May Day a National Holiday

The écluses are all closed for May Day. While they are rioting in Paris Julie and I decide to bicycle to Semur-en-Auxois to see if anything is open. This trip we are leaving from Marigny-le-Cahouët and using the bicycle route. Wonderful road that is nearly flat and the last few kilometers into town are on a dedicated bicycle trail that parallels the road, just as it get busy.

Why I never get tired of cycling in France. This is the road we took to and from Semur and this is about how many cars you'd ever see at a time. No pot-holes, no chipseal, just smooth riding.

Semur-en-Auxois had many businesses open so we were able to window shop and then use the map we had received when Joan and I toured the town to show Julie the sights. Semur became the stronghold of the duchy in the 14C when the citadel was reinforced by ramparts and 18 towers. Today there are still four towers and much of the old ramparts left to explore. While the towers are closed the town is still like stepping back in time.

Collégiale Notre-Dame

The show piece of the town is the Collégiale Notre-Dame a church that was started in the 11C and rebuilt and remodeled and added to throughout the years. There are still parts that go back to the 13C. Like so many places in France there is a chapel in the Notre-Dame dedicated to the US soldiers of the 310^th infantry that gave their lives to help preserve the freedom of France in the Great War. We often forget how much we are appreciated for what we have contributed to the world. It’s always a touching reminder to see how much our sacrifices continue to mean to others.

Semur-en-Auxois from the river - tower and some of town ramparts visible

Chapel dedicated In Memory of US troops of the 310 Infantry in WWI that died protecting France

Our ride back took a little detour to explore Lac Pont which turned out to be one of the feeder reservoirs for the canal de Bourgogne, as well as a lake for general recreation.

A copy of our chart showing just how close the locks are together for this stretch

Wednesday we continued our climb with 13 more écluse to the port of Pont Royal. Good fortune was with us when our eclusier chose to keep working when 12:00 came around to allow us to complete our day before he took lunch.

Entrance to Saint Thibault - doors and entrance from 14C

13C St. Thibault

We’d seen the town of of Thibault in our chart book but then checked our Michelin guide and found the church there had quite a history. Jumped on our bikes for a quick 5Km to see this 12C church that has been the resting place for Saint Thibault’s relics since the 1200s and rebuilt and reconditioned many times over the centuries.

The canal as it looks from this part of our voyage.