Monday 22 April 2013

Bike ride

The four of us cycled south on Wednesday, off through the vineyards of the Cote de Beaune. The weather could not have been better, with cool breeze and blazing sun. Very friendly bike hire chaps - Florian and Cedric - saw us off at around 10:00 am (no one gets carried away with early departures here in Beaune) and we were soon wandering the slopes of the old Cote d'Or. There are a few up bits, but overall it is a gentle roll along through Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, down to Santenay, along the canal for a while and finally back to Chagny for a train ride home to Beaune (around 3 euros each).

You're right, of course, we did the same trip last year with Ally - "It's what you do". DJ and Grazyna got a little bit burnt, but only on un-sunscreened legs, so there's a lesson for us all.

One teensy mistake we keep making is almost missing lunch. DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU IN FRANCE! Lunch goes off at 1:45 pm, so get to a restaurant in plenty of time. We paid the penalty today and only ended up with a scrummy cheese platter and salad, but there was no other choice at Restaurant Terroir ... We will return to this little gem, however, it looked great inside and comes with good recommendations.

The 45 km ride was just long enough for the gang and we caught the little train back to Beaune, where Florian happily retrieved his bikes and sent us off home for a lovely meal of left-overs from earlier gastronomic triumphs.

Wandering through vineyards in this way cannot be beaten - not on foot (too slow); not on a motor car (too quick); and certainly not hopping (too awkward, too silly). Rolling countryside, delightful villages, great company and the prospect of fabulous food. Words are not enough at times, are they?!

Toodles










1 comment:

  1. Grugs, some very famous wine names in that list - almost as famous as Baileys, Booths etc. I hope they don't breathalyze cyclists in france - it wouldn't do would it? I hope you were in ruder health than on our last jaunt out to Baileys - you couldn't really get into french mode and enjoy a red mid journey that day. My riding since has been less alcoholic - sadly.

    France looks much more amenable to cycling than Cornwall - you wouldn't have any brass monkeys left if you rode there by the looks of the clothing Jude was wearing in EVERY photo.

    Enjoy.

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