We biked up over the Cote d’Or hills, the premier wine-growing region of Burgundy, France, and down into the Auxois valley to the Canal de Bourgogne. The day started cool, and as we went over the crest of the hills it turned much colder. As we approached the canal, rain began and soon turned to sleet. Our destination for the day was a converted canal-boat bed and breakfast in Vandenesse, and, soaked and freezing on arrival, we were warmly greeted by our hosts with warm tea. Once warmed back to life and the rain having stopped, we headed off to see the castle on the hill, Châteauneuf. A steep climb was rewarded by a fascinating tour of the château and great views of the surrounding countryside. Clouds scudded by, dark and ominous. On our ride back down the hill, the sun broke through the clouds to the west and lit the château vividly against the darkening sky.

Copyright © 2017 by Will Tenney. All rights reserved.
Please do not copy without prior written permission.