taking in the stunning scenery and loving the sun.  Back at camp, coffee and 'pain-au-chocolat'.  Those 'pain-au-chocolats' are becoming a habit :)

22 May

A ‘cruisey’ bike ride heading towards Auxerre, enjoying the canal and Yonne River, passing canal boats and fishermen, and spotting the big carp!   

23 May

A day around the camp enjoying the sun and practicing our French.  Went for an early evening stroll into Merry-sur-Yonne village and down a narrow road into the surrounding lush countryside.

24 May

Another beautiful day!  Had fun kayaking on the Yonne River.

25 May

A pretty bike ride along the canal towards Clamecy, passed Lucy-sur-Yonne and into the countryside.  Through farming villages and fields of sunflowers without their ‘sunny faces’, will be a glorious sight in the next few weeks. 

On to Coulanges-sur-Yonne and a picnic along the river 

watching the cranes ‘fishing’.  40kms and back at camp.

Heading to Chablis tomorrow.