14/9/12
From Lyon we drove up the Rhone valley to Beaune. We stayed in the near village of Levernois in midst of a golf course.
The countryside of the côte d’dore has one romantic village and vinery after the other. Houses are ivy covered and streets paved with cobblestone. The very green landscape is part hilly, part flat. Just beautiful!
We took a trip to Bourgogne Marine to view our first proper barge for sale, The Overjong, a Sagar Mini Lux 1998. I was quite amazed how spacy and light it is inside a barge. It even had central heating and a potbelly stove! However, it needs a bit of work done to it.
From there it was only a short drive to the big marine of H2O at St. Jean de Losne, a charming place on the Sâone River. Aussie was in heaven! Lots of boats for sale, barges and motor cruisers. We got talking to a family from Melbourne in a sailboat that reminded us of Vicky and Andrew Bray, in that they also sailed extensively with their 2 small children and had just come from the North of Holland via canals and rivers.
Along the canal we saw another Aussie flag and had a good chinwag with a couple from Perth who had purchased a lovely barge a few months ago. They started off cruising at Bordeaux (loved the journey to and city of Toulouse) then carried on along the Canal Du Midi and up the Rhone, Saone to the Bourgogne.
Eventually, I had to drag Aussie away. After all we will return there next week to meet with the boat salesman. This night we ate at the hotel of the next village (“no need for a map”, said our hotel receptionist,” just be careful you don’t miss it!”), a 5- house- village with an exquisite restaurant and very reasonable priced.
(For Nini: Veal Terrine, Trout fillet (Dad had roasted chicken) with cute little cucumber pieces stuffed with vegetable mash, chocolate mousse.)
15/9/12
Took it leisurely with a Picnic on the side of the regional road to Paray de Monial, bread, brie, cucumber/yoghurt salad, glass of vine (water for the driver – guess who drove!).
Bought a cooling bag for our petit déjeuner and déjeuner supplies in a larger shopping center, then approached our hotel through squashy laneways. We live right under the roof of a really old building opposite the monastery and almost next to a Basilica, Hotel de la Basilique. In the 1930th entrance hall a little, old lady (at least 75 y.o.) welcomed us.
“Troisieme étage”1 she announced, then smiled as she saw my desperate face, suit- case in hand. “ Ascenseur à gauche”2 she added quickly. Well this old place in spite of it’s beginning of the century décor has all the modern cons, like flat screen TV, Internet and most importantly a lift! We were amazed!
Most of this pilgrim town seems to consist of monastery ground with at least 6 chapels, 2 catholic schools, seminar buildings and a monastery Park with prayer stations. A narrow disused branch canal near the Basilique and the Canal du Centre surround an island where the old hospital was situated isolating the ill.
Some of the town center’s buildings originate from the early medieval times, 7th century or so, and the early 16th century town-hall façade is absolutely stunning. My friend Eva would have had her camera running hot here!
1 -Translated to English means "3rd Level"
2 -Translated to English means "Lift on your left"