Lunchtime walking – taking advantage of the fading mist and nice sunshine. It will take you half an hour – maybe a little longer if you keep taking photos, like me!

From the foot of the Clos St.Jacques, you can follow a prepared walk (La Bossière) complete with its green way-markers and occasional info-plaques. There are two loops but I just took in the one that covers the Côte St.Jacques, cutting through Lavaux, through a central wooded part – en friche – then under Estournelles, Poissenot, Romanée – now above Varoilles and then curling your way back to the Clos St.Jacques.

This is ‘extreme Gevrey’ where the valley narrows to head up the Combe de Lavaux – here you will find less and less sunlight – parts of the vines in full-shade at midday in December. Let me tell you, leave the sunshine and it’s suddenly damn cold! It’s an area, in particular around Varoilles, that I find so atmospheric – especially with the cliffs of the Combe de Lavaux as a backdrop!

Between Lavaux and CSJ

Over Lavaux to the ‘house’ of Varoilles

Lavaux

CSJ…

Mid-Lavaux towards Gevrey

None of the forecast snow, and hardly minus temperatures either – unlike last week – but a flash of sunshine has been a rare thing…

Apothecary…

Morey – the crane capitol…

nobody….

Blue sky!

Exactly what it says!

Maybe you remember my recent image of a car that had been left too long under a Place Carnot tree full of roosting birds(?) Didn’t we laugh!

Well, given that said trees no-longer have any leaves, and are also full of Christmas lights, and that I’d successfully parked there a couple of times last week – you guessed it! This morning, Scooby was covered in shit! Oh well. To save considerable Subaru embarrassment, no pictures and a visit to the jet-wash!

Today another day of sun for visits in the Côte de Nuits. Given a covid-related cancellation for the first tasting after lunch, my extra long lunch-break (sandwiches in the car, as is the current necessity) allowed a decent lunchtime run. Starting in Chambolle, heading up a vertical track to a view above the vines, then onwards, on high, to Morey and then Gevrey before doing an about-turn and taking a vineyard route back – just over 10km – so I deserved my ham & cheese butties!

Mostly, these images were taken during the run:

Today’s 10.4 km…

Over Amoureuses to the Clos de Vougeot

Over Amoureuses toward the Clos des Perrières

Amoureuses…

Pruning…

High on the hill, the view back to Chambolle

In Chambolle looking down to the plain…

High up in Morey, looking down to the Clos de Tart

In Clos de Bèze

To finish my afternoon…

Madame Leroy’s Romanée Saint Vivant…

The Scooby is limping this week – and that’s despite a service only two weeks ago. I spotted a small noise that’s now a big one – I think the servo on the power-steering – as turning a corner resembles a many-sided coin, rather than something round! Then there’s the suspension rattle that’s developed yesterday on the cobblestones of Beaune – at least it’s fine on the normal roads, for now…

Such is life with a 15+-year-old set of wheels – but it will be great again when those are fixed – hopefully for some days anyway 🙂

The light was super on Monday but yesterday delivered freezing fog for the whole day – so I chose not to freeze while getting changed to run at lunchtime. I think yesterday was fine for the whole day in the Hautes Côtes though. Today was sunny so I braved the jogging kit – but it’s been leggings since last week!

Then, of course, the lunchtime sandwiches in the car – like every day!

Some Côte de Nuits views from today:

The rich, part-ploughed, soil of Romanée-Conti

Over Romanée-Conti towards Vougoet

Romanée Saint Vivant towards Vosne

Leroy’s RSV

Chateau de Gevrey-Chambertin

Chateau de Gevrey-Chambertin

Chateau de Gevrey-Chambertin

Chateau de Gevrey-Chambertin

Denizen of Gevrey cellar…

Nice light and pretty clouds in the Côte de Nuits today…

Premeaux

Premeaux

Nuits

Towards Vosne

Towards Vosne

Aux Malconsorts

Aux Malconsorts

Over Clos de Vougeot towards Vosne

Clos de Vougeot

RSV

Fontenys

Issarts…

In few pictures. The first, yesterday, from Meursault, all the rest from today in Volnay…

Catching up after a busy weekend, but here are, mainly, some Santenay photos from last Friday but also the last one is the return of an old ‘friend!’

Yes, erected only on Thursday, it looks like the police (or state) need the money – the traffic camera is back – after only 12 days since the last local exorcism! …

Today’s view to Chassagne from the hill above Montrachet

A bizarre week in the world – that’s for sure – but with some beautiful views, as above.

Since the end of last week, France is in lockdown – and the scale of infections seems to amply justify it – only essential work is allowed to continue.

It’s a stretch to describe wine-tasting and domaine visits as essential work – I’m with you here. But as my sole source of income, it’s essential to me, and seemingly for merchants (who can’t visit) who are desperate for tasting notes and producers who rely on getting notes in front of buyers, the (wine) industry in France does see this work as essential – and for that, I’m very thankful.

It will not surprise you that there’s much paperwork required to be out and about – justifications – this is administrative France, after-all. So far, in covid-compatible mode, including making my sandwiches every morning as there are no restaurants, I’ve been underway without any issue – so far! I’ve chosen a measure of discretion, I’m not flooding instagram with my (usual) pretty images (ha-ha!) but it’s important to underline that, for now, my work continues here.

Of course, if they close the borders between France & Switzerland, like they did earlier this year, then my visits will certainly be over for the foreseeable future…