My big road trip of Europe has started and has so far been a wet one. Yvette has joined me for the first 10 days of my planned 3 month expedition and our first port of call was a return to Fontainebleau, a month earlier it had been almost too hot to climb. Now it was too wet, our first day was almost completely rained off and we had a forced tour of the herb market at Milly la Foret. At least the evening cleared up, allowing us to cook dinner in the dry. Unfortunately the next day was more of the same, although we did get a bit more climbing in as the sun finally came out in the afternoon.
Sleepy Little Bourgogne and then Busy Bourgogne
Our next stop was a couple of hours further south at Saussois in the Bourgogne (Burgundy) region. Just near Auxerre this is sleepy little France, a France where everything opens and closes on the whim of the shopkeeper. Villages which in England would be guaranteed at least one Pub or bar are ghost towns, you have to travel through a few villages till you find one which has a bar open to wait until the rain stops. Shops might open for a few hours in the morning, just enough time to get your groceries or a baguette. Saying goodbye to sleepy France was a relief after our one night stop. We now headed south to the Cote d’ Or, the heart of Bourgogne wine production with names such as Nuit St George, Gevrey Chambertin, Brochon and Fixin. Acres and acres of vineyards stretch from the dense forests towards the distance horizons, chateau’s peep out from in between vineyards and this is definitely not sleepy France. Everywhere is busy, the vineyards are constantly being checked, tractors and even horse drawn ploughs are in action everywhere. You get the impression of everyone working hard to produce their world famous wine.
The Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy and Cafe Culture in the Centre of Dijon
We take an afternoon off and head into Dijon the regions capital, famous for its mustard and wine. This is the heart of trendy France, the wide medieval street are lined with all the latest fashions, the roofs of the buildings are tiled in bright colours and in the centre sits the palace of the Dukes of Burgundy with the city laid out neatly around it. The wealth of the city is portrayed in the vast number of churches and cathedrals , some dating back to the 13th Century and some of the facades designed to rival the best in Italy. To me I find churches depressing, reflecting to me the persecution and psychological imprisonment that religion brings to the world. With the touristy bit out the way we treated ourselves to what the French do best, food and Yvette had her first taste of Snails! Although for all those who have eaten then they tend to just taste of the strong garlic sauce they come in.
The next day we managed to squeeze in a bit of climbing and then headed down to the capital of the Cote d’ Or, Beaune, this walled Medieval town is the heart of Pretentious France, the patisserie owners looks down their noses at our dirty (climbers) attire and we feel very out of place amongst load Americans and the dressed up French. I was relieved to escape back to our campsite.
Our time in the Bourgogne finished we headed on down to the Alps, to Yvette’s final port of call before I drop her off at the Airport and I head into Italy to continue my tour. The trend of this trip continues. Rain blocks out all views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. We arrive at lunch time and find all the shops closed, preventing us from getting more gas for our cooker and a guide for the climbing, encase its stops raining and we get the opportunity. We’ve opted to have a few nights of luxury in Annecy, with its fast flowing canals and tall ancient buildings it is beautiful and would be impressive to see it on a sunny day. As I finish writing this I have my fingers crossed hoping that this crap weather will blow over us and we can get on with the job of having a holiday!
Historique, Wet, Beautifull, but some how Soleless Annecy
