2023 Itzonagen European Ride

After our brief sojourn in Dijon, it was time to move on to the fifth and final leg of our multi part European Ride - the ride along the Canal de Nivernais in Burgundy.

After enjoying a lovely light breakfast at the Aparthotel in Dijon, we made the short walk back to the Gare de Dijon. Originally, we had thought that today's transfer to Dijon would have only involved a single train journey of around an hour. Unfortunately, the French railway people had chosen this time to undertake major works on the lines in this region. Instead of a simple, single train ride, we discovered that we would have to make a train ride and then two bus rides. This was not a prospect that we were looking forward to.

At least the first part went according to plan. The train departed on time and it was only sparsely occupied. We even managed to find secure space for our luggage. It was only when the time came for us to get off the train that we almost encountered a real disaster.

As we were getting off the train, we had to negotiate a series of steps and (most dangerous of all) a door handle that was specifically designed to catch on to any loose luggage strap that happened to be near. As I dismounted, I came close to being hooked, but managed to break free, Gordon was not so lucky.

As he negotiated the steps, his backpack was ripped out of his grip and fell right down between the train and the platform, finally coming to rest near the massive train wheels. If that was not bad enough, Gordon then started to climb down onto the tracks in an attempt to retrieve it!

"It's only a backpack", I yelled, "let it go". Gordon reluctantly climbed back onto the safety of the platform and looked forlornly down at his lost luggage. In the meantime, the incident had caught the attention of the station staff. They communicated with the driver by walkie talkie, and gave permission for the train to leave.

Fortunately the train wheels narrowly missed the bag, and it was then safely retrieved by the station guard. Disaster was thus averted.

While all this was happening, we were also conscious that another clock was ticking - the next bus was due to leave in only a couple of minutes. We charged from the station and climbed onto the first bus we saw. To our relief, it happened to be the right one.

We then had a very comfortable bus ride to Le Cruisot, and waited for the final bus to arrive. By this time the day was really starting to heat up. The sun had a fierce sting to it, and we went in search of any shade we could find, while we waited for the second bus to arrive.

The second bus did arrive on time, but we found that the inside was like a sauna. The driver did not seem to know how to turn the AC on. To compensate for the heat in the bus, the scenery outside was absolutely sublime. This is a beautiful part of France, and it was impossible not to be impressed.

We finally rolled into Decize around 1.30 pm, but which time we were hot, hungry and thirsty. We also knew that the hotel was too far from the station to walk. What we didn't know was that the small city has NO TAXIS.

About 400 m from the station we rolled our cases into a small Boulangerie, where the owners were obviously very glad to see us. They were even more glad when we ordered baguettes, soft drinks, coffees and cakes. When we explained that we wanted to get to our hotel, the (very) friendly lady said that her husband would drive us. And he did.

Travel is often like that. Just when a problem arises, an unexpected solution arises soon after. It took two trips for the husband to transfer us and all our luggage, so it well worth the 50 Euro tip we offered him. Although he did not want money, we knew that he needed it, so it felt good to help him out. It was a win-win situation for everyone.

Our hotel is right next to the beautiful marina, where we watched the big fish jumping out of the water while the sun set. That evening we dined outside, celebrating Maggie's birthday. It was an absolutely special end to an eventful day.Leer más

During the course of the past 8 weeks we have caught numerous trains, buses, ferries and taxis to get us from one location to another. So far, I am extremely relieved to say, that all the complicated arrangements have worked perfectly.

We are now all very aware that our mammoth adventure is coming to a conclusion. This morning we all packed our bags for almost the last time, as we prepared to leave Vermenton and head to Paris.

After breakfast, a few of the group made a final walk into the village to buy some goodies from the Boulangerie, while Maggie and I stayed in the millhouse. We were feeling a mixture of apprehension and excitement as we faced the thought of spending the next few days in Paris. While we both love Paris dearly, we knew that our movements would be restricted by Maggie's sore back. I was also not looking forward to how I was going to get all our luggage from the train station to the apartment we had booked on the right bank. Somehow I just hoped that it would all turn out OK.

By noon, we were all ready to go. Cynda, the owner of the millhouse, had kindly offered to carry all the group's luggage to the Vermenton Station, so that took care of our first major challenge.

As Maggie and I slowly walked from the millhouse through the familiar village streets, we were both very conscious that we were walking them for the very last time. We will miss this funny little place that had been our home for the past week.

When the whole group was at the station, we stopped at the little cafe opposite to share a coffee before our train trip to Paris. Then it was time to cross the road and wait for the train to arrive. This train trip was to be our final train ride for this trip, and we all wondered how full the train would be.

We have already had bad experiences with trying to manhandle all our luggage onto a crowded train, and did not want to repeat that. Fortunately, when the train pulled up (right on time), we were relieved to see that it was almost empty. We had plenty of room for our luggage, and also found some comfortable seats for ourselves.

The trip to Paris took around two hours. We climbed off the train at Bercy Station and shared our final goodbye hugs with the friends we had spent the previous 8 weeks with. From now on we will be on our own. It will be a little strange, after spending so much time together with the others.

The first challenge we faced was getting off the station. We knew that many French stations have multiple staircases to be climbed. Lifts and elevators are often very rare. I could hardly believe it when I saw that the platform led directly to the outside of the station. There was not a single stair to be tackled.

After walking out the station, I was relieved again to see a line of waiting taxis. A couple of minutes later we were sitting in a very comfortable Skoda taxi and on our way to our apartment. I had told the owner that we were hoping to be there "around 4 pm", and we pulled up at exactly 4.01 pm. This was almost too easy to be true. The taxi was even able to drop us off directly outside the entry door.

We then had to open two doors, each secured by a different combination, climb into one of the tiniest lifts I have ever seen, ride it to the fifth floor, and finally climb the spiral staircase to our apartment on the sixth floor. Since the lift was so small, only one person could fit in at a time.

The mild mannered owner, Paul, was waiting for us, when we finally reached the summit, and showed us around, before handing us the key and leaving. We were finally on our own.

The apartment itself, though small, was bigger than most hotel rooms in Paris. It even came with a tiny kitchen, dishwasher and washing machine. When we looked out the window, we could even see the Eiffel Tower and part of Sacre Coeur Cathedral. We are situated just north of the Seine, on the border of the famous Marais and Les Halles Regions. It will be an ideal base for our 2023 Paris experience.Leer más