While moored in Dijon, we met old friends and made new ones.
From left to right: L’Escapade, Melba, and Aleau. Later, we were joined by Peary and Maria. (That’s Oscar on Maria’s aft – eyeing the ducks just out of reach.)
We cast off at different times – but all headed in the same direction. Vandenesse-en-Auxois, 49 kilometres farther north on the Canal de Bourgogne. The Burgundy Canal is 242 kilometres long. But just past Vandenesse lies the Pouilly Tunnel. We’re too tall to fit in. Some of our companions could – if they took down their collapsable wheelhouse. It’s a big job – and on this trip, not worth the effort. We will all make a U-turn at Vandenesse-en-Auxois.
Out first overnight stop after leaving Dijon was Fleurey-sur-Ouche. It took us eight-and-a-half hours – stopping only for lunch – to cover the 15 kilometres. We passed through 13 locks. Our average speed, not including the lunch stop – 2 km/h.
The name of almost every town along the way ends with “…-sur-Ouche. The Ouche is the river that runs parallel to the canal. The houses facing the canal in Fleurey-sur-Ouche had massive and beautifully kept back yards.
But what caught our eye was the restaurant alongside the canal. (Being the only restaurant in Fleurey-sur-Ouche, we really didn’t have a choice.)
Looks can be deceiving. The website shows that inside, it is far more inviting than it appears from the outside.
http://www.optitreperedugout.fr
I started with my best culinary discovery in France – a Burgundian speciality, oeufs-en-Meurette – poached eggs on toast in a red-wine and mushroom sauce. It tastes far better than it looks. I followed it with scallops – perfectly cooked.
Once again, I gobbled down dessert before I thought to grab a shot. Sorry.
Jeannie’s meal was just as delicious. Her entrée was “Nougat de foie gras, pain aux fruits secs.”
Her plat was “Tartare de Boeuf Charolais coupé au couteau” served with “frites maison.”
Just like me, Jeannie polished off her dessert before I could grab a shot. There’s something about desserts in France. Eating and enjoying them seem to take precedence over any plan to capture them for posterity.
The next morning, it was time to burn off the previous night’s calories by exploring the town.
And then it was time to enter another lock – leaving Fleurey-sur-Ouche and continuing our climb to Vandenesse-en-Auxois. At each lock, former lock-keepers homes that have been turned into private residences.
