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May 1                                             Monday

Still on N end of Canal de Digoin a Roanne - difficult to leave it!

Fine and warm to hot all day. Remote corner of thunderstorm in evening.

Washed left side - this was the side that has never been cleaned since last year. It looked it.

As boat wasn’t in to the bank properly slightly exhausting proceeding, dangling out over the water.

S. Recoated and checked varnish in the loo.

After completion moved on about 5 kms to la Beaune - short jetty, loo and water. One of many little "halt nautiques" built by villages about 9 years ago to reap perceived harvest of tourism.

No harvest, but very convenient to us.

Unfortunately, like so many places, there is no tie-up with V.N.F., so water at mooring far too shallow.

Had lunch, then faced fact that couldn’t be bothered to go on, so sat in shade and read books.

S. watercoloured.

Didn’t even do C.E. - tel out of range!

 

May 2                                             Tuesday

le Beaune to 2km Parray de Monial side of Digoin.

Decided we really must do some proper boating to-day.

Set off at usual prompt time, only to arrive at top lock and find no L.K.

Set off on bike, and found him putting a G.W.S. through middle lock, coming against us.

Then were assured, by this most friendly L.K. who remembered us from last year, that although we would get through this lock, there was no way we would get through other 2 before mid-day.

Set off into village - Chassenard - on bike (2 - 3 kms) for bread - public May Day Holiday had left us with virtual bread crisis (an actual one, as well). Left S. to "look after boat".

Found epicere with just one large loaf left. Very friendly, when told there were just the 2 of us - he cut it half!

Through lock, then tied up in shade just short of second lock, for lunch (quite hot, now).

2 Boat things a worry - domestic batteries are not, in any way, holding a charge, and engine is doing it’s getting hotter and hotter as day wears on trick, spilling water down onto floor, but cannot for the life of me find where from.

Into Digoin, having with great difficulty negotiated deep lock whilst S. talked to Kath on phone, to great amusement of L.K..

Stopped and tied up at usual place just after aqueduct, for shopping, then into marina to check out dry dock.

Not impressed.

On, through, and out, and soon found a pleasant green bush mooring.

4 peg tie up, soon to be tested by Tokeloshe from Roanne - a very private S.A. couple - then a couple of speeding G.W.W. boats. No problems.

Decided that sun set over yard arm at 1700, so started drinks.

Then 4 solid hours computing, working out a "we’re here" map for the log.

Thought out splendid system - then mucked up files with a new common border in Frontpage 2000, so they all showed to-day’s date, so meaning that "Terrapin" would try and up-date the whole damn lot next time we connect.

Tidied that up with back up, then realised that idea of "we’re here" with arrows on map - even if only updated once a week - would involve complete new, and very large file, each week being uploaded from scratch.

Back to the drawing board.

To bed!

Thunderstorm type rain in early part of night.

 

May 3                                         Wednesday

Monial side of Digoin to Paray le Monial.

Cool bright morning, very fresh, and country side all that lovely shade of spring green - but very wet.

Did engine things - particularly re-doing connection of engine cooling water expansion tank.

Left 11.30 for Paray le Monial, and dully arrived at lock at 11.40.

L.K. totally happy, and he and next one put us through all 3 locks over what, in our reckoning, is lunch hour.

Arrived in Parray le Monnial - this is the place where last year we had a happy picnic lunch being "pooped" by all the international lorries on the main trunk road.

Moored up opposite S.M. to buy gas, but discovered they were closed for next 2 hours, so amidst chorus of poopings - Portuguese, French, German, British, Greek, Italian, Luxembourg - left to go through to town moorings, and get gas to-morrow.

Nice moorings, but noisily close to main road on far side.

Found 3 boats from Roanne - Tulip, Aventuur, and Tokeloshe all dossing here. They seem to travel at the same speed as us - 9 - 15 kms a day!

Connected up electricity - our batteries will not carry anything but the fridge for more than 8 hours - and S settled down to do the washing.

Although we haven’t actually done anything, it is already almost a week since we left Roanne!

Broke out bikes, and wandered round town in the evening. Went to holy part of town - this is a major pilgrimage centre - and round the Basilica - a Basilica is apparently a super duper Church upgraded from an ordinary one, but not a Cathedral. This one is VERY old (1100 AD), but beautifully built in rough stone blocks. However, they were a bit mean with window space, and it was dark and gloomy inside. The few windows were small, and very beautiful stained glass.

Apparently, at the appropriate times, the big gardens and parks are completely hidden by thousands of tents, caravans, and what have you of pilgrims.

The shops around the Basilica reflect this - indeed the whole town’s enterprise is based in one way or another on the pilgrim traffic.

Fortunately our visit coincided with a "quiet" time.

Thunderstorm in evening - although day started fine, bright and cool, it got very muggy.

 

May 4                                         Thursday

Paray-le-Monial to p.k. 9 up to-wards Pierfitte, Dompierre and Decise. i.e. a total of about 16 kms.

Alarm at 0730, to get S.M. and through first lock on our way north by 10.00.

Away at about 0830 in lovely cool fresh, bright summer’s morning.

2 kms, S.M. on other side of National Road - the road that precluded sleep last night. The noise was really horrendous, similar to the lorries going round the Forest of Dean and Gloucester to avoid the Severn Bridge tolls, so here thousands of lorries (literally, international transport from all countries) avoid the Autoroute Payages, by sticking to the old National Roads. Since any one Payage, and they go through lots, can cost them £40.00, one can see their point.

Even taking Y.D. to airport in Lyons from Roanne cost 2 payages. (not much - 7 and 10 francs - but we probably got reduced rate to account for Y.D. and O.S. and 2 English doppies in elderly French Citroen. Multiply that to 40 odd tonnes, and the bill becomes horrendous.

I digress - we didn’t sleep, bloody lorries, and were delighted to get on the way.

Tied up to National Road crash barrier at S.M. (that is how close it was) and took bike trailer (by hand, I hasten to add) through traffic to S.M. to get gas and provisions. (Admired those who took bikes along that road) Tried to get TUC biscuits (we love them with cheese on them with drinks) by asking at SM. French translation of "we would like slightly salty biscuits that we can eat with cheese on them when we have drinks in the evening called TUK" ended up with our being offered everything from the cheese counter, the salt counter, the local bar and a hotel to stay the night. We got no biscuits, and I maintain it was not entirely our fault.

Otherwise, all worked well, and we got away 10.00 to be 20 minutes late at lock.

Apologised, and got true Gallic shrug - L.K.’s head disappeared down between his shoulders, and his gin appeared from his sternum. Don’t think he gave a damn what time we came through - it was a lovely day, he probably lets 3 or 5 boats a day in total through, and life is not hard!

Had lunch under the deep Digoin lock, in shade of huge maple tree and were able to transmit bird song noises to Portsmouth over mobile phone network.

This was after passing, once again, over the marvellous aqueduct that carries the canal over the River Loire. One gets so used to these wonders through using them (we must have been over 8 times in 2 years) that one takes them for granted, but remembering it carries a full width canal some 50 metres above the river for about 100 to 300 metres, and was built in the middle of the century before last without cranes, GCBs, planning permission, feasibility studies, or ways and means committees, one has to stop and gasp.

The morning’s run was beautiful - this is a lovely part of France - and it was showing itself at it’s very best. Fresh green fields, Trees - except planes - in full leaf, clear sunshine, minimal breeze, white Chorollais cattle thinking - maybe.

First day in shorts and summer shirts.

The L.K. even picked S. some Lilac blossom!

Went on for a bit after lunch, but soon seemed quite a good idea to stop.

Just then a good bush mooring appeared so we did.

Still within earshot of the National Road, but it will be for next 20 kms or so - so not much we can do except pretend.

 

May 5                                             Friday

p.k. 9 up to-wards Pierfitte to 1 lock short of Garnat sur Engievre.

Again - did early start. Regrettably these efforts only last 3 or 4 days, then we slide back into our old bad habits.

Weather a little less perfect than yesterday - partially overcast, and cooler.

Stopped at 4.00, with usual 4 pin tie up, sat and read, but the got assaulted by quite violent thunderstorm, and invasion of mosquitoes at the same time.

Battened ourselves in, warmly.

Boat engine still running a bit warm, but may have improved it by tidying up hoses etc to expansion tank, and by opening engine lid to let more air into engine compartment.

Later:- Didn’t really make that much difference.!

Later still - late evening - very heavy rain and thunderstorm - rained most of night.

 

May 6                                             Saturday

Just short of Garnat to Garnat itself.

Alarm at 0700 to wake us, but as we had been up and about half night with maladies and rain, ignored it until 08.15, when we started staggering out of bed.

Found boat in dreadful state - rain and wind had brought enormous mass of rubbish off oak tree under which we lay, and plastered all horizontal surfaces with a sloppy dark brown porridge of old leaves, seeds, branches, dead caterpillars, dead mosquitoes, and any spare rubbish available.

We were nervous that if we left it to dry, it would stick and be difficult to remove, so set too after breakfast to clean boat.

Dreadful job, but we got the worst off, and left at 11.15.

2 locks, and came to little harbour at Garnat with water.

Moored up - extremely uncomfortably - and hosed down.

Cleaned up, and replaced bits on top - still grubby, but at least we were visible as a narrow boat with a roof.

Just tidying up, when Mitzi, Granville and June arrived from Roanne. Very pleased, as were able to apologise for not saying "goodbye" at Roanne. They took 2 - 3 days on the trip we occupied a week + on.

Then Aurora - Paul and Joke - arrived, so we moved down to moor up next to Daisy - Audrey and Roy Brooks see previous logs - in front of their house.

Bikes to boulanger for lunch bread, and on way back most amused to see Joan from Mitzi and Joke from Aurora trotting off to do their "shopping" just like a pair of surbaban housewives. As this is a minute village, I don’t think they can have had a successful outing.

Then afternoon on odd jobs.

Tea with the Brookses, and introspective evening.

 

May 7                                             Sunday

Garnat to 2nd last lock before Decize complex.

Sunday type run - late start, and do it gently.

Made farewells to the Brooks, and to Mitzi and Aurora with a certain shade of relief.

When in port, moored up on a semi-permanent basis, one joins the "club", takes part in or hosts social events as a matter of normality, and thoroughly enjoys the life. However, when one has left, and is cruising, we find it is desirable, although not easy to keep at polite arms length people one knew quite well in port. The passion for breasting up to comparative strangers, spending anything up to the next 6 weeks cruising in close company, and generally behaving as if they are the greatest friends ever - even if you have spent part of the winter moored up within 100 yards - comes foreign to us. Anyway, it is sod’s law that whenever you breast up, or moor on either side of a narrow finger pontoon the loo window of one boat is right against the "sitting-room" window of the other. And the other can see you taking showers, as the non-see-through glass in loo windows is not non-see-through when it is dark outside, and the light is on inside.

Fortnately, at Garnat, we were a bit long for the pontoon, and were moored up to a horrid bank near the water tap hosing down when they arrived, and were able, without upsetting anyone (I hope) to remoor opposite and below the Brooks’ house.

Even so we are probably considered the stuck-up English.

Shared locks with a couple of G.W.W. up to Garnay (not Garnat) but they were much faster, and as usual surged ahead, only to be made to wait in the hot sun for us.

At least one of them was tipping Ffr10 (£1) per lock! (saw the coin - they are easy to see as they are like our £2 coins with a brass edge round silver middle)

Couldn’t see what they did at the second of each lock. These locks here-abouts are manned by travelling keepers in vans doing 2 locks each.

We have developed the habit of leaving 2 cold beers on the side at the second lock if the guy has been good to us. Holding up G.W.W. boats at locks for us comes in that category - so 2 cold beers was the order of the day, and appeared to generate far more gratitude and bonhomie than the cash! 2 beers cost fr38.00/24*2 all divided by 10.6 to get value in stirling. Can’t work it out, but it feels less than a quid a time. It does go against the grain, however, and I feel about tipping just as I did last year.

Re-visted the "stork-on-her-nest tree - see last year’s log, May 29th. Last year - 3.5 eweeks later - she had chick/chicks. This year she appeared to be turning her eggs, with several car loads of fisherman not watching on the opposite bank. A G.W.W. passed us at this point, and ignored her as well.

At Garnay-sur-Loire - a Whaling Station, halte nautiqe, tourist centre miles from anywhere, but quite nice, we found some sort of festival in full swing, with sG.W.W. horses. Lots of them - beer tents, local produce tents, and 2 or 3 govt information tents in full swing.

sG.W.W. is the dls' version of "shire".

So we added tone (unfortunately the boat is still filthy from the oak tree) to procedings. It was lunch time, anyway, and the L.K. was delighted when I went forward and told him we wouldn’t be thru’ for an hour or so! Mighty generous of me.

Visited the stalls -the info stalls seem to be custumory on these occasions - there was one on local agriculture, one on how govt is looking after the architectural heritage, and one on tourism. The local produce stands are also obligatory - honey, charcuterie (deli), vegetables, wine, etc. Good jazz over loudspeakers, and mass picnics, and at least 2 long tables laid with full napery in the blazing sun.

Great fun - lots of gossip and requests for information in Fr Fr to the various stall-holders.

There was even a potter - complete with wheel and mud, but he/she had "gone to lunch".

L.K. finally surfaced from one of the several bars 40 mins after promised time, and we went through - complete with running commentary from the Tannoy. Embarassing - but managed single gates (they are quite used to Narrow Boats round here) without hitting France.

Moored up on same spot as end of May last year. Grass a bit long, but at least, on these occasions, we know what we are heading for.

cut out out with artwork manipulation programme, and lay it on the top of VNF SE and shuffle it around till it comes right. (They are the same scale and alignment. - N. straight up)