I arrived in Migennes the day before—coincidentally, the same day the World Naked Bike Ride was taking place in London, where thousands were letting it all hang loose in the name of climate action, cyclists’ rights, and body freedom. While I fully support those causes, I kept my clothes on—no need to startle the locals.
Migennes sits at the confluence of the Yonne River and the Canal de Bourgogne, which is exactly why I came here to embark on my trip. And even though I won’t be boarding any boats—I’m sure I’ll be seeing plenty of them along the way.
I stayed at an Airbnb to dodge any surprise weather antics before setting off; starting the trip with soggy camping gear would’ve sucked. I didn’t get much sleep—my mind was too restless, the bed wasn’t particularly comfortable, and mosquitoes didn’t help. At least I avoided the overnight thunderstorm, but as soon as I hit the road, the rain returned and stuck around well into the late afternoon, even after I reached Montbard. Not exactly the start I had in mind. I was expecting cooler temperatures, but not this persistent drizzle. The route itself was decent, though a bit monotonous, with little to see along the way. And even if there had been sights worth visiting, I wasn’t keen to wander off the path in that weather.
It was the same story at the destination: there were a few attractions, including Fontenay Abbey, but instead of exploring, I ended up drying off in an Airbnb. I had originally planned to camp, but not in these conditions.
All in all, a pretty miserable day. Fingers crossed tomorrow brings better weather.
Today in numbers:
106 km – distance cycled
5% — of Migennes residents are foreign-born
1118 AD — Fontenay Abbey was founded by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, and is the oldest preserved Cistercian abbey in the world
36-volume — encyclopedia of natural history written by Comte de Buffon, native of Montbard