May 21 - Chateau de Brancion & Saone River cruising

The boat was docked in Tournus with our cabin facing the river.    The French balcony door was left open for the river breeze and this welcoming morning sky.

We went up on deck after breakfast to look at the town.

You can see the twin spires of the former ancient monastery of Benedictine monks called Saint-Philibert de Tournus.   More on that  later.

Our morning excursion was to the Chateau de Brancion, which was a hilltop village/hamlet with the protection of a castle fortification.   We had a very picturesque drive through the countryside and small medieval towns and vineyards.

The bus parked in the lower lot and we hiked up the hill.

An impressive lower bastion wall with a gate that had a double door set-up.

The lower and middle walls surrounded the village.  Inside the village area were homes, shops, the very important well, and a church.

The slabs in the floor were all crypts.   This was the view outside the front door of the church looking over the surrounding countryside.

We then climbed up the castle steps.   The fortifications were on higher ground.   The villagers would enter the castle during attempts to storm the village.    The castle had its own well.

We climbed the tower and this was the view looking over the village.

Archaeological finds in the village show early building remnants from the 8th century.   The castle fortifications were started prior to the 11th century.

When we arrived back at the ship we grabbed a quick bite before heading back out on our own to visit Tournus before the boat left and headed down the river.    We opted to stay on board instead of visiting another winery.    This is the church of Tournus Abbey.

Construction of parts of the church started in 1006 and the many reconstructions lasted 600 years.

Back to the boat we hurriedly walked to make sure that it didn't start cruising without us.

We looked forward to a leisurely afternoon enjoying the river views as we cruised to Macon.

Many beautiful swans along the river.

It was a very relaxing afternoon and allowed us to recharge after a very busy 18 days of travel!   Tomorrow we explore another Benedictine abbey, Cluny, and the nearby village of Berze-le-Chatel.  See you there!