The Yonne of Burgundy One

Chateau de Messey B & B in Ozenay, France

So here I am, back in my beloved France after a very long day’s drive from northern Italy. I chose the Yonne department of Burgundy. I’d been to Beaune and its wine country surrounds in 2000, and wanted more little villages to meander through. I’d also developed an interest in the canals of this department. Yonne provided.

I rented a stone cottage apartment for a week at Chateau de Messey B & B (above) in a tiny old village called Ozenay, on the outskirts of Tournus, which lies between Macon on the south and Shalon sur Saone on the north. The charming couple Marie-Laurence and Bernard Fachon host this magical place, where I had a little private terrace overlooking the weeping willowed mill stream and a pasture with a trio of Charolais bulls. As you’ll see, I developed quite a love for these chunky white cattle of the region, whose braying and affectional antics gave me endless joy, not to mention making me reconsider vegetarianism. The property has many of them, and I woke one morning to a Charolais parade led by a high-stepping modern day French shepherd, or cow version of shepherd, in a blue jumpsuit, whooping a piercing pitched sound while border collies zipped around keeping the cows in line en route to the other pasture.

Each day I’d take off in my Peugeot and simply wander, impulsively stopping the car for this and that atmospheric shot. Sometimes I know the name of the village in the picture, sometimes it got past me. These first are from my trip to Louhans for their weekly farmer’s (literally!) market, where animals and their products are sold. This stirred mixed feelings, of course, as many endearing creatures were off to new homes where they’d probably die. Ach.

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22-29 October

The Yonne of Burgundy, France

Louhans market

is this guy beautiful, or what?

Louhans market (he’s not for sale!)

Louhans market: oh dear...

Louhans market

Louhans

chateau near de Messey

playing bulls 1

playing bulls 2

flowers planted for soil improvement

27-burg

Cluny

‘You lookin’ at me?’

Charolais

Bwaaaaaaaa

my mill creek view

mill creek

afternoon at de Messey

Charolais kiss

Charolais friends cuddling

Charolais kiss

Charolais ear kiss

Cormatin

Cormatin - beautiful or what?

Cormatin chateau

Cormatin chateau potager

Cormatin chateau

Cormatin chateau gardens

Cormatin chateau gardens--birdhouse

Cormatin chateau garden geese

Cormatin chateau

Cormartin