August 3, 2008
Tonnerre - Auxerre: Rather hills than potholes
Before we continued, we had a look at Tonnerre. In the centre of the old town is a water source, la Fosse Dionne, which is well worth a visit. In the Middle Ages there were several legends surrounding the continual supply of water arising from the subterranean karst. In 1758 a circular wash house or "lavoire" was erected at the source. The unusual blue-green color of the water is the result of the high density of limestone in the water.
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If I might sidetrack just a little: On a tour of the Danube we saw a similar source, the Blautopf, located at Blaubeuren, also surrounded by legends and superstition. It is the source of the River Blau which feeds the Danube. Here too the water is an intense blue-green, almost eerie, and it's not surprising that some many legends have arisen in both places.
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Oh, yes, there is also porous limestone (or "karst") topography in central Florida. Perhaps, Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth ... But, I digress.
The towpath from Tonnerre continuing northwest had large potholes and stones and was much rougher than the hard packed dirt and gravel we had so far. We decided we would prefer hills and asphalt. At the next village we got on the small country road that also ran parallel to the canal and train line. We passed through small villages and had almost no traffic. The sun didn't want to come out and occasionally we were caught in a fine misty drizzle.
At Jaulges we left the valley of the Yonne, which we had been following, and headed over the hills to Pontigny. The seven kilometers were more work than we were accustomed to on the towpaths. We had a slow climb, nothing dramatic but it made us feel like we were getting nowhere fast.
The abbey at Pontigny, one of the great Cistercian monasteries of France (along with the nearby Fontenay Abbey), was begun in the early 1100s and finished toward the end of the century, thus incorporating elements of the old Romanesque and the new Gothic. The monastic buildings that once surrounded the abbey are no longer in existence, but the abbey itself is in very good condition. The Romanesque church of Pontigny is simple to the extreme, the interior is painted white and completely unadorned.
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An interesting contribution of the hard working Cistercian monks of Pontigny: They were the first to plant vines in the chablis region. More recently Pontigny Abbey has also played an important role in French culture - from 1922 to 1939 the abbey hosted an annual get together of some of the great European intellectuals, including T.S. Eliot, Thomas Mann and Jean Paul Sartre.
In the afternoon the weather improved dramatically and I was sure we were now in for a good weather period.
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From Pontigny we again found lovely small roads, neither direct nor flat, the price for almost no traffic, to Auxerre. From the hill overlooking the town, Auxerre didn't look too attractive. Industry at one end and a large section of new housing at the other. What you don't see from the hill is the lovely old town, a dense maze of cobble stone streets and half-timbered houses.
Again this evening at the campground we were greeted warmly by our French cyclist friends.
Today's ride: 57 km (35 miles)
Total: 142 km (88 miles)
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