continental touring: burgundy

lying insects were everywhere – I couldn’t venture outside the Fcaravan without walking into a cloud of them. It was a pleasant farm site Off the BrancionBrancion D14 near Tournus, but one night was enough ToTo u r n us and we left in the morning. CormatinCormatin D161 D56 We moved to an idyllic hilltop site the largest abbey in Christendom; an art above the wine village of Lugny, where and archaeological museum; the largest we were shaded by stunted oak trees. number of Romanesque houses of any LugnyLugny D163 Vineyards covered the low hills below e beaten track n town in , and a national stud farm. ô and into the distance. Once settled, a a Only the south transept and a few stones S typical day would be spent taking a La Roche de Solutré D82 a remain of the once magnificent abbey. Be L substantial walk before lunch, followed This,warned, another it superb can get viewpoint, very crowded is very and very D15 by a visit to a château, museum or cave in popularhot too,in summer but it’s asworth it is one the of effort. Burgundy’s Try AzéAzé the afternoon. Friday morning was spent to gomost early, popular before the sights. crowds. We visited ClunyCluny in Lugny at the weekly market, where on a Sunday morning, when the light was local produce – fruit, vegetables, bread D85 D82 clear and sharp. A circular path winds N79 and fresh Charolais cheese – could all be steeply through scrub up to the summit, bought. but the sublime views over the luxuriant This whole area is ideal walking Poully-Fuisse vineyards give you plenty of country and it’s almost impossible to lose excuses to pause along the way. This yourself since all routes are excellently wealthy, man-made environment is signposted and you can pick up a number dotted by tiny villages or an isolated mass. of free walking guides. A network of The view from the peak is breathtaking MâconMâcon undulating paths lead from village to and extends to the distant horizon in village through vineyards, past fields of every direction. Over to the east, we sunflowers, maize, brilliant splashes of could just make out the snow-covered cornflowers, vetch, and the humble cone of Mont Blanc! convolvulus with numerous species of The land below Solutré was a hunting LyonLyon butterfly darting in between. site for 25,000 years. Consequently, Romanesque churches and occasional bones from animals throughout that châteaux break up the view. Palaeolithic period have been excavated telling us about the life and climate of those times. The museum at the bottom provides an excellent commentary in your chosen language, which takes you Brancion and Tournus through the stages of prehistory. Entry is free on the first Sunday of every month. Nearby, the village of Brancion is easily When we came out we watched recognisable, with its medieval château, 30 years of collecting by its owner, an an unsteady line of enjoying an elevated position atop a hill. TERRY BROWN FOUND THAT A VISIT TO BURGUNDY CAN enthusiastic amateur cyclist. Less than ramblers making its No cars are allowed in the village so the five euros buys entrance to an ancient erratic way between atmosphere of the little place is restored barn where the BE MUCH MORE REWARDING IF YOU ‘GET ON YER BIKE’ the vines. It turned preserved. Three euros buys you entrance exhibits are on two levels. out to be the to the château and a helpful printed guide Downstairs are children’s “a friendly lady ABOVE: An excuse to vineyard equivalent in your own language. There is plenty to lady persuaded us to buy more wine A few detours bikes, working bikes for deliv- pause on the way up the of a pub-crawl, see including a sanctuary stone, some than we had planned... oh well! Within a short car drive are several places ery and sales, novelty bikes, persuaded us Roche de Solutre allowing participants original 10th-century herringbone walls, Tournus, the main tourist town which, in Michelin terminology, “merite and memorabilia. Upstairs is BELOW: to taste the wine at hereabouts, has a fine tree-lined un detour”. But the journeys themselves the history of cycling from the to buy more ancient towers, and magnificent views in château from over the quayside along the river in its are distractingly interesting, and you can each vineyard along the all directions. maze earliest model, a Draisienne centre. From there, narrow alleyways discover some additional little-known wine thanway. we That seemed like such a good Below the château the village’s RIGHT: Cormatin château of 1820, wooden bikes, lead past old houses with internal places of interest. Mont St Romain, for idea that we joined them in a Pouilly- unmade tracks weave between the gardens home-made bikes, right courtyards to the town centre. Here, a Fuisse wine cave – not a bad place to austere grey stone houses to the FAR RIGHT: Lugny camp example, a short distance south-west of through all the stages up to had planned” magnificent Romanesque abbey is a conclude our varied trip at all! Romanesque church at the other end. site, shaded by stunted Brancion reaches a height of 587m. Steps the latest models including the bike on Next stop was the local wine cave at oak trees haven of peace amoung the busy streets.lead up to a viewing platform and the which Jose Meiffret broke the World Martailly-lès-Brancon, where a friendly The crypt is open to visitors, with its view is just amazing – a full 360-degree Speed Record in 1979 with a speed of early sculptured capitals and its well. panorama across Burgundy. 204.778kph. There are more than 150 We also ‘discovered’ another bicycles altogether. It’s a must for any Romanesque church at Chissey-lès- cycling enthusiast. Mâcon. It’s a lovely old building with carved capitals and a 10th-century font CAMPSITES inside. Nearby Chapaize is a very clean and well-ordered little village and its Camping Le Hameau des Champs, 71460 Cormatin. Tel 03 85 50 76 71. Has all the church has a magnificent tower which is Well-known sites of interest facilities you might expect (excluding swimming pool). Pleasant enough, but in 2003 so high it seems out of proportion. Inside, Some of the better-known tourist the newly-planted trees were too small to give significant shade. (See p303 Caravan the church has been thoroughly but attractions still warrant a visit, so after you Europe 2005, Vol 1) sensitively restored leaving traces of old have made some unique discoveries of Camping Le Gue, Messeugne, 71460 Savigny-sur-Grosne. This is a very large site wall murals. your own, the caves at Azé are with lots of permanent caravans. (p303) worthwhile. They are divided into two Camp Municipal St Pierre, 71260 Lugny. Tel 03 85 33 20 25 or 03 85 33 21 96 main areas; the first where animals and (Mairie). At the top of a hill above Lugny, on a quiet road. Flat pitches, all shaded by humans have lived for thousands of years oak trees. Good standard toilet block (p484) – skeletons are there in place. The second Aire Naturelle de Camping a La Ferme de Malo(Goujon), Champlieu, 71240 Bicycles anyone? is largely geological. Etrigny. Tel 03 85 92 21 47 or 03 85 92 23 40. This is the farm site with all the insects. Another unusual, lesser-known gem is the Next stop was . Cluny prides I expect we were just unlucky and they are not always a pest. It is a pleasant, quiet Musée du Velo just outside Cormatin. It itself on having the remains of what was site by a small stream with clean and adequate facilities. (p610) has been open for six years and represents

44 The Caravan Club Magazine February 2005 www.caravanclub.co.uk www.caravanclub.co.uk The Caravan Club Magazine February 2005 45