Fleurey-sur-Ouche - 12 June 2019

12.06.19 - Ha, when will we learn - thought we should be old enough to know better! I’d suggested just sharing a pizza, but Tintin thought the boxes didn’t look that large, and our eyes were bigger than our (then empty) tummies, so we ordered two - big mistake! Tried our hardest, but couldn’t eat them all! We usually just throw away leftovers, but decided we’d try them cold...

Watched another episode of Gentleman Jack, then had another peaceful night.

This morning we heard lots of voices from about 7.30am - workers assembling in the carpark getting ready to labour all day in the grand cru vines.

As it wasn’t raining, decided we’d go for a run. Week 8, run 1 - done ✅. Today was 28 minutes non-stop running. However, thought we could run on the tracks beside the vines. Hadn’t really accounted for the recent rain, plus it rained all night. We were slipping in mud, was very uneven - in the end our feet felt even heavier as all the claggy mud had stuck to our trainers. After about half the time, decided roads were a more sensible option! Uphill on the way back - really, really felt like stopping - but didn’t! Poor Tintin then spent ages with a brush and bucket of soapy water, trying to clean our shoes.

Tintin drove today for about 40 minutes. Thought about going into Dijon, but again - population of over 150,000 - so big place and all the economies of scale that go with it!

Instead, as we don’t need services - we’re at Fleurey-sur-Ouche, just in a shaded carpark, courtesy of Park4night - and near a cycle path.

Well, lunch was cold pizza! Ok, but possibly not to be repeated! After lunch went riding for a couple of hours on the cycle path alongside the tow path for the Canal de Bourgogne for 18.5 miles. Nice to be surrounded by nature. Saw lots of herons, one was particularly brave, and repeatedly didn’t fly off until the last moment - very graceful. Saw a female duck with nine ducklings - cute. Frustratingly, also saw some kittens playing under a car on the opposite side of the canal - so couldn’t go to see them!

Also saw Charolais cattle, which are very pretty!

The Fleur de Lys canal boat was on its way down to Dijon to go out on charter. It looked good - even had a swimming pool at the front! We have fond memories of our canal boat holiday with our children when they were aged about 9 and 11. Didn’t even seem to matter that it rained then too - and we’ve now seen Josselin in the sunshine!

The graffiti covered the whole of the gable end of a building - I do think the artists are clever!

We keep on seeing lots of fields of poppies. They can’t be picked because they don’t last, can’t be harvested for opium (!) - so does anyone know why there are so many especially in France? Is it just because it’s a hardy plant that grows anywhere?

For those interested, forgot to say the other day when we were in Dole (but didn’t go anywhere due to weather!) - that the biologist and chemist Louis Pasteur was born there. And Gustave Eiffel was born in Dijon where we passed by today!

We are in the Côte-d’Or which is a destination for wine pilgrims from all over the world. Yesterday we saw so many ‘Domaines’ - vineyards especially in Burgundy that make and bottle wine from its own grapes - offering ‘degustations’ - tastings. Maybe the place to be if you appreciate wine! We did see some posh cars in Nuits-Saint-Georges, and some Chinese businessmen getting out - and we joked about them coming to put in huge orders!

The four main grape varieties grown here are Pinot Noir, Gamay, Chardonnay and Aligoté.

We’ve been lucky with the weather, showers were forecast, but none stopped play! Now back in Dave for tea/coffee. Whilst on our bikes we tried a few of the nearby villages for an open boulangerie as Tintin fancied another cake - not happening today! These small villages seem deserted - even when it’s not lunchtime!

Finished another long book yesterday, so off to start another - good job we brought too many books with us! And that we both enjoy reading!