somebody asked for some "dark"motorcycling?

[MooN]

Weather was a bit odd on sunday, 10/10ths cloud cover with a warm wind from the south and an odd light  so the pics might look a bit strange. 

Having spent all day saturday in the car traveling from here to Louhans, to Perouges, to Lyon and back here again my back was aching so I decided on a short ride, close to home allowing me to pull the plug and retreat if I got any pain or if the bizarre weather turned to sht.

I rode south along the river to Bailly and visited the cooperative wine cellar there

 

there are about 4 hectares underground (50 ish metres underground) where they make Cremant de Bourgogne, a local fizzy wine. This has remained open as it is, naturally, considered by the French as a "neccessary commerce".  I started here because there are 3 of these underground systems along the east bank of the river between Auxerre and Cravant. Originally stone mines at the turn of the last century, this is the only one that is still safe to visit. Used today as a cooperative wine producer and seller, it was used as a munitions depot by the Germans during the occupation, the other two cave systems further along the valley were used as an aircraft repair facility by the Luftwaffe and were the target of a number of allied bombing raids.  The acces is not easy and the airfield is the other side of the river, so they set up a cableway from the cave entrance, across the river and down to the valley floor.  The remains of the site are still visible IF you know where to look, and I have seen at the local mayors office, photographs of a focke wulf fighter being hauled up the cableway from the runway to the underground workshop in the cliff face.  

the entrance/ Exit

South along the river again, through Vincellottes and Vincelles onto the winding back road along the eastern bank between the cliff and the river you come across this first

last time I came up here you could go in the pill box, and obviously many of the local "youfs" had done so over the years. The entrance is now sealed with a steel door and it has been transformed into a bat breeding site

The other side of the pill box looks out over a 15 or 20 metre drop across the valley . A hundred metres further along is the first of the underground workshop entrances.

the sign on the door says that there are "Pieges a feu" ( explosive traps) and alarms to discourage intruders. on the opposite side of the road are the vestiges of the winding tower for the cableway

again looking out over the river below, but you cant see that due to the vegetation. 

another 100 or so metres along is the 2nd, smaller, entrance 

photo taken AFTER tigger had decided to have a wee nap

I even had the presence of mind to think of you lot and take a pic befor picking it up!  In the time it took me to pick it up 2 cars had stopped to see if I was ok or needed help, which was reassuring. 

On south again, past another pill box

and then, as the cliff peters out somewhat, the remains of the soldiers and techniciens barracks

 

from there I dropped down to the village of Cravant, crossed the river and headed back north along the main road to Vincelles, cut east across the railway and back towards the same place but the other side of the river and on the valley floor. 

The airfield is now a model aircraft club airfield

from this position, if I turn northwards a little you can see the workshop entrances in the cliff face over the river ( just left of centre in the pic below)

there are no traces left of the cableway gear down here, though I have heard that some are still visible down by the river. 

further along a dirt track from the airfield, about level with the far end of the runway is another, I presume, barracks or possibly workshop? they obviously had to dismantle wings and suchlike before moving a plane up the cables to the cliff workshop, and re assemble them again before flight. 

 I rode straight in and took a pic looking back east straight across the valley to the cliff entrances.

zoomed...

 

I took a short vid of this place but have no idea how to post it so I'll have to work on that.

 

[XTreme]

Brilliant Chris......you gotta admit that the Dark Motorcycling angle gives the best pics, because you get the atmosphere of the place.

It gives a report substance rather than just scenic views.

8 minutes ago, MooN said:

I took a short vid of this place but have no idea how to post it so I'll have to work on that.

Upload it to YouTube then paste the link in.

You get the link from the "Share" button underneath the vid.

And damn that Trail Braking.....that shit will get you killed!

[MooN]

 

[MooN]

Just now, XTreme said:

 

And damn that Trail Braking.....that shit will get you killed!

I dropped it static Pete...

[XTreme]

Just now, MooN said:

I dropped it static Pete...

[boboneleg]

Some cool stuff there Chris.  Shame about the Tigger nap , at least you've christened it now .

[Pedro]

Good stuff. Love the underground cellars

[Sofia]

Gorgeous ride!! Always loved riding in France, beautiful places to see.

In a way, its cool to see its not only my triumph that likes to have a nap!! 

[MooN]

4 hours ago, boboneleg said:

 at least you've christened it now .

yeah but only cos I was always told that if nobody else sees it, it doesn't count. I shan't mention the other two times... 

[Sofia]

16 minutes ago, MooN said:

yeah but only cos I was always told that if nobody else sees it, it doesn't count. I shan't mention the other two times... 

maybe we should start a club together!!