Week 8
Thursday 13 September 2007
Lovely sunny day did some sunbathing on the boat and then went to internet caf้ to update website. When we returned to the boat a huge English barge had moored in front of us. It was a privately owned boat but it took guests 10 weeks of the year. It was owned by David and Juliet from Lymington and they lovely golden retriever Hattie. They invited us to join them on board for a drink, which we did and David gave us a tour of the boat it was lovely inside although their current guests had made a bit of a mess!!
Friday 14 September 2007
Set off about 10.30 and just around the corner we arrived at the first lock just as an enormous hotel barge was going in the other side. After our last experience we were a little nervous but luckily the guy came out in the barge really slowly and we were ok. The 2nd lock out of Montargis was by far the deepest one we have been in so far and luckily there was someone at the top to take our ropes on a hook. After lunch we entered the first of a chain of 4 enormous locks. At the first one Christine had to go up the slimy ladder with the ropes but after that there was someone to take the ropes thank goodness! As we entered our last lock of the day, just outside of Chatillon-Coligny, a yellow water snake swam from the bank straight at us as if defending his territory. In the town there was a nice little Port de Plaisance which was free with free water and electricity and a hot shower for 2 euros bliss! The motor cruiser in front of us was Irish and we got talking to the 2 lovely couples on board Donald and Maeve and Bridy and Damien. They invited us on board for a drink. During the conversation we discovered that Bridy knew Mary and Paul (the couple with the Salon du Th้ in Moret Sur Loing) as Paul used to be her vet they decided they would stop and pay a surprise visit on the way past what a small world!! Donald kindly lent us some of his Navicartes to have a look at and when we went to return them later he invited us on board to watch the end of the England vs South Africa rugby match yes, the one where we lost 36-0 how embarrassing!!!
Saturday 15 September 2007
Happy 45th Wedding Anniversary to Tony and Vida (hope you found a nice restaurant!!)
At the Port de Plaisance there was a little museum which we popped our head into and there was a tiny French man in there (complete with beret) who spoke not a word of English but he showed us around the steam engine, of which he was very proud to have worked with when it was in a factory many years ago, and we just about managed to understand the workings of it. Walked into the town of Chatillon Coligny, a very pretty little town. Bought an enormous chocolate meringue and some very tasty seeded bread with gruyere cheese running through yum! After lunch cycled to the next little town of Montbouy which had the remains of a roman amphitheatre. On the way back to the boat we could hear some wedding bells so cycled to the church in town just in time to see the wedding party leaving - the bride and groom left the church in a lemon yellow, classic MG it looked like a very posh affair as everyone was very elegantly dressed. As the last of that bridal party was leaving another one arrived this one was slightly less posh, with most of the party in baggy jeans and printed t-shirts!! When we got back to the boat we helped an English barge tie up the couple had bought the barge in Belgium 5 years ago and it was now 107 years old it certainly did not look it.
Sunday 16 September 2007
Found some large sinks with hot running water at the Port de Plaisance so decided to get all the washing done and on the way back to the boat the couple from the English barge let us use their spin dryer which they ran off solar power very kind. Set off and went through 10 locks and moored up just outside of Rogny. Rogny is famous for its Sept Ecluses an old set of 7 locks one straight after the other going up a steep hill. These are no longer used but there are still 6 locks about 0.5km apart to get up the hill. All along the canal side were apple trees so we picked some cooking apples and Christine made a lovely apple crumble for dinner.
Monday 17 September 2007
Happy Birthday Donna and Faith
It had rained pretty hard during the night and proceed to rain on and off most of the day. Entered our first downhill lock much easier than the uphill ones. There was no-one around and it was an automatic lock so we did it ourselves (not sure whether we should have done or not!). As we set off after lunch we saw the hotel barge from Samoir and Hannah was just walking past she said she hoped we had not tried to do any more locks ourselves as she was not getting involved this time (whoops!). Arrived in Briare, a town famous for its mosaics, and moored up on the riverbank just outside the town. In the town is the Pont Canal a bridge canal which spans over the River Loire, a very impressive sight. It is 663m longs and 11.5m wide. Went to St Etienne church which has a mosaic picture on the outside and the floor of the baptism room is also a mosaic. After dinner went back to see the Pont Canal as had read that at night it is lit up by 72 lights looked very pretty.
Tuesday 18 September 2007
Set off to look at what we thought was a chocolate factory by the Pont Canal but it turned out just to be a chocolate shop. Had a quick look in the mosaic museum and then headed off to find the Chateau Trousse-Barriere . but it was closed! After lunch we crossed over the Pont Canal it was a bit scary at first as the bridge is only wide enough for one boat, but you cannot see if anything is coming the other way until you are near the entrance and then you have to make a quick retreat if there is something coming, which there was. Eventually we were on the bridge and it was a very strange feeling being on a boat, on a canal, crossing over the Loire River from a great height! Arrived in Chatillon-sur-Loire about 2.30 and moored up. Shortly afterwards we were visited by an old black Labrador who came up to the side of the boat and sat whining at us. He was wearing a collar but appeared to be on his own we later saw him wandering around the town. In the town had a look around the wine museum and walked up a steep hill to see what was described as a chateau the 12th century castle of the Count of Sancerre - but unless we were in the wrong place it just looked like an old bit of wall! After dinner went for a walk and saw the sun setting over the River Loire and on the way back the sky was so clear we could see thousands and thousands of stars.
Wednesday 19 September 2007
Saw the black Labrador again but this time with his owner, who appeared to own an enormous, very elegant looking house barge a few boats up. A bit later the lab came back to visit again on his own and this time was really trying to get on the boat but could not quite make it from the river bank. Set off early and passed our first vineyard and goat farm. Also saw the nuclear power station at Belleville which one guidebook said was a must to visit Belleville itself looked like a very pretty town shame about the power station on the horizon! Stopped for lunch at LEtang as had read there was a wine cave where you go wine tasting. Wandered into the little cave and a French couple were in the process of buying a huge amount of wine. The man, who looked the epitome of French in his beret, stripy top, scarf tied round his neck and a black jacket, gave us each a glass of Coteaux du Giennois white wine to try it was pretty terrible so we left whilst he was sorting out the bill for the French couple. Arrived in St Thibult, at the bottom of the hill to Sancerre and moored up. Had a pizza cooked on the Cobb for dinner with a bottle of cheap bubbly.
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