Cycling France part three

I love the gnomes!

We left the the Burgundy canal for Vezelay. Its strategically located on a hilltop, it was quite a climb for us.

Vezelay has  lots of tourists. The abbey is said to hold the relics (bones) of Mary Magdelene,

but it doesn't because the Huguenots destroyed the relics in the 16th century. Vezelay was also a starting point for the second and third crusades and a starting point for the Compostela pilgrim trail.

Next we join the Canal_du_Nivernais to Auxerre and Sens.

Nature et Paysans in Villadin just west of Troyes made us coffee and chocolate despite a busy baking day. It sells wood fired organic bread and fair trade products.

Troyes. 

We followed the Canal de la Haute Seine bike path north west out of Troyes as far a Mery sur Seine.

The mill at Anglure on the way to Sezanne.

A bit of street performance in a village.

Mondement-Montgivroux Le Monument national de la victoire de la Marne, marks the turning point of the German invasion of France in the first world war. The advance was stopped here, 3 years of trench war stalemate followed.

Next Epernay and Reims.