Day 50: Auxerre to Chevroches

October 26, 2022

Thanks, Jacquie Gaudet for spotting a wrong map previously in this spot.

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We started out, of course, on top of the hill we had climbed yesterday, surrounded by the N6 related businesses, including the McDonalds next door to the hotel. Out thoughts went back to last night's supper with Dodie continuing bent out of shape by having received not only not what she thought she was ordering, but also by the poor quality of what she did get.

Steak houses like these seem to proliferate on the National routes.

We rolled down the hill and soon were on the Canal de Nivernais. As you hopefully can read from the signboard pictured below, the Canal de Nivernais idea is to link the Seine and the Loire areas. This was no doubt a visionary idea when it came up in the 18th to 19th centuries, before the advent of rail transport, and it lives again for the cycle tourist, as a great link between the two cycling regions.

Here below is the whole canal route, which is given as 174 km. We will ride the whole thing, top to bottom, and will probably find a way to get lost and spin out the total distance.

We didn't try to go into Auxerre specifically, but we did get a bit of a peek as we flew by on the canal.

What we were hoping for with the canal was a nice flat surface and some intriguing water views, and that is exactly what we got.

It was not a day of only canal water and smooth cycle path, since there were a few distractions along the way. For example, we could peek at miscellaneous small villages, and the occasional small harbour or boat passing through a lock.

Villages like this were ok to look at but seldom had a reason to actually detour into.

A really major departure from the routine happens near Merry sur Yonne, where we find the Rochers du Saussois, which are limestone cliffs beside the river. In parts of the cliffs, apparently a lot of fossils have been found, though among the various sign boards we did not find exactly what or when, or where these fossils are now. The cliffs are popular with rock climbers, and I went some feet off the path to watch one free climbing, which made me nervous. Returning to the path I tripped on a little piece of limestone and went flying. Yeah, I knew this was a dangerous activity!

We searched this quarry area for fossils but did not find any.

Rock from these cliffs were transported on the canal, and were used for example in the Louvre.

In this area a couple cycled up beside us and began a conversation in English. They turned out to be Dutch, and to have come here in their camper. That way they were cycling a day ride, with no bags. We asked what part of Netherlands they were from and when they replied "Well, what parts do you know?" I gambled and bragged "Every part!". They were from Nijmagen. "Ah yes", I said sagely, "we know it well, the bicycle museum and all". Of course we had the usual pleasant cyclist conversation. While I might not be able to recount any of the physical attributes of the lady, I must say I enjoyed oogling her bike, which was a red Victoria eTrekking, almost identical to the Victoria Dodie has in Leipzig. I can even tell you how much adjustment she had left on her Magura brake levers. Creepy!

Something that had the power to while away the kilometers was machinating about an email we got from our booking for tonight. It was the fourth email they had sent, with earlier ones being a reservation confirmation, a receipt for the non-refundable amount, and a general statement of the location, facilities, and rules of the place. But the fourth one rolled a while new set of house rules.

Here are two of the pithier paragraphs:

"Breakfast is included in the price. Apart from breakfast, it is not allowed to eat on the entire estate, inside or outside, without prior permission. You are not in a gîte but in a guest room. Any meal taken on the premises will therefore be charged at €10 per meal and per room.

It is strictly forbidden to eat in the rooms. Pets are accepted (20 kg maximum) with a supplement of 10 € per day and per animal. Breakfast is served from 8:30 to 10:00. Departures are fixed until 11:00 am. "

Unless we intend to the restaurant that may be part of a place we are staying at, we always bring sandwiches purchased from a bakery or perhaps assembled from breakfast. It is possible that a room rental may be out in some suburb, and without a car, going out to find food is really not on, hence the sandwich. This is why the sudden prohibition on eating, inside or outside, did not sit well with us. We also knew the place to be isolated, halfway up a bloody cliff.

Some of the fun discussion topics helping to melt away the kms, were - legally, where did they get off inventing a restrictive rule, many hours after they had already taken their non-refundable payment, and after they had already sent one email purporting to list the house rules (reasonable stuff, like no stag parties). Could we get Booking on their case, to shut down this tardy rule making, could we/should we attempt to cancel and to find another place? Or should we just ignore their stupid rule?

Other lines of enquiry involved what the definition of "eating" might be. Did the definition prohibit a cookie? an apple? how about a cough drop? (There are hours available out on the road to go through the various possibilities.)

As it happened, it took us long enough to cycle the 75km that we ended up eating our sandwiches on a bench on the way in. And as for the cookie issue, it turned out our room came with a coffee maker, kettle, and a supply of cookies!

Dodie had spent some of the hours mentally drafting her flame review to post on Booking, and maybe that will still come. But our hostess was very personable, and the place is gorgeous and large . We are invited to use the kitchen at breakfast time, to supplement what the lady will put out, such that for example I will be able to fry my own eggs. Some people in reviews branded this self-service aspect as a fault, but we will rather appreciate having more participation in the meal.

The building is very old, well restored.

Cookies and coffee in our room - we will need the lawyers to rule on this one.

Today's ride: 75 km (47 miles)
Total: 2,053 km (1,275 miles)

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