Week 10

Saturday 29 September 2007

Woke up to a bit of mist which cleared into a beautiful sunny day. Found out that the library had internet access but we could not upload the website as we were not allowed to use the USB port. Due to the recent bout of rain we decided to see if we could get flights to somewhere hot if the weather carried on as it had – unfortunately everything out of Paris or Lyon was coming up pretty pricey – they don’t have budget airlines in France unfortunately. When we returned to the boat there was an English barge parked in front of us be we never saw the occupants.

Sunday 30 September 2007

Woken by the barge turning round so got up – found they had left us a bag of English books on the deck – very kind although not really our sort of thing. It had rained again during the night but turned into a hot sunny day – thank goodness! Headed out of Digoin and onto the Canal du Centre. Arrived in Paray-le-Monial mid-afternoon and tied up – unfortunately the only place to stop without having to pay was next to a very busy road! Wandered into town, very pretty, quaint little town with an 11th century Roman basilica and a chapel where thousands of pilgrims come every year. The tourist information centre had internet access so at last we were able to upload the website.

Monday 1 October 2007

Set off in brilliant sunshine which turned into an extremely hot day. Unlike on the Canal Lateral a la Loire, the lock keepers on this canal, of which there were 2 at every lock, would just stand and watch you struggle to get the ropes on and would not help – how rude!! Arrived in Genelard and decided it was a perfect day for a BBQ. Wandered through town and only found a small shop, which was closed. Found the tourist information office and asked if there was a supermarket, but no. What about a butcher’s – yes but closed on Monday! Pasta for dinner tonight then!! Set up the solar shower for the first time in ages due to all the rain and had a lovely warm shower on the riverbank (in our swimwear I hasten to add!).

Tuesday 2 October 2007

It had rained during the night and rained a bit in the morning but soon stopped and turned into another really hot day. We had 2 guys doing the locks with us today – they still did not really take the ropes unless they could see us struggling but they were much friendly that the 2 from yesterday. We discovered that the locks do not close for lunch on this canal either. Arrived in Montceau about 2.00 pm and moored up – this time we had a main road either side of the canal, one side also had a coach station, with a railway station behind – we were in for a great night’s sleep!! Walked into town and found a “proper” town with lots of shops. Darryl bought a pair of Gore-Tex Salomon hiking boots for the bargain price of 42 euros in a bankrupt stock store. Found a McDonalds with free WiFi access so went back to the boat, collected the laptop and went back and did some e-mailing and had McDonalds for dinner!

Wednesday 3 October 2007

Woke to a damp misty morning. To get through the town we had to go under our first lifting bridge. Along the canal there was a blue rope hanging from a bridge into the middle of the canal which you had to pull. This would trigger the lifting bridge and the traffic lights so all the cars would stop so we could go under the bridge – why can’t the one in Poole be that simple!! Went through 17 locks today – the most in one day – some with lock keepers and some automatic ones you pulled the rope in yourself. After lunch we started going in downwards locks which are must easier than the upward ones, some even had floating bollards which makes life really easy! It got hotter and sunnier as the day went on. Did not stop anywhere for lunch as there was nowhere to stop and the riverbanks were too shallow for us. Arrived in a pretty looking village called St Julien-Sur-Dheune and decided to stop there for the night, however the tying up spot was only 1 meter deep and our draft is 1.2 meters. A French barge kindly said we could moor onto their boat. As it was another nice evening, decided to try for a BBQ again but the Frenchman told us there were no shops in this village – pasta again!!!

Thursday 4 October 2007

Woke about 8.30 and the guy in the barge said he was heading off about 9.30 so we decided we would too (although in the opposite direction as he was heading back to the Paris). However, we had told the lock keeper we would not be leaving until 10.00 and when we got to the lock it was not yet operating so we had to wait for half an hour. As we waited the water level kept going up and down and when the lock opened it dropped so much we were aground and could not move the boat, luckily as the lock gates opened they expelled some water and the boat lifted off the bottom of the canal (phew!). Another nice sunny day. Did not stop for lunch again today but managed to pick up a fresh baguette as there was a boulangerie next to one of the locks (one of 17 today). The scenery changed to almost England-like – lots of rolling green hills – very pretty. Arrived in Chagny and tied up in the Port de Plaisance only to find that all the shower and electricity facilities were closed! Nice little town with a 3 star Michelin restaurant – very pricey – off to the supermarket for us! Had a lovely BBQ of duck and Christine made some mustard sauce like the one we had in the restaurant in Ganny-Sur-Loire, followed by crepes with chocolate sauce and bananas – yum yum!!

Friday 5 October 2007

Woke to brilliant sunshine again. At one lock a boat coming the other way had decided to moor up for lunch, having triggered the lock that he was there which meant the lock coming our way would not work, so Darryl had a polite word – using his best French (followed by a reply from the Frenchman in perfect English!!) - and they moved on. Today ended this part of our trip on the locks. (11 locks today). We arrived in Chalon-Sur-Saone and tomorrow we will be joining the large River Saone. Walked into town through some very grim looking areas with high rise blocks of flats. We were very pleasantly surprised that the town centre was really, really nice. It reminded us in parts of both Prague and Florence. Lots of very nice shops and pretty little alleyways. A beautiful church in the centre of a lovely square full of timber clad buildings and restaurants with “al fresco”. It was a shame we did not have more time to spend here but need to get going in the hope that the River Rhone, when we get there, is not flowing too fast! When we got back to the boat the lock keeper had gone home and the gates were locked to where we had left the boat – we had to scale a fence to get back on board (not for the first time!!)

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