BACK TO CALENDAR 2001

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 17                  Sunday

Vandanesse to Ste Sabine.

 

In fact we weren’t really at Vandanesse last night - but 2 locks down.

Woke with determination to scale mountain - on bikes - to visit Chateauneuf.

BUT it rained nearly all night, and was still doing so when we had our traditional Sunday Breakfast.

Felt only hope was to continue - didn’t feel like a day being spent on current moorings, whilst all the Sunday terrorists and the hotel boats pounded past in and out of the adjacent lock.

 

So decided to continue in the rain.

However, weather did volte face, sun appeared - albeit murk upwind of future storms was to be seen - so "give it a go" was the cry.

 

Off we went - rucksack full of wet weather gear.

Strange how much closer chateau appeared this morning in the patchy sun, than yesterday in howling wind to two battered boaters.

 

Snugged boat, checked, for umpteenth time moorings and ladders, and set off.

Great ride - wind behind, but hill got too steep to cycle so no shame in walking, although slightly silly competition developed to see who gave up furthest up the hill.

Able to keep eye on Albert from road up, and from Chateau ramparts, and windows. Plenty of traffic past, but looked O.K.

 

Cycled around village, but very quiet and closed down - Sunday - except for tourist shops, and horrendously expensive cafes, restaurants, and hotels. Totally given over to tourism, with all the inevitable labels (e.g. Egon Ronnay) and brewers brolleys plastered all round and over the fronts of lovely old buildings housing restaurants, cafes, etc.

The houses were really lovely, and obviously very old - as was the chateau (12th century onwards), and the church.

Did the tourist tour - with guide - of the chateau, and although in French, managed to cull enough from it, and minimal handout to enjoy it.

 

Just about to leave village, when 2 things occurred to us. Firstly, we hadn’t seen the church, secondly another of the series of heavy rain storms was just starting.

Into church, with bikes (bit off, that, but there was nowhere to leave them), and looked round. Quite modern for these parts - 16th Century, but done with superb French "low key" approach that is so attractive.

 

Came out, rain stopped, so smoking brake blocks back to boat.

No evidence of any mooring stress whatsoever - needless worry - Albert appeared to have survived the worst they could throw at her/him.

 

Had lunch, and decided to push on, in spite of more rain showers - very heavy ones - and yesterday’s strong cross-wind re-appearing.

Down to first lock, boat trying to go everywhere else, in wind - no L.K. L.K.’s house shut up, and no answer to knock.

Cycled back, and knocked last cottage up - poor fellow only rented cottage - not L.K. at all, although we had met him yesterday. He phoned the L.K. - no reply, so tried chef de navigation.

Instant response - L.K. appeared, but disappeared again to "prepare next lock". Put us through ourselves, and found L.K. almost asleep draped over gate handles at next lock.

 

During the course of the conversation with the chap in the rented cottage, apart from a diatribe against the young who didn’t seem to want to work, these days, he told us, in considerable horror that the red haired youngster who was supposed to see us through, but who was missing, had left a paddle open last week, and flooded the pound below, overflowed it, and flooded the neighbouring road. There had been much drama.

Weren't  particularly interested at time - sort of thing that is always happening in England. However, when we got to the pound in question - there had obviously been a fairly major drama, as it was one of the pounds that actually carries the lock along above the road and land alongside. In other words a mild embankment.

The towing path was cut, gashed, and lengths washed away or damaged, and all still very muddy from the canal water flowing over it and down to the surrounding land, The surrounding area was still a sea of mud, and quite a lot of the grass embankment had fallen into the canal. It looked to us as though they would be busy come next winter in this section.

 

Did another couple of locks in a slightly lethargic way, then the heavens opened, and we found a little mooring place with signs, straight sides, and nothing else.

It appears VNF are doing quite a lot of these - dead simple, straight firm banks, no facilities (no water or electricity), but very welcome, and totally adequate.

Pulled in quickly - chased by L.K. who was just handing us on over his radio to the next one when we stopped. Extracted from us a slightly unwilling promise to start to-morrow at 0930, and left with a wet shirt and a beer.

 

Mobile reception good, but weather very changeable and far too cool to sit outside, so decided to improve shining hour doing log, web site, sort fotos, and sort out any other problems.

Published this week’s page - probably not very good, but must 1st time ever to be so up to date.

 

 

June 18                       Monday

Ste Sabine to la Brussiere.

 

Promise of rain - but didn’t - cold wind getting steadily colder.

 

Good uneventful run through - principally - forest, or valley with narrow floor - 2 to 3 fields, then forested hill sides.

 

Tied up for lunch just in front of hotel boat, French, but run by English. Told us very firmly that he was 1st into lock after lunch. Thought of several good mickey takes, but decided against them - if they miss-fired it would be us looking silly, and as a commercial, he has the right.

Locks are all about 1 km apart on this stretch, so speed over the ground is nil.

Tied up for evening just near a very old Abbey that "one must see".

 

One did, and it was great - 1 km on bikes - other peoples site seeing is boring, so foto but no description, but we thoroughly enjoyed it - 12th century onwards restored by R.C. Church, no expense spared. Now used as corporate entertainment centre.

Most enjoyable afternoon/evening.

 

 

June 19                      Tuesday

la Brussiere to Fleury sur Ouche.

 

Weather overcast, breaking to some sun in afternoon and evening. Very cold, still.

 

Well organised section, with L.K.s each doing 2 locks each from mopeds, but with VHF radios on which they have verbal diarrhea. For the record, Channel 14, and don’t see why one can’t cut in, if necessary. The only thing about this sort of set-up is an inclination to bully the boaters into doing things they don’t really want to do, and vice versa, for the sake of keeping the flow going.

Left 9.00 sharp, and made quite a day of it - 15 locks and 20 kms. This is the unfortunate part of sharing - everyone else seems a lot more gung-hoe than us, and it difficult to stop when you want.

 

Watered up at Gissey - brand new point and brand new hose. Water tainted and quite disgusting - smells to high heaven. Have to get rid of it, and re-fill. This has happened before and we blamed everyone else for it - the first time at the foot of the Langollen canal, when we blamed overdose of chlorine.

In fact, suspect that sometimes, when tank is approaching empty, and we fill with a large hose, or high pressure, the muckins in the water tank gets thoroughly stirred up, and taints the whole tank full. At least, those factors are the only common ones we can think of.

No immediate intention of opening up water tank and scrubbing out - hell of a job - wait till one of us had died of some dreadful disease then think about it.

 

Countryside as described yesterday - green luxuriant valley bottom, lot of small cereals, and fewer Charollais moos, 2 to say 10 fields wide, thickly forested hillsides, all very attractive, and far nicer looking than we remembered it from September the year before last.

 

We have seen relatively few terrorists since the bottom of the far side say Ancy la Franc, maybe 5 alto-gether - , but have seen any number of hotel boats - say 10 at least. Hope they are doing well, one can’t tell, because when we see them they have bundled the guests off in buses to see the sites, and the boat is travelling between pre-ordained moorings to re-embark the guests. Did see a couple with the clients on the fore deck with their G. and T.s.

 

Bit of a game mooring up - there wasn’t anywhere with enough water alongside at Fleury, and we had gone quite far enough.

Did double gangplank tie-up - got quite quick at it now, the awkward part is always the beginning, when we have to get ashore to put pins in, but can’t get ashore till we put the gangplank down, can’t put gangplank down till pins are in (gangplanks sink), etc, etc. The reverse when un-mooring is also true.

 

 

June 20                Wednesday

Fleury sur Ouche to Plombiers les Dijon.

 

Woke to find boat sitting over at fairly acute angle - sufficient to make one stagger when walking along the cabin (S complained she was falling out of bed - what rubbish). The water in the pound had dropped about 12", so depositing one side of the boat on the rocks, and dropping the other. Horrid.

Pushed her out, and went off and got bread. Fear of bread famine and clever lay-out of boulangerie resulted in gross over purchase.

 

Saw Yveline - this is the French cruiser we have come over the hump with since Pouillenay off and on, more on than off - set off at 0915, with very much a look of "where are you, we always leave to-gether at nine"?

 

Caught them up at the 2nd lock, and continued as before - must confess that whilst we like them very much - and what a joy finding  French people using and enjoying their own canals - we thought that they might be tired of our pedestrian speed between locks, and with 16 tons of steel, we are always a doubtful friend when sharing due to our rather sloppy way of not tying up. (That’s our story, and we are thereto sticking)

 

First potentially really nice day for weeks, and put sun brolley up almost at once as temperature rose. Wind rose as well, so took brolley down again.

Lunch on "canalside" - euphemism for "it is nearly 1200 or we cannot complete this lock before 1200, so L.K. is going to lunch, and your on your own, mate!"

In fact we are totally used to this, and it is not a hassle - sometimes we spend 10 to 15 mins mooring nicely and getting the chairs out, sometimes just sit around in the boat against the bank. Depends on the weather.

All canals now take 1200 to 1300 off - something to do with obligatoire 35 hour week.

 

Picked up tourist rly track alongside canal, and the super smooth cycle path - also alongside the canal into Dijon.

 

Cycle path largely used by supergraceful girls on roller blades.

Wandered into Plombiers-les-Dijon about 14.30 with vague feeling that rather than press on last 5 locks in Dijon, stop here.

 

We did, and moored up next to a Narrow Boat - 62 footer.

 

Interestingly, ended up in a line of 4 boats, 3 of which were French. Very unusual - sadly very few French use their own waterways.

 

We actually remembered the N.B. - there is a port and hire base here, as well as "rough moorings" - from 2 years ago. French owned - Frenchman with ponytail and motor bike lives on, with rather nice friendly family - he was friendly too - showed us how to fill water without paying. (In a Hire Base Port everything is run by the hire company, not the commune, and they charge for everything).

Drained out contaminated water, completely, and re-filled. Bit of a performance, but worth it.

 

Snugged own a double ladder moor up, in expectation of terrorists from across the water.

Had Ives and Evelyn from Yveline for English tea - poor things! They speak virtually no English, so incredibly good for our French.

 

 

June 21                              Thursday

In Plombiers les Dijon.

 

Bright hot start, gave way to bright hot wind - strong.

 

Stayed put all day, did S.M. and fotografing, but little else but sit out and read.

In shade a bit cool because of the wind, but mid summer sun too sharp.

 

Some way to spend the longest day of year, but felt if we lit off for Dijon first thing - original intention - we would arrive in Dijon at mid-day, expensive moorings, and not really have time to do anything except S.M. and get hot.

 

Also, felt feeble!

 

Invited to Yveline for drinks - French much improved, even found self auguring with S in French - and she understood.

 

 

June 22                              Friday

Plombiers-les-Dijon to Dijon.

 

Weather fine, and warming up, but still windy.

 

Managed to get started before Yveline by at least 2 minutes, but into first lock to-gether "as usual".

Down to Dijon - about 10 locks - by mid-day, and got a nice mooring on the jetty in the P. de P. Ffr 97.00 including electricity.

Most impressed with entry to city along canal - through large are of flats, and hence, presumably - high population density, but everything immaculate, gardens neat, no litter - minimal graffiti.

 

Met Mr Bean, Colin and Yvonne for tea on the jetty - what a hilarious pair (or trio, if you include the boat), - if it is going to happen to anyone, it happens to them - but then they can take it, they’re from Yorkshire!) on jetty side, and also the quiet couple in the Dutch Barge/Luxmotor we met last year on Canal de la Marne a la Saône.

 

Finally started lunch, having gossiped 19 to the dozen till 1400, when saw familiar figures talking to Yveline - Freddie and Germane of Tuilippe - Much screaming and laughing and "do you remembers". Tuilippe is sold, and Freddie has bought a "Camping Car". (Motor Caravan).

 

Bromptonned into Dijon - just as we were riding off recognised Freddy’s mini (he had sold that as well) coming in on a Dutch Barge. Banged on Yveline - more excuse for gossiping.

 

Very exciting bicycling in Dijon, heavy traffic, including buses towing semi-trailers, 5 way roundabouts, one way streets, and no-way streets with traffic lights pointing the wrong way. At one time found ourselves leading a whole string of busses and cars along a single vehicle width street - they couldn’t overtake, and we couldn’t stop. All dead patient.

 

Went sight-seeing around the major sites - i.e. the various squares and parks, which are lovely, with some superb roofs of the typically Brugundian glazed tile roofs.

 

Managed a hair cut - Ffr 95 as opposed to the normal Ffr 70. As usual, both genders are done on the same premises, and the cutter assigned to me was a she, young, and pretty. Regrettably S was playing gooseberry, but she soon managed a couple of young French males waiting for their turns. One of them also had a Brompton, and the other worked on TGVs for the SNCF.

By the time the proprietrix had joined the rather noisy conversation group, we seemed to be bosom pals with all the staff, and the racket was horrendous. I seem to remember remarking last year that the conversation takes priority over most things in France - it certainly did there.

 

Back to boat at 1900 - exhausted!

 

Found some shade for evening drinks, but a bit chilly (! midsummer’s day !) so sat in evening sun.

Had rush of blood to head, and started scrubbing side of boat nearest jetty. Stupid - stopped half way along. But the result was good.

 

 

June 23                                Saturday

Dijon to Longecourt en Pleine.

 

Locked out of Dijon at 0930 - by ourselves - no-one else was moving. Booked lock at 0800, and finished scrubbing white deposit off waterline first - looked disgusting.

 

L.K. - very cheerful lady - expressed surprise that we were on our own - we’ve been with Yveline or the yacht Finale (what a name for a yacht belonging to retired people. Come to think of it, don’t think they are retired! Still a strange name!) since well before the summit pound.

 

Run out of Dijon slightly more seedy than in yesterday, but still incredibly clean, no litter, no nasties, just older industrialisation - most impressive city.

 

Very hot and still, and canal now dead straight through to St John de Losne. However, it is not possible to see more than a km ahead, so lack of bends doesn’t make slightest difference to interest of run, or otherwise. In fact, quite fun - very different countryside to further up. Flat riverine valley, large fields - but still gives way to forest on higher ground, where there is any.

Descending the 10 or so locks to our intended night’s resting place proved a bit of a lottery - being Saturday, and seeing as how most of the L.K.s were students doing a summer job, not all of them were as enthusiastic as hoped for, and in one case the lock wasn’t manned at all. That was the one we got through quickest, using a bobbidjan as lock windlass.

Remembered Longecourt as beautiful mooring, at a lock, and right opposite fairy tale chateau. The mooring was taken up with somebody’s tatty old deserted boat, and there was really no-where else with enough depth and in the shade, and without crowds of youngsters drinking and swimming.

 

Dropped back about 500 metres, and found deep water, hard vertical concrete side, shade, but long grass along the bank full of bugs. Can’t have everything.

 

Grateful we were so far back, as the parties developed - on the other side of the canal - until all hours.