Beaune to Nuit St. Georges and back: loop ride, no weight on the bikes

October 22, 2011

WEATHER: Cold and foggy until 3:00 pm, then sunny.

Sunshine had been predicted for today and we were looking forward to a scenic ride to Nuit St. Georges. We awoke to heavy fog and temperatures again close to 0 C. After breakfast we took off for the famous wine village, hoping the fog would burn off soon. It didn't.

We cycled along quiet roads wending our way to Savigny-les-Beaune past vineyards shrouded in a grey mist, and came to the Chateau of the same name, which is notorious for its large collection of antique fighter aircraft. We stopped briefly and could see a few of the planes mounted on the lawn. We marvelled at the incongruity of the scene. After circling through the village we climbed up above the vineyards and would have had a stunning view (presumably) had it not been for the fog. From there we continued along very minor, mostly flat roads past Chateau Aloxe-Corton with its colourful tiled roof and through several other small villages.

Bustling downtown Nuit St. Georges on a foggy fall weekend.

We arrived in Nuit St. Georges chilly and hungry just before noon. Eva's fingers were icy-cold and she was looking forward to a bowl of hot soup. After rejecting several expensive hotel restaurant options, we found a small brasserie in the centre of town, with tables just being set for lunch. Boeuf Bourguignon was featured on the menu, which sounded just right for a cold foggy day.

The perfect lunch for two rather chilled cyclists.

Shortly after we ordered, about 20 people dressed in identical bright red heavy fleece jackets filed into the restaurant and proceeded to fill up all the remaining seats. We were glad our order was ahead of theirs and entertained ourselves by trying to figure out what sort of group they were. Hikers perhaps (randonneurs), since they were so warmly dressed, but many of the women wore impractical shoes. We finally asked the waiter, who said 'deux chevaux' referring to the old "two tax horsepower" Citroens. Apparently groups of these deux chevaux fanciers get together on the weekends and travel the countryside in their antique cars. Mystery solved, and the boeuf bourguignon soon arrived at our table, each serving in an individual cast iron casserole along with a covered dish of noodles and a large piece of toast redolent with garlic. It was wonderful, a perfect classic recipe which warmed us to our toes.

After lunch it was still foggy. We circled through the attractive village, quite deserted on a Saturday afternoon as most of the shops were still closed for the lunch break, and headed back to Beaune by a different route. The fog finally burned off just as we arrived in town, so we decided to take advantage of the sunshine and take another look at the beautiful vineyards on the way to Pommard.

After the fog lifted, people magically appeared on the cycle route.

In the sunshine, the route through the endless vineyards around Beaune was quite scenic.

That evening we were too tired to walk to the walled centre for dinner, so tried a nearby Indian restaurant, the result of which reinforced our prior conviction that when in France it is best to enjoy French cuisine.

Today's ride: 58 km (36 miles)
Total: 396 km (246 miles)

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