Macon and Burgundy countryside

I was in Macon for almost exactly 24 hours, and that was all I needed to see the entire town, plus great scenery in the surrounding area.  On Friday morning Karan (my Helpx host) dropped me off in front of the Macon tourist center and took off. A few minutes later my couchsurfing host showed up and my adventure began! After a short rest at his apartment to drop off my bags and eat lunch, we decided to explore the countryside.

We set off with no specific destination in mind, just driving around until something interesting came along and then we'd stop.  It ended up being a fun adventure of exploring castles, hiking up to viewpoints, and getting lost on tiny, rundown roads meant for tractors and other farm vehicles.  That night we went out to a cafe and then had kebabs sitting by the river. The next day I walked around the town by myself for a few hours and then Florent drove me to the train station.

Staying with Florent was a good way to ease back into couchsurfing...it was just him and his roommate who are both very chill guys. My first couchsurfing experience (in Strasbourg) was great but crazy, and at times overwhelming. So after six weeks of isolation on a farm I was glad to have a low-key reintroduction to the backpacking lifestyle. We had fun exploring, hanging out, drinking and just talking about random stuff.  Florent was happy I surfed his couch because it gave him an excuse to see some things he wouldn't normally visit (his words), and I learned about Macon, Lyon and some cool french bands. He also introduced me to a new drink - red wine and coke. I was hesitant at first - since I'm not a big fan of either one individually - but when combined it's very refreshing!

Burgundy countryside

Macon