Walk migennes to Moneteau

Long straight path out of Migennes

The oil leak on our boat has forced us to spend an unknown amount of time at Simon Evans boat yard on the Yonne at Migennes.   So I thought I'd take the opportunity presented by an enforced stay, and the proximity of the railway station here, to do a longish walk.

Seignay

Headed of yesterday morning for Moneteau, via Seigenay (whose old market hall I had spied as we whizzed past in the car one day).

I got off to a great start as I soon found a sign for a pedestrian bridge over the river Amencon, a river we had followed on the Burgundy canal from pont d'Ouche, and which disappeared to become part of the Yonne just beyond this point.

This path stretched as far as the eye could see passing productive and attractive allotment gardens situated along the valley of the Yonne.

The path appeared to continue after a road junction, and this was confirmed by reference to my Google maps phone app - very handy as I had no detailed map with me.  My luck and Google maps reliability ran out at this point as the track became a grassy path and ended in a field. My attempts to scramble on a nearby bank were rewarded by a view of more fields and no path, so I retraced my steps and knuckled down to a bit of road work.

I soon reached a village near Bonnard, crossed the railway line and followed lanes and minor roads, passed over another familiar river, the Serin, and reached Beaumont. Feeling like a sit down by now, I seemed to have arrived at one of the few villages in France that did not contain a bench.  I satisfied myself with perching on the edge of a flower bed to consult Google maps again.

A 4km stretch of boring minor road led to the town of Seigenay. At this point my hard boiled egg and Dr Kargs crispbreads beckoned so insistently that I sat on the first bench I saw and unpacked my provisions, no matter that it was by the side of a busy dead straight main road.

Revived I stood and wiggled everything a bit to get my limbs moving again and set off up the hill. I soon found both a cafe and the hotel du commerce, and they were both open! Spoiled for choice, kitches still open at 2pm, and I had already eaten my lunch. It is always the way in France. If I had not taken a picnic lunch, they would have been closed. Anyhow, I settled for tea avec lait froid and it came in a teapot which was a huge bonus as I squeezed 3 cups from it.

I was a little disappointed at the lack of leafy lanes and the amount of open roads I was travelling on, but this trend reversed after Seigenay when I found a delightful forest edge walk to take me to Chaumes. Even better, as I wandered out of Seigenay I found a pattesserie that was open - at 2 o'clock! What a wonderful place this town was.

Gury

The leafy lane was followed over another railway cossing by another pleasant path past quarry pits, now a wildlife area and fishing lakes, to Gury on the river Yonne, visited previously by boat.  This time I decided to look out for the Rivieres restaurant, and was glad I did. The place was very inviting, and exuded a deliciou garlicky oily smell. Only problem was that having had lunch, then a pastry, I wasn't very hungry.  I was running out of energy though, so decided to have deux boule de glace. Caramel and pistache. The pistache ice cream was a delicious blob of creamey pistachio yumminess, I honestly don't know how it managed to be so full of pistachios. Made a note to return to taste more of the pleasures of this unassuming place in the middle of a very small village.

Le Rivieres

By this time I reckoned that I had walked over 12 miles and was reaching the limit of the what I would describe as an enjoyable walking experience. I had reached the river and the scenery of the last few miles was delightful, but the ache in my hips and feet were the dominant sensations for the last stretch.

Thankfully I had jotted down the details of all the trains back to Moneteau and if I didn't dawdle I would get the 17.34 which would take a whole 11 minutes to get back to Migennes where I started 7 hours ago! Arriving at the station I was a bit disconcerted to see a flight of about 20 steep steps to the platform, and a little bit worried to find that tickets could only be obtained by machine with the use of a credit card which I didn't have on me.  Oh well, I was not intending to walk back so I would get on and face the concequences. In the end a very kind lady bought me a ticket with her card and I paid her the 3.30 Euros cash.  Julian met me Migennes and I hobbled back to the boat and enjoyed a delicious cup of tea.

Yonne between Gury and Moneteau

While I had gone, and left to his own devices, Julian had bought a packet of rochfort cheese. I simply dread to think what would happen if I were not with him for the majority of the time!

River Lock near Moneteau.  All the river locks are like this.  A barage/weir over the river and then a small lock on one side.