Aug 21 Pouilly-en-Auxois to Aug 22 Pont d'Ouce

 

Thursday, August 21, 2025 – Pouilly-en-Auxois – Still

We decided it’s best to return to St. Jean de Losne. Sigh. We’ve never made it all the way across this canal. The draught these past many years in France has made traveling the canals a challenge. C’est la vie! The other challenge on this canal is the use of iterant lock keepers. You have to schedule ahead of time to make sure some are available. They were doubled up during the heat wave making it a bit more challenging yet, but glad they take care of them!

Now we wait for a schedule to go back through the tunnel we came through two days ago. May or may not MacGyver our “spot light” again, but will have all the flashlights ready! There are two boats heading the same direction, one is going tomorrow, the other we don’t know. At 1:30, having had lunch, filled our water and just relaxing, an Eclusier knocks on the boat. Confirms we want to go and gives us a 2pm tunnel run. Score again!

Ecluse #4 Very interesting

With three lock keepers again (fabulous and personable!), we’re through the 3.3 km tunnel and eight locks to Vandenesse-en-Auxois by 4pm. A déjà vu experience having just made this run…. We tie up at the end by the lock as two hotel barges are in. No power tonight since our cord won’t reach, but without the extreme heat we’re good. Nice view of Chateauneuf from the boat this time. We walk the town, small and quiet. Most activity comes from farm equipment driving down the road.

Minion at Ecluse #4

Friday, August 22, 2025 – Pont d’Ouche

Last view of Chateauneuf. Castle on the hill

We’re underway at 9:15am, meeting our three lock keepers. We had them on our last trip through andappreciate the young woman’s outgoing, smiling, helpful personality. She’s of slight build but must be all muscle as she has no problem doing it all. The two guys are nice and efficient. We get held up for about 30 minutes waiting for a hotel barge coming towards us. Once underway we figure we may not make it to Pont d’Ouche before lunch – however the lock keeper informs us only two more locks, we’ll get you through then take lunch. Bless them!! I’m sure it makes it easier for them as well, but we truly appreciate not having to wait an hour and a half to get through those last two locks.

As soon as we’re in, Michael heads up to the restaurant to see if we can get dinner reservations for tonight. Yes, if we can come in at 7pm.

Chateau Chaudenay

We have the afternoon and the weather is mild, mid-60s so unload the bikes and ride up to Chaudenay-le-Chateau. It’s a 3 km ride along the canal back to Crugey and 2.5 km up the hill. Of course all chateaus are built on top of hills because they were built during feudal times. The view from there is wonderful. The ride/walk up the hill is slow. Lovely park at the top on the backside of the Chateau, which, again, you can’t see through the trees and shrubs. Going back down was much faster and easier. We could truly appreciate how steep the climb up was and why we had to walk some of it. Our Tern folding bikes are NOT our tour or road bikes back home… That includes the brakes!

Main street of Chaudenay-le-Chateau             Lavoir from the 1800s in la Bouuiere-sur-Ouche

 

We’re back to the boat with time to relax before showering for dinner. 7pm we’re at La Brise du Port; a man sitting outside with others asks if we have reservations. We confirm and he checks us off. Then sits back down. The chef comes out and tells us to pick any table. Turns out there are only three tables with a total of six adults and two kids. The chef is the host and waiter tonight as well – he’s working by himself. We comment that he works long days, starting at 7am each day. After four or six months, I’m not clear which he said, he closes the restaurant and sleeps, eats and vacations. Another wonderful meal there, topping off a nice day.