Chateauneuf, Auxerre and Grey, France

Vibrant flowers against  an old stone wall.

A new friend.

Pleasing roofline of Chateauneuf, Burgundy, France.

They obviously weren't thinking of Tom when they built this doorway.

We needed to tie up at lunch since the canal closes.  Lunchtime is sacred in France.  The weeds were so thick we couldn't get any closer to the barge we wanted to tie up to.

The Burgundy Canal choked with weeds making cruising difficult. It's like sailing through mud or quicksand.

There is only one machine to service much of the Burgundy Canal clearing a channel for the boats to cruise through.

With the heat the fields are losing their greens and turning a golden brown.

We saw a sign for an art exhibition and couldn't resist.  Tom found a painting he liked for Rabelo.  He is standing with the artist.  Little old village churches are put to good use with occasional art exhibits.

We took a walking tour of the town of Grey.  Grey was one of the three main strongholds of Franche-Comte owed to the importance of its position at the highest navigable point on the Saone for cargo of medium tonnage.  

In the medieval section of Gray is the hospital for the sick and the poor.  It was built in the 1700's in the form of a Greek cross. The chapel is in the center where there were large rooms for the sick.  The patients could follow Mass from their beds when the large glass doors were open.  Today the building is an old age home.

One hallway of the Hospital showing the original flooring.

In the fourth wing of the original hospital is an apothecary dating from 1722.  There were beautiful woodworked shelves displaying earthenware pots from the 17th-19th centuries as well as other rare objects related to medicine in the day.

One wall is filled with 119 earthenware pots.

Another room has cabinets filled with rare objects and poisons from the past.

18th Century timbered house in Grey.

One sweltering day I decided to go for a walk and find the town of Colombier.  Philippe had told me there was a bookstore in the village.  It was a long uphill walk but I did find Colombier.  I also discovered that the bookstore had limited hours and that day they were closed.  Still, it wasn't a total loss.

I saw this traditional Burgundian tile roof on someone's home.

The old wash-houses found in so many villages are  kept as a reminder of their history.  This wash-house is from the 18th Century.  Groundwater is used to feed the public fountains and wells.  The architect of this place had a sense of humor when he named it The Temple of Complaining.  I can only imagine.

This old Bank of France building is now someone's private residence.  

The glass doors with wooden trim are perfectly preserved since the chapel is inside of the hospital.

Close up of the old earthenware pots that held herbs and medicines.

Construction of the theatre in Grey was from 1846 to 1849 and was designed by the
Besancon architect who also built the theatre in Dole.

All the decor in the theatre is in the Italian style and still intact.  Most of the machinery for set changes has been preserved.  It was interesting being able to stand on stage looking out at the theatre.  No stage fright that day.

A masterpiece of the Comtoise Renaissance was under construction from 1567 to 1572 the Town Hall has a 37 meter long facade with Corinthian columns on the ground floor and composite columns (Ionic and Corinthian) on the first floor.  The roof is of beautiful glazed tiles.

Cruising along the Petit Saone River is peaceful and beautiful.  Cruising a river is different from the canals.  They are so much more wild and untamed.

It's hard to believe, but I managed to do a whole posting without mentioning food once.