As promised we went up the course of the Seine, passing close by its source in the appropriately named village of Source-Seine. We finished in Nuits-Saint-Georges on the banks of the Meuzin, itself a tributary of the Dheune, which flows into the Saône, which flows into the Rhône.

The 18th century historian Claude Courtépée wrote about the Meuzin in his Description générale et particulière du duché de Bourgogne. He says it better than I could (forgive my very rough translation).

This town is on the Meuzin, which takes its source at the bottom of Vergy in the village of Etang; It has on its course from west to east, to the city, a forge, three good paper mills, two fullers, a bark beater, and ten flour mills; It goes to Quincey, Antilly, Argilli, where it receives the fountain of Premeaux, Villy, Corberon, Corgengoux, joins the Bourgeoise and falls into the Dheune at the port of Paleau. The city and the suburbs were flooded by the torrent and exposed to an obvious peril in 1712, 1713, 1747, 1757. It is in this last misfortune that the late Claude Marey, former Mayor and secretary of the King, exercised he generosity by saving from famine half of the inhabitants who had retired to the top of their flooded houses by carrying on a boat the bread which he cooked each day. He had deserved the surname of Boulanger, as was given to an illustrious bourgeois of Paris on such occasions in the 15th century. Mr. Soucelier and other citizens also distinguished themselves by an active zeal in relieving their compatriots. The bed of the Meuzin, which is 32 feet wide, has been widened and deepened and is covered with good walls 12 feet high

This sculpture in Nuits-Saint-Georges records the height of the floods that it has experienced.

A quick ride into Nuits this afternoon. We fans of Dimension Data were robbed of a Boasson Hagen victory, but Marcel Kittel got there first by the width of a hair. We’ll get our wins from Cummings and Pauwels as we move into the real mountains tomorrow.