Auxerre and beyond
We have made our way down the Y’onne River to Auxerre and beyond. En route to Auxerre, we moored in a tiny (not so tiny that there wasn’t a boulangerie, thankfully – but there was little else) village of Gurgy. Here, we met Nigel’s father (not sure what his name is but we know his son is Nigel J) who had lots of canal “two cents” since he and his wife live on their large barge bedecked with flowers, herb garden, and the British flag. He advised us that there were no restaurants in town, but there was a “pizza truck” that pulls into Gurgy on Thursdays (and lucky us – it was Thursday!) The pizza maker’s husband had to phone a bilingual friend to translate our order! It was the best damn pizza on wheels I’ve ever tasted!
Auxerre is a small city in Burgundy with cobbled streets, timbered houses, and a beautiful cathedral. We spent time wandering and people watching. Umbrellas in hand, we visited the bustling market with fresh colorful produce, brown eggs, crusty bread, all sorts of meat, and junky clothes. Baba bought me a market basket that we promptly filled with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, eggs, a traditional baguette, and strong cheese.
A couple of days ago we rented a car. This allowed us to make the 20 minute drive to Chablis to have a personal tour of the Chablis wine area – with tasting the different levels of Chablis at the end. Our guide, Frank, took us into the exclusive vineyards and explained the history, processes, and rules imposed on the Chablis vintners. The cherished Chardonnay grape plants and the rocky, limey soil they grow on are lovingly and seriously tended.
The next morning we journeyed to the small medieval village of Noyers. The rain did not interfere with our browsing and photo snapping. What a beautiful town!
Continuing down the River Y’onne with no immediate destination in mind, we made our own mooring in a secluded wooded area of the canal (our route has us alternating between sections of the River Y’onne and the Canal du Nivernais). We emptied a bottle of local Pinot Noir on the top deck and then gobbled up our Auxerre quiches and baguette, green salad in candle light.
xo
If not now - When? 