Julienas

Day: 8
Route: Pont d'Ain - Macon
Distance: 57 miles
Height: 1056ft ascent
Time in saddle: 4 hrs 11 mins

The first few miles were a little hilly and after 7 pretty tough days in the saddle we were struggling a little in both body and mind. However, the roads soon flattened, the cross-head wind became a cross-tail wind and our legs remembered what they needed to do. So much so in fact that we soon found ourselves virtually racing each other through the countryside, in the hope of missing the threatening rain clouds (which other than a few spots we thankfully did, but not probably because of our efforts).
A quick mid-morning refuel in Chatilllon and we were soon in Burgundy wine country...where we happened upon a wine fête a few villages away:

Never being people to look a gift horse in the mouth, we quickly agreed to the c.5 mile detour, and spent a pleasant afternoon eating our picnic and supping Beaujolais from many of the top producers in the area. For the princely sum of €5 we bought a glass and rather dandy bag to carry the glass around our necks, and wandered between the different stalls, learning a little about the wines of the region whilst sampling them:

We've just been brought back to earth by finding that we've booked ourselves into a motel next to the motorway, and what we thought was a 15 min walk into town for dinner is more like an hour, but I guess you can't have everything!

Ps. Bonus photo of the correct way to transport a baguette in France...now where did he put that beret....