Fall and Harvest Time in Burgundy, France

Fisherman at Sunset

We went out for a delicious dinner at the Restaurant William Frachot at the Chapeau Rouge hotel in Dijon.

We had a relaxing evening 

For those of you wondering how we manage to "live" on a boat for so many months of the year, I'm providing just two pictures so you can see we aren't suffering.

Dining area looking into the living room

Living room looking towards the dining area and into the kitchen.

 What happens when friends come to visit us in Burgundy who happen to be in the wine business back in the States?  We go wine tasting!  Then, between wine tastings, we drink more wine and eat great food.

Stan and Gail with a background showing the Cote D'Or.  It's Fall the grapes have been picked, the leaves are turning golden, and the vines are preparing to sleep for the winter.

Wine tasting st Domaine Dubreuil-Fontaine Pernand-Vergelesses

More wine tasting

Back at the boat making sure we liked the wine we had tried

Then on to Olivier Leflaive for a lovely lunch with a tasting of 9 different wines.

Rabelo at Lechatelet where we've been hanging out

 Lechatelet is a farming community and it's harvest time.  In France corn is fed to pigs, not people.

The corn stalks have dried out and are ready for harvest.

This is part of our walk with the river on one side and the fields on the other.

The harvester comes through the fields of corn like a lawn mower.  It cuts the stalks, removes the leaves, shucks the corn, and throws the waste out the back.  It's an amazing process.

This is what the field looks like after the harvest. 

Very little corn is lost.  After the harvest locals come with burlap sacks searching for any corn missed by the machine.

The stalks are then cut down to the dirt

The next step is to deeply till the soil.

The soil is turned so deeply that there is little evidence that a field of corn was growing here

The soil is turned again,  smoothed and prepared for the next harvest 

It looks like a winter grass is planted

Winter crop

It's such fun when friends "stop by" for a quick visit.  

Don and Andrea came by for lunch on their way from Germany to Portugal.

Our walk around Lechatelet where you can see it is a farming community.

We had quite a bit of rain and the river Saone was flowing.

We had this curious cow come by to check us out.

More Charolais cows.  A couple of youngsters in front.

I always enjoy hearing from you.  Feel free to drop me a line.

Until the next time...
Lisa

Lock Houses and More, Burgundy, France

View from The Old Lock at Saint Jean de Losne during a walk 

The history of the French canals is long and complicated.  We spend a great deal of time on the Burgundy Canal so a little history is in order.  In 1607 a tax was placed on the local farmers to help finance a section of the canal between Saint Jean de Losne and Dijon.  Even so, it was a long time until construction started, with many events occuring in the interim.  It wasn't until 1696 that a study came out considering 5 different routes that could be used to connect the Saone and Yonne Rivers.  There were disagreements between civil engineers,  mayors who wanted the canal as close to their town as possible for the economic importance that trade would bring, and land owners hoping to cash in.  Construction didn't begin until 1775.  From the beginning there were strikes and political decisions regarding the future of the canal.  Even today there is debate as to the viability and use of the waterway.  Part of the original importance was being able to connect the Rivers Saone and Yonne which then connected to the River Seine.  

In order to complete the Burgundy Canal a tunnel needed to be built at the summit pond.  The tunnel was 10,932 feet long with 90% of the work done by hand.  It wasn't until December 28, 1832 that the first barge crossed the summit of the canal via the tunnel. Once completed the Burgundy Canal connected the north of France to the South. The River Seine via the River Yonne was now connected to the Rhone River via the Burgundy Canal and the Saone River.  The Burgundy Canal was 150 miles long with 189 locks and almost as many lock-houses.

In order to keep the canal operating it was necessary to have lock-keepers.  These people were housed along the canal at each lock.  Many of the lock houses were built at the same time or just after the completion of the canal.  

This is a small selection of what some lock-houses presently look like.  Today few of these houses have lock-keepers in them.  Instead people are able to rent these small homes.

Geese in Flight

Rabelo entering a lock.  Yes...believe it or not we do fit.

Fall along the canal with mistletoe clinging to the trees.

Peaceful Fall cruising

Lucky kids get to go kayaking after school

So many delicious choices.

Art along the canal

Resident artist/wood carver

This boater is serious about keeping his wood pile in good order

Tom thought he had found a friend until this donkey decided to try and take a chunk out of him.

Fall in France

I enjoy hearing from you so feel free to drop me a line any time.  You're welcome to share my

blog with your friends.

Lowbridgeeverybodydown.blogspot.com

Until the next time...
Lisa

More Time in Burgundy, France

Beautiful Charolais Cows

 We've been doing a lot of entertaining on Rabelo.  When we stay in one place for a while we meet people from around the world.  While hanging out at La Bussiere-sur-Ouche we met two couples who joined us for appetizers.  One couple was from Australia and the other from the US.  Every year these couples rent homes in the area of La Bussiere-sur-Ouche.  When we return to one of our favorite spots in France we look forward to sharing more good times, good food and good wine with our new friends.

I got carried away. This is what happens when I actually have time to spend in my kitchen.  And these were just appetizers. 

Our new Australian friends.

Our new American friends. 

 Bob and Kathi joined us on Rabelo.  Food is a recurring theme in our lives.

Visiting the market in Dijon is a special treat.  Locals and tourists alike crowd the aisles.

I was searching for a special cheese so we went to a beautiful cheese shop.  This was just one wall filled with an amazing selection.

A happy bride on her way to join her groom in Dijon.

 Next Patty and Larry joined us along with Bob and Kathi. It was a special week.

Time to load up at the local boulangerie.  They're having way too much fun!

Being food and wine lovers we went to Olivier Leflaive for their wine tasting lunch.  It's always a treat.

Innovative decorations outside a home.

Another cute decoration 

View along the Burgundy Canal during our walk.

Rabelo is happily moored at La Bussiere-sur-Ouche.

 The grapes have been picked and it's time for the vines to go dormant until next spring.  This is the magnificent Cote d'Or (Hills of Gold).  A wine lover's paradise.

Cote d'Or

 We love showing our friends the Abbaye de la Bussiere.  The grounds are magnificent.

Patty and Larry are getting acquainted with a Charolais cow created by artist Paul Day.

 In spite of the drought the grounds at the Abbaye are still beautiful.

Another sculpture by Paul Day that enhances the gardens of the Abbaye

Tom and I had a beautiful lunch at Abbaye de la Bussiere.  We started with a glass of bubbly to help set the mood.

Once our friends departed Tom went in for surgery.  Typical of pre-surgery preparation Tom needed a blood test.  The French do love their strikes!  The laboratory workers that draw blood were on strike.  They worked in the mornings but not afternoons.  They were there behind locked doors, but we could see them through the glass windows.  We knocked on the door, and then pleaded our case. They graciously drew his blood.  We happily signed the strike petition for them.

Sign declaring their strike.

This is Dijon's new private hospital.  It was impressive.  Clean, beautiful, efficient, and up to date.  Tom was in a private room for a few hours after surgery.  There was just enough space for his bed and a chair for me.  When they brought him a meal they even brought something for me to eat.

Tom is happily modeling the latest in surgical wear.

Tom is looking pretty chipper for someone about to have surgery.

 After Tom's surgery he was given instructions not to do any lifting. My days became busier.  We had to get Rabelo off the Burgundy Canal since it was closing due to the drought.  While preparing meals I also ran up and down the stairs at every lock to handle the aft line.

I'm handling the aft line in the locks.

I always love hearing from you so feel free to drop me a line any time.  You're welcome to share my blog with your friends.

Lowbridgeeverybodydown.blogspot.com

Until the next time...

Lisa