Julius Caesar noticed the Saône. In his account of the Gallic Wars he wrote that the river flows with such incredible slowness that the eye cannot tell in which direction it is moving, and two thousand years later, standing on the quay at Neuville, you can see what he meant. The river here is wide, brown-green and almost still, and the reflections of the plane trees on the bank barely ripple.
That calm has always shaped life in the little town. The river was a highway long before the roads, and barges still pass, along with pleasure boats heading for Burgundy. On summer evenings the quays fill with walkers, anglers and families, and the restaurants on the waterfront serve friture, small fried fish from the river, a traditional dish of the Saône valley.
Neuville is a pleasant, low-key town with a market square, old houses and a big church with twin towers looking over the water. It is a place for a slow walk after a long ride, and the bridge offers views up and down the river, with the Monts d'Or rising on the opposite bank.
This finish brings you back from the Vanoise and the Jura wine country, a long day of mountains and vineyards, and the gentle Saône is a soothing end. The roads into Neuville are busy, especially at rush hour, and the bridge can be congested.
Take a table on the quay, order something cold, and watch the river refuse to hurry. Caesar, for once, was not exaggerating.