This is a combined vehicle
and bike trip today. The car from Lézinnes and
then the bike from somewhere near St Rémy
- it depends on finding a shady spot where I can park. It's a short trip
by road from the campsite along the D905. This part of the canal can be
done at more or less any time of day as the tow path is mostly in permanent
shade. It's a nice change to be out on the bike without and fear of
getting my face burnt by the sun… again!
St Rémy, is in the
departement Cote d'Or (21), meaning Gold Coast. This is the heart of the
wine growing area and some of the most prestigious Burgundys are made from
vines grown in this département. St Rémy is a small village
of around 700 inhabitants, stretching up the valley of the Brenne from the
canal and the river that flow beside each other. From here I'm heading
first to Montbard.
Montbard is about
5Ks away along the canal. That's enough to begin with and I know a
good pâtisserie just as you get into town by the lock. So I will be
having lunch at the small marina which is a short walk from the
shop. The tartes abricot are to die for!
The town is
dominated by a large church that sits on a hill overlooking the town. You
can see it from miles around. I take a steady stroll across the second
bridge into town. The sun's heat is becoming quite fierce so I chain the
bike to the nearest bike rests and cross to the shady side of the narrow
street. It's a climb and there's hardly anyone around. At Place
Hôtel de Ville - a quite magnificant building that seems to glisten in the
sunshine - there are some steps (rue Piron) opposite leading up to the top of
the hill. This links with rue Daubenton and I follow that on my left and
to the end. On my right is a small tree-lined alley (Allee Clemenceau)
which climbs yet again. I explore and it's worth it, there is a
magnificent view of the valley, the canal and the town. Unfortunately, the sun is so strong that all colour is bleached from the landscape. Photos will have to wait for another day.
When I turn to
leave I realise that behind me is some sort of park and in the centre of that
is a substantial war memorial that was commissioned and inaurgurated in
1921. It commemorates the bravery of all the local citizens who gave they
lives from the Franco-Prussian war right up to date. It brings a
noticable silence to the park.
At one side of the
park is a small church dedicated to Sainte Urse. The original place of
worship in this location was part of the fort that was first built some time in
the 10th century. Ownership of the fort passed through various different
hands over the centuries - one partiuclar owner being André de Montbard who was
one of the 9 founders of the Order of the Temple or a Knight Templar. The
only vestiges of the château are some of the ramparts and Tour Aubespin.
Well worth a look.
Lunch finished and
my backpack all repacked, I head back down the canal. This is good
because it means the canal is falling and so there are hardly any rises to the
locks, just nice long free wheels down to the next level…
You can find my earlier trips along the canal Here Here and Here There will be more about the canal on June 8th
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