I was joined at breakfast this morning by Heather and Phil, who were all abuzz about the latest setback in the short tenure of Liz Truss, the new Prime Minister of the UK. We once again fell into easy conversation and I finally had to pull myself away and get on with the day. But before leaving Saulieu, I wanted to check out some of the works of the sculptor Francois Pompon that are displayed around town. Born in Saulieu, Pompon is known for the simple forms and polished finish of his animal sculptures, the most famous of which is White Bear.
My exploration of Saulieu was quite abbreviated as I wanted to visit the Morvan Resistance Museum on the way to Château-Chinon, my final destination for the day. I had planned to stop at the museum yesterday, but was dissuaded by the lateness of the hour – along with the rain, cold, and throngs of people there for an autumn festival. I was able to add the museum to today’s route with minimal retracing of yesterday’s ride, and left Saulieu under blue skies and hopes for a dry day.
White Bear on display in the streets of Saulieu. This is Pompon's most famous sculpture, one that exemplifies his focus on movement rather than detail. I saw the original stone statue on display at Musée d'Orsay in Paris earlier this year
Keith KleinHi,
You missed your chance to see another one of these in Park Darcy in Dijon. I’ve often wondered how many more are out there.
Cheers,
Keith Reply to this comment 2 years ago
It did not take long for the blue skies to disappear under a shroud of fog and drizzle - I began to wonder if the Morvan was a mist magnet. On came the rain jacket and I made my way along quiet, wooded roads to the Morvan Resistance Museum. The museum is located in what I would call the headquarters of the Parc Naturel Régional de Morvan – in addition to the Museum there are a number of structures that house educational centers, meeting places, etc. I parked Vivien George outside the entrance to Resistance Museum, and received a free audio guide with my six euro entry fee.
There are several museums in France devoted to the Resistance during WWII, and most focus on activities of the local inhabitants. Located just north of the demarcation line that separated Occupied and Free France, the wooded mountainous terrain of the Morvan with its dispersed small villages was ideal setting for organizing and training those who wanted to fight against the occupying German forces. The Resistance activities in the Morvan picked up considerably after the 1942, when the demarcation line was removed and French men were conscripted for compulsory labor. Bands of resistant fighters, known as Maquis, formed throughout the Morvan and today there are twenty-one “places of memory” that retrace the history of the Resistance in the Morvan. In addition to highlighting places, the Resistance museums also tell the story of the ordinary people who risked their lives their freedom and that of France. In talking with the museum docent, she related how often visitors find parallels between the French Resistance and the current war in Ukraine.
It may be sunny in Saulieu, but the Morvan is shrouded in fog
It had begun to clear up by the time I left the museum – not sunny, but the fog was lifting and the drizzling mist had dissipated. I headed south through more hilly terrain, and after a series of ups and downs I was surprised to come across the sign for the Col de Croix Grenot. Not shameless, I posed for an obligatory selfie and I then found a nearby lunch spot at one of Resistance “places of memory.” It seemed the perfect time and place to sample my Morvan goat cheese – one picked out for me by the folks at my Paris fromagerie when told I was going cycling in the Morvan. It was a stinky cheese, but I found it quite tasty, which may be a sign that I’ve been in France too long.
I continued south past Gouloux, to Lac des Settons, a 900 acre artificial lake fed by the Le Cure River that is normally a large recreation and tourist spot. However, the lake has been drained to facilitate repair of the dam, one of the oldest in France. Unfortunately, my route took me directly across the dam. This was a Route Barre I could not breach, even after imploring the local workers. Fortunately, the detour was short and I was quickly back on route to Planchez, after which I relished a splendid seven mile run down to the Yonne River that wound through woods and meadows and offered expansive views of the surrounding landscape. The sun was out and I was in Morvan bliss.
The mist is lifting and sky is lightening as I leave the Musée de la Resistance
My Morvan bliss ended on the final climb into Château-Chinon. It was a bit of a slog and by the time I’d crested the hill I was too tired to appreciate much of the town that is considered the capital of the Morvan. I coasted down a few hundred yards to my lodging for the night, Au Vieux Morvan, a Logis hotel. I’ve stayed in a number of Logis hotels this year, often because they are the only lodging option when I’m cycling through less populated areas such as the regional parks of France. As well, they typically have a restaurant, so I am usually assured a place to eat. My experiences have ranged from quite good, to barely passable, with the Au Vieux Morvan on the lower end of the scale. Their restaurant was closed and on a Monday night in France, my options were limited – even the kabob and pizza shops were closed. I did manage to find a small café where I downed a passable plate of lasagna and then called it a day.
And overall it was a very fine day – the sun came out and the moments of joy greatly outweighed the few letdowns at the end of the day.
You missed your chance to see another one of these in Park Darcy in Dijon. I’ve often wondered how many more are out there.
Cheers,
Keith
2 years ago