Wednesday 12 August 2009

Another early start



Another Early Start

Off early and on the road north. Just got as far as we felt comfortable. The van’s superb to drive, but after lunch, you just feel the need for a siesta! We pulled up 50miles north of Dijon, in the Cremant de Borgogne wine-growing area. Cremant is much like Champagne, but they’re not allowed to call it that. We “installed” the van on the “emplacement”, at Chatillon-sur-Seine. Ian went off on another cycle ride and I chose to prepare some food and catch up with the blog!
Ian’s sort of mentioned in passing, unenthusiastically, that there is some ancient artefact in the museum in town. I later discovered that it sounds spectacular. It turns out that the village of Vix, 6km northwest of Chatillon, is the highest navigable point on the Seine, and they think that the Celtic chiefs who controlled it, were brought gifts, possibly from traders in Cornish tin, shipped South from Britain on the way to the Adriatic. So the treasures are technically ours, I suppose! The museum houses finds from the 6th century BC tomb of a Celtic princess, buried in a four-wheeled chariot. They say that the best piece is a simple gold tiara, and the largest bronze vase of Greek origin known from antiquity. It stands an incredible 1.64m high on tripod legs.
A little insignificant place like this, with nothing much else to say about it, and it houses an amazing relic!
And Ian thought he was going to get away with not visiting it. You’ve got to exercise the brain as well as the body, Ian!!! We can’t wait to see it before heading to the seaside and the Boulogne area! Ferry crossing in three days time!
PS Picture shows us at Le Touquet on an aire - it's not all beautiful mountain scenery!

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