Travels with Forty Roses: Out and About

The other day we rented a tiny Twingo made by Renault and took off for a day of sightseeing. It turned out upon arrival at the rental agency, that it was brand new, with only 10 km clocked, so it had a fresh, new car smell. Heather and Kent, a couple that we met, the very first day we entered Auxerre (pronounced oserre for those of you who have asked.) and who have spent 7 years exploring the canals, sent us a list of interesting things to check out. Their list, plus those things we had already noted as exploration points, should keep us busy along with all the other activities we have undertaken. We visited Clamcey. The earliest mention of the city was under the name Clamiciacus, a possession of the Bishops of Auxerre in a bequest by Pallade, Bishop of Auxerre in 634. So, I suppose we may call this an ancient town. It is the capital of an arrondissement in the department of Niévre and located at the conjoining of the Yonne and the Beuvron rivers on the Canal du Nivernais.

We have found, that given the air-draft of our boat, as we suspected, we cannot make the trip down the canal Nivernais. So we plan to see as much of this beautiful area as possible on foot, bicycle and intermittent car trips. The Morvan Forest is close by and for centuries the timber from this massive forest was utilized to build and meet requirements of Paris. Huge Flottage de Bois traversed the river and canal systems. Now the Morvan is a delightful scenic and outdoor area sought by campers, fishermen and vacationers of all descriptions. The town of Clamcey is a protected area due to its very old medieval village centre and is home to artists, where they enjoy visitors and sales, especially during the high season months.

We moved on to the hilltop village of Vézelay. The first traces of civilization of human settlement in this beautiful old village date from 2300-2200BC. The relics, or bones of Mary Magdalene, supposedly reside in the crypt in the magnificent abbey, or so an Abbot in 1037 convinced the population. Hence, the hilltop town became a place of intense importance and pilgrimage. In 1058, it became a major starting point for the Way of St James to Santiago de Compostela. It remains an important pilgrimage location and a beginning for some people, to the arduous Compostela trail.

All that aside, the views from the ramparts are stunning, the winding old streets to the pinnacle and location of the Abbey are full of surprising twists and turns.

And of course, the region is famous for its Chablis wines. The village of Chablis is a few minutes away from us and all the famous and not so famous domains are represented there. Tonight, we are drinking with dinner a Domaine des Genèves, Stéphane Aufrère à Fleys and it is simply delicious. All crafted less than 4 km from the boat, with roasted vegetables grown within the same radius and a loaf from grains cultivated in the nearby fields, the flour milled in Vincelles, 7 miles away, and baked across the canal.