...from lock 63 to 67...
I'm heading up to Mailly-le-Château
today and taking the bike with me. I
have a very important mission to complete, and it involves cake! The route along the canal from my campsite
in Châtel-Censoir to Mailly is the D100. Take the road at a bit of a meandering pace as there is a little
piece of history here. At the roadside
is a small stone surrounded by some chains with a small vase of flowers in
front. It's in recognition of Capitaine Émile
Laureillard, born in 1913 who became a professional soldier and was stationed
in Auxerre. In 1940 he was captured and
imprisoned until 1942 when he was released.
On his return to Yonne, he joined the resistance and in May 1944, became
head of the chief of staff for the 2nd Forces françaises de
l'intérieur (FFI).
On August 2nd, while leading a small
group on a sabotage mission to Tonnerre, the truck the group were travelling in was attacked. Laureillard was injured as he tried to make his escape but
was captured and imprisoned in Auxerre later that day. On August 15th, he
was taken to Merry-sur-Yonne, executed and his body was thrown from the top of
Rocher Saussois. His body was
discovered two days later by the Mayor of Merry. This little stone, along with his name on a monument beside the
D91 near Chablis, are all that remain.
Maiily is in two halves, the imposing
clifftop town and château, and the cluster of houses that sit at
the foot of the rocky outcrop. I'm
driving up to the ville haute just because I can, and the
best place to park is in front of the château. There's
a fabulous view from there across the valley. With the house behind you
walk along rue de château and take first left in Jeu Paume and you'll find a
tiny bakers shop on the left about halfway along. Today there's Quiche Lorraine on offer, and I
can't resist. I also purchase a piece
of Tarte Normande -
absolutely scrumptious. With my lunch secured in my
little rucksack, it's a short walk back to the car, and a drive down the hill
where I can park.
The canal path from here is tarmac and
in good condition. The scenery moves between wooded areas and fields, and there
are plenty of opportunities to see herons, swans, coots and barges - mostly
tourists - as they meander along the canal and river. There are also plenty
of spots to stop for lunch.
I'm heading about 6 kilometres up the
canal today to Prégilbert, a small village of fewer than 200 people. I'll be clocking up another 5 locks (63 - 67
inclusive). Although I'm not doing it
today, if you continue on the canal path beyond Prégilbert, you will come to
St. Pallaye.
Another tiny place but
with Roman connections. You'll find a
Roman sarcophagus in the church crypt.
 |
| Fellow travellers! |
I covered the section of canal from
Prégilbert to Vincelles a couple of years ago, and the part from Châtel-Censoir
south to the next basin at Coulanges two years before that. So that means that I can now claim that I
have cycled the Canal du Nivernais from Auxerre to Coulanges - that's from lock
52 to 81. OK, It may have taken me some time, but I think that's awesome!
You can read more about my journey along the waterways Here and Here
You can read more about my journey along the waterways Here and Here
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