Bikes and Barges

August 20th

With the temperature rising into the low 90s we got up early and headed down to the Canal du Centre to hopefully ride in some shade.  The ride from near Chagny down to Chalon sur Soane is a flat, well surfaced, traffic free route.  There are many locks along the way with lots of boats and barges.  The boats range from large hotel barges to smaller rental barges called "plastiques."  I think this is a derogatory term used by barge owners because sometimes the people who rent them don't really know what they're doing.  We have witnessed a few of these people trying to navigate the canals and locks and it seems the barge owners may have a point.

Jay caught this photo of a heron just before and after taking flight.  So cool!

Dinner was at the restaurant Clos 8 which is one of the more upscale places in Beaune judging from the prices.  The chef is supposedly a Michelin trained chef (whatever that means?).  At any rate the meal was superb as was the wonderful chardonnay from the nearby wine village of Rully. Jay started with the escargot and I had the oefs en meurette in a chardonnay wine sauce, we both ordered the trout and shared the creme brûlée for dessert.  It's hard to get a bad meal in France but we'll keep trying until we know for sure.😏