Lavoir, Commissey

Monday
Tomorrow being All Saints Day, a national holiday in France, Roger also had today off as a "bridge" day. The weather promised to be fine, so we decided to go for a bike ride. We have cycled two stretches of the Canal du Nivernais already this year, so we opted for a change today, and drove down to Tonnerre and cycled along the Canal de Bourgogne - 21 miles return. It was a beautiful drive and a beautiful bike ride - blue skies, sunshine, warm temperatures and the gorgeous autumnal colours. The  Canal de Bourgogne is 150 miles long, with 189 locks. There are two river entrances - to the north the Yonne River allows access in the town of Migennes, and in the south the Saône allows access in the town Saint-Jean-de-Losne. Construction  began in 1775 and it was completed in 1832. The canal connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea via the Seine and the Yonne to the Saône and Rhône.
We had taken a picnic with us in a backpack, and enjoyed it sitting at a picnic table by this charming lavoir or wash house in the village of Commissey, one of several villages we cycled through. We drove back through Chablis, passing hillsides of vineyards, glowing gold in the early evening sun - a wonderful day out!

One year ago: Cormorant