Having been isolated in marinas for so long with only other boats for neighbours, it was strange to be moored near the middle of a big city like Dijon. The strange city night noises kept us awake for a while last night, but we soon got used to them (sort of) and got a reasonable night's sleep.

Since this was my first extended stay in Dijon, I was unfamiliar with the layout of the city. But Phil and Kathy have moored here for extended periods on several occasions, and Rita was fimiliar with parts of the town because of her Music Therapy studies in Dijon. So Rita decided to show me some of the parts she knew, and we went for a bike ride out to Lac Kir, which is where she and her study friends often went for lunch or after-study drinks. Lac Kir is in the western part of Dijon, and is formed by dams created along the River Ouche, which runs parallel to the Canal de Bourgogne.

Unlike the south-east of Dijon which is very flat, the north-west area rises into surrounding hills and mountains. The northern edge of Lac Kir is overlooked by residential developments along a ridgeline.

We found the lakeside cafe that Rita frequented with her friends, and which seemed very popular with locals, and had a relaxing and enjoyable lunch. We then decided to ride around the lake, but on reaching the other side, we realised that it was right beside the canal. So we turned right to explore the canal a bit, since we might bring the barge up here soon, and eventually we ended up in the town of Fleury d'Ouche.

The ride was enjoyable, but the canal was very quiet, and we only saw one boat on the move. As a result of this lack of activity, there was considerable weed in the water upstream of some of the locks, which could be a navigation hazard for any future trips. However, the scenery along the canal was impressive as the canal rose into higher elevations among the surrounding hills.

Some of the bridges on the parallel railway line were also impressive in a different sort of way.

Having relaxed in Fleury-sur-Ouche for a while, we turned around and rode back to Lac Kir and then back to port. That evening we went uptown with Phil and Kathy for a drink in a cafe square which seemed very polular with the locals, and then adjourned to a nearby Japanese restaurant for dinner. As always, the staff checked our COVID vaccination QR codes on our smartphones, and while there wasn't exactly social distancing within the small restaurant, we felt relatively safe in this fully-vaccinated environment.

After dinner, Phil and kathy returned to their boat, while Rita and I went for a walk around town so that we could get our bearings. Dijon proved to be a very lively town at night, mainly because of the University students who were out and about. We joined many of them for an after-dinner coffee at the Place de la Liberation, before returning to the boat for a well-earned sleep.