After a train, bus, plane, subway, train (again) and taxi, we made it from Italy to north-western Burgundy at the confluence of the Yonne river and Canal du Bourgogne. There we began a 2.5 week cruise down the entire length of the Canal du Nivernais from Migennes to Decize. Along the way we visited Auxerre (the seat of the western Roman Empire circa the 3rd century), the Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards of Chablis (tasting included!), incredibly old churches (some from the 11th and 12th centuries), and some of the most beautiful and unmolested sections of rural France we've ever seen.

For leg one, we had our friends Suzanne and Karen with us on a 45 foot boat, "Magnifique", for a week. They immediately fell into their assigned roles as sommelier and bread-and-pastry supply officer, respectively. I discovered a (previously unknown) knack for choosing the right stinky cheese from the huge cheese aisles at the market, and Heather held everything together with multiple delicious dinners. Leg two began about halfway down the Nivernais where we traded the big boat for a smaller boat for just the two of us, the "Sheba", and continued southbound for ten more days. We met several folks who live full-time aboard their barges, and now we are back at home with severe, and possibly terminal, "lifestyle envy".

Disclaimer: There are a LOT of photos on the Canal pages.