Vintage Burgundy
Jo Kessel and her daughter take their bikes for a spin through the most enchanting wine region of France
NO way am I wearing these,’ says my 14- year-old daughter Hannah. She’s referring to a pair of padded undies that were recommended by a friend when she heard we were going on a cycling holiday in France. Admittedly they’re little more than hot-pink nappies, but they should help prevent saddle soreness, so I pack them anyway.
Twenty-four hours later and we arrive in Macon, southern Burgundy. I’ve hired e-bikes, which have a built-in electric motor to give us a helping hand when the going gets tough on our four-day cycle.
We begin pedalling along the Voie Verte – a cycle path we’ll follow north for the first couple of days. The greenway bisects lush meadows from where cows watch us with interest, especially when Hannah has a change of heart and puts on the ugly undies.
While Burgundy is renowned for wine, it’s less known for its family-friendly cycle paths – all 950 kilometres of them. They’re mostly flat, easy to navigate and have chateaux and abbeys lining their routes.
And thanks to a luggagetransfer service, which picks up your bags from your hotel in the morning and delivers them to that evening’s destination, we’ve planned a 60-km loop with plenty of stops on the way.
Today’s target is Cluny – a distance of30km. I’d thought Burgundy was all about red wine, but the vineyards we pass are ripe with white grapes. We stop at winery Chateau de la Greffiere, where we’re allowed to taste chardonnay straight from the barrel. Dry and crisp with hints of peach, it hits the spot nicely, as does Hannah’s nonalcoholic grape juice, called Nectar de Chardonnay.
Whenever we cross paths with cyclists they bid a friendly ‘Bonjour’. And they cry ‘Allez!’ when we head up what turns out to be a very steep road towards Chateau de Berzy-le-Sec – a hilltop castle with fairytale turrets once home to the Duke and Duchess of Bourgogne. Thank goodness we have ebikes – we need their boost. Even so, it’s a huffing, puffing ascent, but a stroll around the castle’s ornate gardens allows us to catch our breath.
The final push starts easily enough through the mile-long Tunnel de Bois Clair, the longest bike-only tunnel in Europe, which is eerily dark save for spotlights which make it feel very Phantom Of
The Opera. But soon the gradient increases. The bikes stutter, thighs wince and it is a relief to reach the abbey town of Cluny. At the B&B, as if by magic, our suitcases are in our room.
The Voie Verte has been built on a disused train line and the scenery constantly changes. At first fields are filled with poppies, then rapeseed, and every couple of miles we pass what were once remote train stations now converted into houses.
We’ve been assured that today’s 40-km ride to the medieval town of Buxy will be easier, and so it proves. But any aggravation is quickly forgotten after tasting a few grands crus, as I discovered when Laurent Cognard pours me nine vintages to try at his winery in Buxy, four of which are named after his children.
There’s no bike path for the third section of our loop, so we have to cross Burgundy from west to east via dirt tracks and country lanes.
However, I slip into a rhythm and appreciate the joy of cycling. I’m getting from one place to another under my own steam in fresh air. How brilliant is that?
We reach Tournus, on the River Saone. The piece de resistance is the town’s Hotel de Dieu – a former convent hospital. The beds, wood panelling, apothecary and leech jars are all as they were when built in 1675.
All too soon it’s the last leg, using the Voie Bleue MoselleSaone a Velo, a new cycle path stretching from Luxembourg to Lyon. Our section flanks the River Saone, which sparkles under a hot sun, but even though it’s our easiest path so far, my legs start to quiver from the effort of cycling four days in a row. I’m in a hurry to reach Macon, return the bikes and flop by the pool at our hotel.
Never before has a holiday combined so much physical activity with such rich heritage.
Would we do it again? Absolutely. And guess what? Those undies will be coming with us again.