Working Barges, Cycle Paths, Chateau Couches, Floating Bollards and Locks on the Canal du Centre

Here are a few snapshots of places we have been and things we have seen over the past few days whilst based at St Leger sur Dheune at the end of July 2016.

Working Barge passing us at St Leger sur Dhuene port. 

Map of cycle path from Givry to Cluny

Burgundy is very well served by cycle paths, and there are also plenty of little camp sites and picnic areas, there is a wonderful route following an old railway line which includes the worlds longest cycle path tunnel.

Chateau Couches looks to be a very interesting Chateau. As we have visited quite a few recently we decided to take a walk around the perimeter through the woods and into the old part of the village which was very picturesque and we did not see a single modern building, just beautifully restored old village houses and larger properties surrounded by gardens and veg plots.  Campsis is just beautiful at the moment.  Also Wisteria in bloom.

Chateau Couches

Walk below Couches Chateau

Couches gateway

Couches lower village

Lock on Canal du Centre.  Floating bollards (first we've seen on Burgundy system) Plants left to grow in lock (another first). Eclusiers (lockkeepers) that run away rather than too you when you appear! (Not all of them, but we certainly had a lot of problems with these automatic locks, and this made us value the Eclusiers on the Canal Bourgogne and Nivernais)

Wildflower meadow near Blanzy