Bike: Dracy-le-Fort to Beaune, 36 miles, 1200 feet of climb
Accommodation: Le Petit St Nicolas, Plein Centre Ville (Airbnb); host Jessica. Studio apartment with queen bed, kitchenette, wifi, washer. The apartment, though small and with windows only on to a closed courtyard, was clean and comfortable.
It was raining overnight and when we got up in the morning, but by the time we loaded the bikes, the clouds were breaking up. In fact, by noon, it was pretty warm and humid.
The first part of the day, we were on the canal, riding past locks and four or five small barges, each with four to six people aboard. We took our time, stopping at parks and benches along the way. In the early afternoon, we could see an impressive chateau off in the distance, and when we got to Rully, we saw a sign pointing off the trail and to the chateau. So we followed the signs through town, up the hill, and back out of town, until we were in front of the chateau and could take some good pictures.
Back through town, back on the canal, waving to more barge passengers.
All of a sudden, we were leaving the canal and taking off into the vineyards of the Côte de Beaune, rolling through well-known winemaking villages such as Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault, and Pommard. What fun!
We were a little worried about our accommodation for the night because our host never responded to two requests for check-in information. But we finally got a message from her about an hour before our check-in time, and got in to our apartment easily. After showering and starting a load of laundry, we used Google to find several interesting restaurants nearby, and went in search of food.
We had heard that Beaune is known for great restaurants, and we had been looking forward to a nice dinner. Our first three choices were fully booked for the evening--a surprise for us, since it was a Wednesday night. But we kept going and finally found a good place to eat off the main (loud and busy) street.
We enjoyed a conversation with a couple from Belgium eating at the next table, had a great meal, and strolled "home" happy.
 |
Ken on the canal.
|
 |
| Cheryl along the vineyards.. |
 |
| Vineyards. |
 |
| Chateau de Rully. |
 |
| Ken stealing grapes. |
 |
| The Montrachet vineyards are famous for producing some of the most expensive wines in the world. We did not stop at any of the caveau (wine cellars) in this area, but we loved biking on the small, almost traffic free roads winding through the vineyards. |
 |
| Volnay Eglise de Saint Cyr et Sainte Julitte. |
 |
| Street in Beaune. |
 |
| The Town Hall in Meursault. |
