The Final Day - Big Skies and A Big Picture

---

After a leisurely breakfast, I left the hotel about 09h00 and headed into town to buy my usual lunch - quiche and a ham salad baguette. I then went off to hire a bike for the day. My plan was to head up into the vineyards covering a total of 22 miles.

And so, in the warm sun, I cycled through the park and headed downhill alongside the Boulevard Vaubelle to the River Yonne.

Not wanting to take any chances, I used a couple of pedestrian crossings before joining the tow path at the Ecluse Auxerre. Following the canal to Vaux, I crossed the river by a narrow vehicular bridge before locating a well-marked track taking me to Champs-sur-Yonne.

After pausing for a drink of water in the centre of Champs, I crossed the railway and the busy Route National, I made my way through vineyards, to St. Bris.

Here, I'd arranged to meet the verger as I'd heard that the church held an amazing painted artefact. At so, at 11h00, I was greeted by a gentleman eager to show me the delights of this ancient building.

An hour later, I headed through Chitry, where, getting into the lowest gear possible, I slowly climbed the hill at the far end of town. Here, with an amazing view over the vineyards of Chitry, I had my lunch in the warm sun.

After crossing under the motorway, I turn left down a very minor road and managed to find time to look at the famous wine village of Chablis to my right. After the long ascent, it was nice to have the gentle descent down through Montallery, crossing the D965 and continuing on to Les Soleines.

Unfortunately, after the descent, there was a long ascent (2 miles) enabling me to recross the motorway and the final descent to Auxerre.

Back on the voie vert, it was a simple matter of crossing the canal and heading back into the town to deposit the bike.

Sadly, being the last day, the evening was spent packing - and wondering how so much could have been accumulated in such a short time!

---