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Montbard © Jeremy FlintCloisters of Abbey of Fontenay © Jeremy FlintSlowly making our way back to base, wefound yet more places to explore. Strollingthe ancient streets of the tranquil town ofMontbard, and wandering along the banks ofthe Brenne river gives you a lovely feel for thetown and there are plenty of friendly cafésand bistros to enjoy.Don’t miss the UNESCO World Heritage Statuslisted Abbey of Fontenay, a fantastic exampleof early Cistercian architecture, foundedby St Bernard in 1118. You’ll get a glimpseinto Cistercian life through the remarkablebuildings, gardens and fascinating cloisters.At Venarey-les-Laumes, cycle for around20 minutes to visit the enchanting chateauof Bussy-Rabutin with its sumptuous salons,portraits, and French style gardens.The combination of outstanding naturalbeauty, the historic treasures of Burgundy, andtaking things slowly as you enjoy river life arean irresistible mix - we’re already planning ournext boating adventure!Head to the Nicols Boats website, get inspiredabout the routes, find out about where youcan stop off, what sites you’ll visit, and take alook around all the different boats so you canchoose the one that best suits you. Get yourcrew together, choose your dates and get outon the water!History of the CanalIn the early 1600’s a tax was raised in andaround Dijon to fund the cost of a canalto connect Burgundy to Paris. The projectdidn’t go far. Almost 100 years later, LouisXIV’s great military engineer Vauban cameup with 5 possible routes the canal coulduse to connect the rivers Saône and Yonne.It was impossible to get a consensus. Civilengineers disagreed, local mayors wantedthe canal to pass as closely as possible totheir towns in order to reap the economicbenefits from the trade that would follow,and landowners wanted to sell at veryinteresting prices. It wasn’t until 1765during the reign of Louis XVI, more than150 years after the first steps had beentaken to create a canal, that constructionactually began.Progress was not smooth. The state ofBurgundy paid for its bit, the French statepaid for the rest - or rather they didn’t.Then the French Revolution came along,and the French state funding came to astandstill in 1793. The Burgundian sectioncarried on and the first barge arrived inthe port of Dijon in 1808. Even with theEmperor Napoleon insisting it be finished,there wasn’t enough money and too manyproblems to get the job done. Eventuallya huge loan allowed the completion of theCanal including a complicated 3.33 kmtunnel and finally in 1832, some 225 yearsafter it first began with the raising of a tax,a barge journeyed the entire route.SELF-DRIVEBOATING HOLIDAYSNO PREVIOUSEXPERIENCE NEEDED!Brittany, Anjou, Charente, Lot,Aquitaine, Midi, Camargue,Loire Valley, Burgundy,Franche-Comté, Alsace02392 401320 www.boat-renting-nicols.co.uk82 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 83
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