Evening in Auxerre

We have had many, many beautiful evenings on our journey up the Bourgogne Canal, onto the Yonne River and now we are at Auxerre and the beginning of the Nivernais Canal . We left Gurgy this morning and had very nice weather all day but this evening is an absolute stunner and it is hard to imagine how it could be improved upon. We are anchored at the port on the opposite side of the canal to the main part of the city. We look across about 50 metres of placid, glassy calm water to very pretty city lights and many beautiful old buildings all with perfect reflections. It makes one wish for a sophisticated camera and the skill to catch the essence of a sight that seems too good to be true. The sky has gradually faded from the bright blue of daytime to a soft misty pale yellow tinged with orange and looks simply wonderful. It is 10pm and although it is dark enough to appreciate the lights, it is still light enough to identify landmarks very clearly. The faithful in Auxerre are very well served with impressive places to worship, we can see three of them without moving from the boat, all old, large and beautifully lit up. You can’t help but be reminded a little of Paris, but this vision seems softer and kinder somehow, probably because Auxerre is a smaller city and much, much quieter, lacking some of the harsh and strident elements of the capital. It is at times like these one could easily believe there is only beauty in the world. If only…
Jeanette