The vineyards of Burgundy

I have arrived in Burgundy. This morning the bike route took me along the Canal du Centre which then joined the Canal de Dheune. It was pretty and peaceful, with trees and bridges reflected in the calm waters and fishermen dotting the banks. After a little over 40k I stopped near Chagny for a nice lunch (ris de veau au Noilly Prat) at a local and (judging by the number of local patrons) popular restaurant named L'Escale which was right on my route. I couldn't resist a glass of the local wine, which was excellent.

After lunch I headed north to Beaune on the Route des grands crus, it was just like being in the Burgundy section of the SAQ (wine stores in Quebec) except instead of seeing the labels on bottles, I saw the vineyards and hills, chateaus and villages. The sense of wine history is palpable, and the sheer number of wine merchants, degustations and cellars is mind boggling.

Tonight Serge and I went to pick  up Paul Balthazard (who also received a bone marrow transplant at HMR) at the train station in Chalon, it is great having him here. Tomorrow we cycle the wine route together north of Beaune. It's been a long way back to good health for both of us, please help others by donating to the Fund for Research and Education on Blood Cancers using the link above.

You can see more of my photos by using the "More of my photos" link on the right.