Ride 12 - Pommard to Couches

With great ambition we set out for a big day...the sun was shinning through the window and across the vineyards...it its harvest time in Burgundy!

After breakfast and upon suiting up, the clouds rolled in and a light cover seemed to drape over the Burgundy valley. The towns and the roads were buzzing with the annual festival of commerce...known as harvest, which was happening all over the valley, from town to town, from vineyard to vineyard, from house to house. You could see people full of joy, with a spring in their step as this year's crop seemed to hold so much promise. Bill and I followed the cycle trail in the valley, which seemed to take us through the most vibriant of towns, vitners, wineries and shops. Every building and structure seemed to all play a role in the wine making and selling process as this year's grapes would push the prior year's grapes to it's next location. As we rolled into Volay (a great wine making town and one with plenty of Grand Cru) the grapes, crushing and cask cleaning stained the streets and sweetened the air as narrow grape picking tractors bustled through the streets.

This was fun to peddle through the steep narrow towns, dancing on my peddles and peering into shops with bright stainless churning equipment engaged after being dormant since last year. Everywhere was buzzing and the roads were busy bussing pickers from vineyard to vineyard...and trucks were carting grapes back to the town to rest prior to crushing (pinot grape) or to be instantly crushed (chardonnay - for white burgundy).

After passing the town of Sauntenay, the southern edge of the Burgundy region the roads quieted and a heavy mist fell from the sky. The mist turned to rain and Bill and I quickly searched for a lunch spot to hopefully wait out the weather.

We found this little dive bar run by a lively and odd French couple that didn't speak an ounce of anglse...but for some reason thought I spoke french. Bill, often oblivious that he was in a place unrooted in his language (except when ordering food and not getting anything close to what he ordered)...would often begin speaking as if he was ordering from some chick taking his breakfast order at Denny's. Embarassed by his "DumbAmerican" behavior... I would apologize to our host (in French) and speak slowly using a mix of French, Italian and English (in that order). I'm getting really good at it...and I immediately understand many of the questions being asked back when Bill has that distant stare trying to understand the words rather than the context in which they are said. A lot of times its putting yourself in their place...doing a little work. Bill seems a little lazy, or not as sharp to it...and still says to the shop owner when checking out..."How's it goin'in?"

Oh well...lunch was fabulous but took some time to get. Actually a lot of time to get. It was a good thing because it allowed the rain to pass (for the most part). Dux cafes later and some amazing canard (duck), which required waiting over 70 minutes because the restaurant owner seemed to be drinking the profits at the bar - while his wife shuffled to and from the kitchen (distracted by friends coming in the joint) bring us each element of our meal. Soon I was on my way with a shortened riding plan given the weather. Tracing a path back to Pommard (you don't pronounce the "d") we arrived back to Clo du Columbier (our wine residence and Chateau) we showered and headed into Beaune (Boone) for dinner regional but got completely soaked walking into town (unfortunately it was the first time during the entire trip I put on pants - yet wished I hadn't). We did manage to find a great little restaurant called le gran blue where we ordered the degustation menu au vin. Fabulous...and I took pictures of each course.

The stats for the day...

Temp: 65F clouds with rain
Distance: 50 miles
Ascend: 3400 feet
Time: 5 hours (including LONG lunch and rain delays)
Calories: 850