Today we went to Montbard which is a small village about 12kms from our village to visit their market. This was our 3rd attempt at finding a decent market and thankfully this time we were not disappointed. After stocking up on local cheese, much to the amusement of the fromagier, and having coffee at the corner bar, we ventured to the Abbey de Fontenay. This place was amazing having been founded in 1118 by an order of monks. Up to the 16th century the abbey was prosperous with more than 300 monks and converts however it declined when the royals nominated abbots who were only interested in the revenue they could earn. This bought about religious wars and the abbey fell into rapid decline and eventually became a paper mill during the French Revolution. In 1906 new owners undertook the restoration and brought Fontenay back to its original appearance and in 1981 it was added to UNESCO’s world heritage list. While in Montbard we watched a river boat negotiate one of the locks on the Canal de Bourgogne which runs through Burgundy.
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