Just try giving an Eclusier(lock keeper) and his wife a gift!

We have made some ( read a "little ") progress on the canals. When we left Beaulon on the Loire Lateral Canal our next stop was Digoin on the Centre Canal. Digoin is notable for the spectacular aquaduct entry to town and for the Stork family that has nested on top of the Church each year.

We then went on to Paray le Monial which is quite a religious village with a Basilica and several churches and when we arrived a kinetic vehicle race and a wedding. The next village on our way was Genelard. Genelard is quite small but has some lovely bike rides. We rode to the Chateau Digoine 2 times because it is such a beautiful chateau.

We then moved on to the town of Motchanin which is at the top (301 meters altitude) of the Centre Canal. The water from Montchanin west to Digoin flows to the Loire River and into the Atlantic Ocean. The water east of Montchanin flows to the Saone River and then to the Mediteranean. We only stayed for the night before doing 19 kilometers with 19 ecluses in one day to get to St Leger sur Dhuene. While we were doing this distance we did not have to wait once for an ecluse to open. The Eclusier(lock keeper) made sure we had an easy trip and each ecluse was open when we arrived. It makes such a difference and we did the entire distance in about 5 hours when it could have been an 8 hour ordeal! So at the last ecluse (#19), the eclusier who we started with on Ecluse #1 at Montchanin, we discovered lived in the charming lock house. He and his wife were working outside in their yard as he was now onto his weekend. We gave him a small gift - a bottle of wine. And as is the norm with the French you cannot just give them a gift. They have to give you something back. Madame gave us some of her homemade Cherry Jam - delicious. Right now in France there are cherry trees everywhere along the canals loaded with ripe cherries. The French are more than just charming they are genuinely kind and very generous.

We are now in French heaven. St Leger sur Dheune is the southern portion of the Bourgogne/Cote D'Or/Burgandy region. Mercurey, Beaune, Givry, Santenay, Pommard, Merseault and on and on and on. Biking heaven!