Map and Boat Card

By the way, you might find it useful to see a map of the canals we are covering with these trips in 2011.

And also, here is our "boat card" if ever you want to get in touch!

Lazing Around and Bypassing Nevers

Sunday 31 July (Missing King Alfred / Ice Cream and Basil at Fleury)

It’s Sunday morning and from here on in forget the rushing to and fro, we are going to laze, enjoy the sun, travel slowly, enjoy the food, enjoy the wine, and enjoy the people.

But it’s only 6.30am and already Topsy is being lively.  She is yapping.  Not usually her.  Then we hear running water.  Running water and telephones – why will she always bark at them.  But there is no running water on the boat.  Where is it coming from?  We slide open a curtain and see that on the boat opposite the man is washing his boat (yes at 6.30am on a Sunday morning) and hosing it down from the drinking water supply.

It’s a free country, but.....  We are minded to remind him that ever since King Alfred’s time an Englishman is entitled to reasonable peace and quiet between 11pm and 7am.  But we are in France and he is a Fleming.  Alas King Alfred did not get to Belgium, only John of Gaunt.  Another failing to lay at John of Gaunt’s door.  But maybe it’s not history but sociology we should take note of!  Perhaps he is not really washing his boat.  As with the man washing his car in the rain, this is not boat washing, but “uxorplacation”.  His wife kicked him out of bed at 6am, and what else is there to do?

So today we have an early start.  The dogs have a good long walk, but even when we are back at 8am he is still washing his boat.  He must have done something really bad.

So we have a lazy breakfast, do some shopping at 9am and set off slowly at nearly 10.

Only a short distance today, and only two locks.  And somewhere along here on the way down the canal the lockkeeper sold us beautiful courgettes.  We must get some more.  At the first lock the lockkeeper says not he, try the next one along.  But the next is cared for by a pre-shaving student who has probably never tended a garden in his life.  In it we are joined by a second boat, visitors from the Czech Republic. 

We reach Fleury before midday, have a beer, before walking the dogs and a quiet lunch.   Our Czech friends also stop for a beer and light lunch, and start to move off at about 12.15.  The lock is only 5 minutes away, we say, and you can’t get through until 1pm.  They stop, chat a little in our both stumbling German, and decide to have a sunbathe.  In fact they don’t leave until 1.45pm.  That’s right.  It’s Sunday in France and the sun is shining.

It is getting quite hot now, so we treat ourselves to an ice cream each from the summertime café during a gentle post-lunch read and snooze.  At 4pm Glyn ambles along to the next lock to book a passage for 9am tomorrow morning.  Fine says the lockkeeper, and you can walk across my “no entry” passerelle any time.  Glyn apologises, and they laugh.  Do you need any vegetables? He asks.  Ah! You are the courgette man?  Certainly, you want courgettes?   Can we get some tomorrow:  Alas no.  It is his day off tomorrow and he must work in his garden because of the storms on Tuesday (take note – storms on Tuesday).  I’ll be back in mo, says Glyn.  So he ambles back to the boat, and Linda and the dogs all go with him back to the lock.

The lockkeeper is effusive.   Courgettes, lettuce, but sadly we do not need tomatoes.  His are beautiful but we bought lots yesterday.  Do you want any parsley, he says.  Ah, no, but do you have any fresh basil?  Basil! Basil? He says.  Of course.  How much do you want?  And he gives Linda a tour of his extended garden.  He really has made this a wonderland.  He is very friendly.  If ever you are passing this way again just call in, he says, I’m usually here.  And the price we ask?  Whatever you think, he says.

Monday 1 August (By-Passing Nevers and The Beauty of Guetin)

The next day we set off early.  We were going to visit Nevers, but after several discussions decide against.  It is not a pleasant walk from the port to the town, although the town is magnificent.  And the port is not very good at all for the dogs.  A day on board is not very fair on them.  So we decide we will go straight on to Guetin.

After the first lock we are joined by our Flemish friends from Gannay.  We are still a little peeved, but they are pleasant and friendly as we shout from boat to boat in the lock.  Maybe we were having a bad day on Saturday.  The journey up to Nevers is peaceful and beautiful.  The Flemings turn off into Nevers, and we carry on gently past Plagny, mourning our lost mooring pin.  Then the grind past Pont Carreau, rewarded as we reach the open spaces and the aqueduct over the Allier at Guetin.  It is a beautiful day today.

Both dogs are on the rear deck looking out as we cross the aqueduct.  Guetin is busy.  People are swimming in the river.  Lots of gongoozlers watch us cross the aqueduct and descend into the two deep locks.  One young lady seems smitten, especially with the dogs.  She videos our every move from entering the aqueduct until we exit the second lock.  What will she do with it?

The moorings and the peace at Guetin are wonderful.  Wide open spaces, and walks in all directions, the Lateral, the Allier and the disused but beautiful Lorrain canal.

We just snuggle in and moor, a couple from Great Yarmouth in front of us, and later the Czechs behind.

The dogs love this – walks, walks, walks.

Tuesday 2 August (Donner und Blitzen at Cours-les-Barres)

A much lazier day today, one lock and 9 kms.   We arrive at Cours-les-Barres before lunch.  A good space to moor on rings, with some lively Brits and Aussies on one side, with very quiet French on the other.  Our French neighbours have a lovely husky but they are very precious about it.  It has been bitten three times they explain and is very nervous.  Can you ensure your dogs never come near him, they ask, and are locked on the boat when we take ours out.  That is very sad.

We explore the quiet village again, and note that the restaurant at La Mole is still offering transport, but decide we might try the new cafe in the village.  We need to use their loos before we go to bed!  In fact it will be the first time we have eaten in a restaurant since we arrived (mind you, we have been treated to some excellent meals elsewhere, at Gien, Briare, and Decize.

What a delight.  What is sad is that there are only us and a German family of four from Berlin.  The service is very friendly, the choice of menu excellent, and the food to match.  We were only going to have one or two courses but do the menu.  Linda has pintadeau (guinea fowl) and Glyn has steak tartar (you know it’s “cru”, the waitress checks).  Linda has an excellent salmon and prawn salad to start, and Glyn a goat’s cheese and tomato pesto.    Why is this place not fuller?

We take the dogs for their late night walk and notice the thick black clouds darken.  We recall the Fleury eclusier’s warning.  How wrong he had had been.  Today has been fantastic weather.

Well, it’s not over yet.  We retire to bed just after 11pm.  At 11.30 the sky seems eternally alight with sheet lightning.  The tall trees opposite are almost touching the ground bent in the gale force wind.  The thunder crashes. And then it rains, rains, rains.  It thunders on the roof.

The dogs are startled.  Shady in particular has never liked thunder and this is terrifying them.  Topsy is trying to be a little bit braver, but crawls under the table.  Shady needs cuddles and lots of re-assurance.  She was digging into the floor in her fright.  We manage to calm them.  After an hour the storm subsides.  Always take seriously what lockkeepers tell you!

Wednesday 3 August (A Quiet Visit to Beffes)

Today we only thought of going to Beffes – just 5 kms to Marseilles-les-Aubigny, two locks, 3 kms to Beffes and one lock there.  However we also need to do some work with the boat and need to find a quiet place to do it.  The weather is cloudy and cool, but reasonable given the overnight storm.  We have to wait a little at Aubigny for upstream traffic.  We are looking out for a suitable stopping point, but in doing so have to pass the moorings at Beffes.  We finally are able to find what we need.  Do we turn back to Beffes?  Maybe another time.  For certain another time.  Today we decide we plough on to Herry, where the moorings are excellent, and the dogs can laze in the sun under the trees.

We get there before lunch.  Our Berlin friends arrive, but only stay for lunch.  The Odin and Carrie Anne arrive, and need some help getting ropes onto what are now a limited number of bollards.   We walk and chat to the multiplicity of fishermen.  It is good here they say, but only between 6 and 9pm.  Were they joking?  At 8.55 they are all still there.  At 9.10 they are all gone.

This was otherwise a quiet day.  Glyn does some rubbing down and touch-up painting, and plays boys’ games with the flags.  Linda reads and reads and cooks.

Thursday 4 August (Staying on At Herry / Dogs Have Memories Too)

A nice long morning walk with the dogs.  But we pass a garden end we passed in May which has three quite boisterous and loud dogs – one Mutt which is particularly aggressive (though in fairness under the control of its owner) accompanied by a Doberman and an Alsatian.  They charge at Shady and Topsy.  Shady stands her ground and refuses to be intimidated, but is careful not to give offence.  Topsy is terrified, hangs back, cowers, and then speeds past faster than lightning as they are called back into their garden.

But otherwise it is a glorious morning.  We walk for a long time and come back another way.   The sun piercing the tall trees along the canal bank is just a beautiful sight. 

The Morning Sun through the Trees at Herry

What did we do the rest of the day?  We can’t remember, but it was beautiful and relaxing.

The next morning – STRIKE.  In the morning walk Topsy is not going anywhere near those three dogs again.  No, No, and No again.  After 20 minutes of cajoling we go another way, and then get ready to set off again.  As we pass by the dogs’ garden Topsy gives a round of barking at them, from the safety of the boat.

The Canal Lateral to Digoin

The Canal Lateral to Digoin

Monday 25 July - Gannay and Beaulon in the Rain

Today we set off on the upstream part of the CLL we have never done before.  The Meteo promised rain, and they have delivered on their promise.  In fairness they kept the weekend moderately fine and very warm.  But today it is certainly raining.  A good day for a business-like cruise.   We aim to get to Digoin where the CLL meets the Canal du Centre which then turns north to the Saone.   They say you can do it in two days, so that is our plan.  Our half-way target for today is Beaulon in the Allier.  This is 31 kms and 7 locks so should be about 7 hours cruising.

The rain is gentle as we walk the girls in the morning, but when we set off at 8.30 it is getting steadier.  The morning journey to Gannay is pretty straightforward if wet.  We keep up a steady pace.  As we were outside the port at Decize we were not lock-bound so could get ahead of all the boats from the port and the Loire which we know are also heading for Digoin, Roanne, the Saone, and the Rhone.  And some are worried that the Canal du Centre (critical to reach the Saone and points east and south) is now scheduled for closure from 17 August for lack of water.  Lack of water!!?  Maybe the last two weeks and today has changed that, but boaters are always cautious.  The scheduled “chomage” has not yet been de-listed.

We arrive at Gannay and moor up for a lunch break.  Martin from the China Bird greets us.  He and his wife have just moved from Brittany and have a bright new spick-and-span Widebeam quite similar to ours.  He advises that the chantier (boat yard) here is quite good but charges €50 just to look at any job.  He also says there is good walk going further along the canal for the dogs and is only about 3km.  We set off.  300 metres, forget 3km, and we and the dogs are all drenched to the skin.  Another 200m and we decide enough is enough.  Shady has already gone “en greve”! (We worry about her increasingly French tendencies, but what’s wrong with being French.)

We race back to the boat.  Dry off.  Eat some lunch.  And decide that in weather like this the best thing is to just keep moving.  So off we go and hit the next lock at Gailloux at 1pm.  The lockkeeper is young lady totally drenched so that her clothes all cling to her.  Yet she is so happy and friendly.  How can you be happy in weather like this?  She is marvellous.

We make Beaulon and moor up.  It is good mooring with free water and electricity.  We take the former but have no need of the latter.  The rain is easing off.  We realise that we had a discussion with Pauline and Peter on the Peppa at Decize when they discussed free water and moorings at Beaulon.  We thought they had meant Beaulieu (downstream) and we also mentioned Dampierre both of which have some blessings from being near major generation stations.  Now we realise that they were talking about Beaulon and Dompierre-sur-Besbre which are upstream.   No wonder we had a disjointed discussion.

It is very good here, and easy for the dogs to go out, with excellent walks.  But the town is quite a walk away, so we don’t get there.  They must be nice people though, to provide so much for visitors.  We are moored next to an American flagged boat called the “Mare”.   We ask whether it is horse or sea.  They are confused but explain it is Italian for “sea”.  Mare Nostrum, no doubt.

Tuesday 26 July - If You Don’t Get Soaked You Just Get Baked

An early morning walk with the girls and again we meet a snail collector (again with a liberal interpretation of “Burgundy”).  He is very pleased with his harvest this morning.  Clearly rain has some benefits.

It is lighter and brighter this morning, but still with some damp in the air.  It is 32 kms to Digoin and 8 locks.  We set off in pleasant, cool weather and moor up for lunch at Diou.  These are very good moorings and a lovely town / village.  The kids playing in the adjacent playground are very noisy but it is a beautiful and welcome noise. 

We push on from Diou and it starts to get warmer, and warmer, and warmer.  The trouble with the British is they are never satisfied.  But we have the wrong clothes on, so at each lock we slowly but further divest.

We see the Mare now ahead of us.  She seems too close to the bank, and struggling.   One of the female members of the crew is trying to push her off.  Oops!  Then again, in slow motion, we see her slowly lose her balance and end up in the nice, clean, fresh canal.

She finds her feet and climbs out.  But the boat is still stuck.  We offer a tow and a rope.  They say, thanks but offer their rope.  We say jokingly you know about salvage then!?  We certainly do they say. One of them worked with the salvage loss adjusters in the City of London, though they are doubtful we could claim salvage towing them off some mud in a French canal.  Any way after a couple of tugs in different directions we get her away.  Bon Voyage.

We reach Digoin at about 6pm, cross the Pont Canal over the Loire (shorter than at Briare, and not so spectacular, but still very attractive) and moor up just the other side.  We take the dogs for a short walk.  We decide to go back over the Pont Canal and Glyn thinks he can do it - it is not so high. But the railings on the side are very light and open.  Something distracts him, and suddenly the balance is gone.  We reverse slowly backwards. 

The walk along the Loire is excellent, and the view to the Pont Canal quite charming.  Isn’t it intriguing?  We take to this place quite quickly, whereas as Decize had the opposite effect.  But they are not that different.

After supper we stroll around the town, see the church.  A pleasant town, but very quiet.

The Pont Canal at Digoin

Wednesday 27 July - Digoin Has Its Charms

We wake up nicely in the morning.  Glyn does morning duties along the Loire, while Linda goes to find the Boulanger.  First one closed for the vacation (14^th to the 15^th as we say).  Second one closed for ever.  Third one under new management but not re-opening till mid-August.  Fourth one closed for ever.  Fifth one only a patisserie (whatever it says on the board).  BUT  ... they do know where there is a Boulanger.   Sixth one sells bread and croissants.

Have a lazy breakfast on the boat.  Some biggish boats going out to the Pont Canal.  After a while Linda thinks our boat is swaying.  Glyn is sure we are still moored, and last night he ensured the mooring pins were well-secured.  But we are moving more than we should.  On examination both mooring pins have held, but one has nudged out a little and then bent like a piece of willow.  It will hold, but not for long (and we have lost one mooring pin already).

So instead of sightseeing we head off to the chandlery.  “Un piquet d’amarrage” (our French improves daily).  No sorry, don’t stock them.  However we are able to buy three one-metre lengths of chain and with shackles we can fix these to the shuttering, and then secure the mooring ropes to them.  Our improvisation improves daily too.

After lunch we do get to explore the town.  There is an excellent model boat builder, who must do most of his work for museums and showrooms, but he does perfect models of old boats.  The other shops are largely boutiques or beauty shops.  Food shopping is clearly done out of town, but we find enough to keep us going.  There is a small cinema set back in an unlikely building.  The town reminds us a little of Chippenham, though the port on the Canal and the frontage to the Loire are more impressive than the Avon frontage in Chippenham. 

The Church at Digoin - A Different Architecture

We find a good kebab house.  That evening we have takeaway kebab and Linda wants “frites” – she hasn’t had any since she’s been in France.  We do spoil ourselves, don’t we?  In fact the meal, including baklava, is cheaper than if we cooked for ourselves.  And it is good.  The “frites” aren’t as good as Marie-Paule’s, and the Doner not quite as good as the “Marmaris” in Bath, but come on, those are impossibly high standards.  It is really good, and excellent value for money.

The Pont Canal at Digoin from the Loire

Thursday 28 July - Everyone should Visit Dompierre Once / Beaulon in the Mist

We are going to take three days back to Decize, just a little more slowly.  So today we think we will aim for Dompierre-sur-Besbre, just a few miles north of Diou.  It is off on a small branch canal which looks interesting, and the port offers all facilities including pump-out.  Worth a try.  The journey is pleasant and the canal is quite beautiful in many parts.  We pass Diou with its winding approaches and narrow little bridges.  We reach the Besbre lock.  Here, when we were coming upstream, an enormous transporter barge emerged and began to turn in the winding hole in front of the lock.  We thought it was going to Dompierre and couldn’t see how it could get through the tiny bridge to the branch.  It couldn’t of course, but was merely turning to reverse up to the grain silo to collect a cargo.  By the time we return two days later it has already left.

We turn into the branch and under the bridge.  But any prettiness before the bridge soon disappears afterwards.  For a few hundred yards we think we are in a ditchwater.  But it is navigable.  Then after a while it brightens and greens, and it is indeed a very pleasant backwater.  We very slowly nudge up and finally reach the very pretty port, hidden away from almost everybody.  Unfortunately it looks like there is nowhere for us to moor, or even, to turn.  However very slowly we turn around using some of the space between the short pontoons.  We identify the pump-out.  Linda manages to disembark and goes to the office.  As always the pump-out case has been installed, but there are no works.  A nice Lancastrian comes out to talk to us.  We can moor against the pontoons if we want, even though we overhang more than half.  Not really a good mooring.  He explains that French boats don’t have the capacity to hold their waste water so there is little value in pump-out stations. 

We head back down the branch, very slowly again.  It is actually a very pretty and quite different stretch of water.  We are really pleased we visited, even if unsuccessfully.  Anyone passing this way should pop in, just to see.

We look at our options and decide that Beaulon is our best bet for the night.  We arrive safe and sound.  There is mooring but no available bollards or rings.  We move in and consider how to secure our ropes.  “Got a problem?” says the guy from the next boat, who has hailed from Aberystwyth and heading back for the Rhine.  We explain about our shortage of mooring pins.  No problem - he lends us one.  Everything is right with the world.

Except for Shady.  She has a very bad night, and at 3am is making all sorts of uncomfortable noises.  We try to calm here but decide she just has to go out.  At 3.30am it is pitch black and there is thick mist everywhere, over the grass, over the banks and over the canal.  In fact, even with a good torch it is difficult to tell where the bank ends and the canal begins.  Also here all the electrical points are in one place.  So the various boats and camper vans which are plugged in for the night have electrical leads going in all directions.  One trip and God knows where you will end.  After 20 minutes wandering around in the dark and mist Glyn and the girls return.  Shady is eventually quieter, but not a good night.

Friday 29 July - Meeting Old Friends (Already) – Gannay in the Sun

Today is only short hop up (down) to Gannay.  We lie in till 7.30pm and the take the girls for a long walk.  We are in no rush.  We finally set off later but make Gannay by lunchtime.  The weather is warm and wonderful.

There is a good mooring available and someone has just moved off the quay and double-banked to leave space for someone like us.  As we moor up we realise it is Tony and Rose on the Anfra, double banked against Andrew on the Maja.  Andrew has had a new wheel house delivered this morning and Tony has helped him install it.  We natter, though Topsy is a bit defensive about anyone coming near her boat.

We wander over to the boat yard to see if they might have any mooring pins, in the process meting Dick and Mary on the Oribi who come from Devizes.  Isn’t it a small world? They know Malmesbury, and we explain that Glyn’s sister and brother-in-law also called Dick and Mary used to live at Bishops Cannings.  Dick says that back home he drives through Bishops Cannings every day.  Martin and family are however not at home on the China Bird.

At the boatyard they too don’t stock mooring pins, but advise us that the best thing is to get some builder’s stakes, which are very strong and easily obtained in a builder’s merchant.  There is one called Doras right by the canal in Decize which will have just what we want.

Alas tomorrow is Saturday and it will close by midday.  But later we bump into our American friends from Fleury and Decize (never did get their names and their boat seems to have no easily visible name) who say they think it stays open till 12.30pm.  So we’ll make a sprint for it in the morning.

Meanwhile a Belgian couple have arrived and say hello, but surprisingly their French is limited. They have moored right tight up to the lock, and then a second boat moors double alongside them.  There could be competition for the lock tomorrow.

Saturday 30 July - The Endearing Fraternity of the Canals

Wake up early and get everything done.  Go over and speak to the Belgian boat moored at the lock and explain we need to get to Decize by midday, and is there any possibility of our going through the lock before them.  No, no.  We have booked it for 9am they say.  Yes, we have too, we explain, but is there any chance we could go first?  No, we are ready to go, they explain.  There seems to be an understanding difficulty. So we give up and decide life is too short to fight over it.  But with luck we may still make it to Decize by 12. 

Both boats line up for the lock so we just wait, and then form a queue behind them so that the lockkeeper knows too that we want to get through. 

In fact he signals to us to enter, he thinks he can get all three in.  The second boat is quite short.  We are doubtful but it is nice of him to try.  And in fact we are all three just a fraction too long, so as last in we reverse out.  Linda gets off to help the lockkeeper with all the gates, so at least we speed things up.

We keep up our speed so follow the boats ahead through both the next two locks.  Linda every time helps the lockkeeper with the preceding boats to speed things up.  They are actually not going that fast, but not slow enough that we could overtake them.  At the third lock an upstream boat also further slows us up a little.

We reach the last lock.  The two boats ahead are just exiting, and it’s only 8 minutes to 12.  Up to now the lockkeepers have always let us through at this time, so....

Not this time. It’s Saturday and it looks like wife or girlfriend has already made lunch.  Crossed arms.  No way through this lock until after 1pm.

C’est la vie.  We reverse back to the mooring bollards for the lock.  They are not easy to access, and the water here is shallow.  But we manage to moor, and can get off with a gangplank.  We can have lunch and the girls can have a walk.  Shady is not too sure of the gangplank however, and takes a dip in the canal.  Not too serious.

After lunch we get ready for the lock.  A Dutch barge is coming up behind us. It’s Tony and Rose in the Anfra.  Can we both get in the lock?  They are 20 metres and we 18.  The locks are 38m long.  With a bit of diagonalling we might.  We go into the lock and as we enter we explain that we are 18 and the boat behind 20; we might both get in.  Long intake of breath.  I don’t think so, he says, and signals to the Anfra to stand back.  Isn’t it interesting that at the first lock the keeper was willing to try, but here he plays it straight by the book.

We won’t see Tony and Rose at Decize as they are going up the Nivernais, so we wave our goodbyes.

Arrive at Decize.  Our two predecessor friends have moored up on the port side, and are having their lunch.  Nothing more.  We have to admit we seethe a bit.  Maybe it was a linguistic misunderstanding.  Best to believe that than think he was just standing on his dignity.

Anyway, we do some shopping, use the launderette to dry our washing, and get on with life.  And we have moored on the far side of the canal, so the girls can wander freely.  We know there are bollards there.  We’ll just have to find bollards or rings all the way to Briare.

Festivities at Decize

Festivities at Decize

Tuesday 19 July - Bannay to Cours-les-Barres

Today is rain, rain, and the showers.  From Bannay we cruise south around Sancerre and Ménétréol with a destination of Cours-les-Barres, 46 kms and 8 locks.  Perhaps a good day for just moving as the weather changes between rain, drizzle, shine and drizzle again.  The picture of the hills of Sancerre is nothing like that we enjoyed in May, coming down in glorious sunshine.  We think we should send some pictures, but those of May, please, not these grey, drizzly images. 

This not a particular day for enjoying the countryside, so we push on.  We also spot a rivet come loose on the back cover.  Not serious, but we’ll try to call in at Aubigny to see if they can do it.  So we keep moving, past Sancerre and La Charité.  We are between the locks at Herry and Rousseaux by 12.30, and decide on a short stop not to arrive at the Rousseaux lock too early and also to give the dogs a walk.  We pull in at La Chappelle-Montlinard, which on approach does not look very inspiring, but the moorings are good, and it is an excellent place for the dogs to run.  A quiet mooring but very nice.  If we had time, maybe another time, La Charité is only a short bike ride away, though the dogs would have to stay on the boat.  We push on.

We pass Beffes at about 2.30pm.   Here the moorings were bad in May, but now they have cut back all the long grass and there are also more moorings on the edge of the village.  The sun shines a little, and Beffes looks as beautiful as before.  We must explore more some day soon.

We pass the cement works between Beffes and Aubigny.  The rain has cleared a bit but this scenery is not inspiring, unless you like industrial wastelands.  Linda had forgotten how long these works stretch.  But finally we pass them and head for the Chantier de l’Equerre (boatyard) just before Aubigny.  Mooring is easy, but just as every time we tried in May it is locked up with no-one around.  There are adverts for it on the canal, and information on the atelier entrance.  We take down the portable telephone number.  Maybe they’ll be here when we come back up.

It is only a few hundred yards (sorry, metres) to the lock at Aubois, but this is silent as the grave as well.  We wait five, ten minutes and then begin to think we should disembark (which won’t be easy here) and go look for a lockkeeper.  But just then we see someone cycling like mad from the lock 150m further on at Aubigny itself.

The lockkeeper is very friendly and helpful.  He apologises profusely.  We had disappeared, he said, and he didn’t know what happened.  He manages the two locks so went back to Aubigny as there was another boat due downstream.  Then he saw us again.  We explain that we pulled into L’Equerre but it seemed shut.  It’s been closed for ages, he says, and he doesn’t know why they don’t take down the advertising.  But if you need some rivets, Mr Raimondo at the other end of Aubigny will help you.    He asks where we are going (Cours-les-Barres just 5km away).  Why don’t you stay at Aubigny he says, it’s much better.  We hmm and arrrh but don’t really say that mooring for us at Aubigny is hell – we are too long for the pontoons, and too straight-sided for the sloping quays.

Any way we take his advice and try to get to Mr Raimondo’s boatyard, despite earlier reports that discussing work with him is not straightforward.  Unfortunately there is nowhere to moor.  The outside and front of the boat yard is totally covered with old, massive, rusting and not-so-rusting barges, about four times our height out of the water.   It is now also gone 4pm and again the place looks empty.  We are learning that what others say is true – finding working boatyards in France is not easy.  Any way, it is not critical so we move on.

By Cours-les-Barres the sun is almost shining.  Alas there is only one mooring and it has no bollards.  There are however holes in the shuttering through which we can fasten our ropes.  So here we are, before 5pm.

We walk the dogs along the canal, and bump into a snail gatherer.  It had been wet so an excellent time to gather snails.  He shows us his bucket.  Big Roman Snails.  They almost look appetising.  The very best Burgundy Snails, he says. But this is not Burgundy, we say.  Pfff, he says, pointing eastwards, it’s only a few hundred metres over there, and the snails are better here.  He seems a very happy man, and we wish him good evening.

So we wander up to the village.  It has a new bar / cafe, but the restaurant at la Mole still advertises lifts to and from it if you want to go from the canal.  The Boulanger is open.  The setting sloping down to the quay, plus free electricity and water, makes this a really excellent place to stay.

Wednesday 20 July - Festivities at Fleury

Our destination today is Fleury, 40 kms and six locks, including the double staircase and aqueduct at Guetin.

The weather is better.  After the lock at Laubray, we reach le Guetin quite quickly.  We have never ascended these locks before, but it’s as easy as clockwork.  The lockkeeper is on form, and has us up through lock 1 and then lock 2 in less than no time.  The gentle cruise across the aqueduct over the Allier is really quite beautiful.  People are strolling the aqueduct and others sitting on the beach below, though the weather is not quite that good.

Now 20kms without locks.  The first part past Pont Carreau is “nothing to write home about”, so we won’t.  We stop for lunch at Plagny, using a bollard and lightly fix a mooring pin for the front rope.  This is a pleasant stop.  A moderate size French-owned Dutch barge is coming downstream at quite a pace (“Slow down for moored boats” does not translate easily into French, and we expect to bobble a bit.)  Then from the back of the boat we see the front pin come out.  Who didn’t hammer it in enough and secure the rope to it?   Well, in slow motion, before we can get to it, we see the pin ever so gently passed over to Davy Jones’ locker.  Oh, well! We still have two.

It is a lovely tree-shaded section from Plagny past Chevenon down to Fleury.  In the afternoon warmth we are pleased to have the shade. Then what is this?  A giant pedaloo, powered by 16 mad Neverians, is making its way down the canal by foot power the 35 kms from Nevers to Decize to join the celebrations for the opening of the new port.  They wave and shout.  They tell us to be happy, make lots of noise and say “see you later”.

We arrive at Fleury which is already quite full.  Our first attempt at mooring finds the canal too shallow along the banks.  There is a “sort of” place diagonal from the main quay which would be tricky and doesn’t look big enough.  We consider our options but then, four Yanks, in the boat moored next to the space yell, come on, you can get in here!  Throw us a rope. And we do.  Mind you getting in wasn’t that simple.  Getting the stern in was fun, but one of the American ladies helped by a Pontypool lad from the Eos, next boat along, get a long rope to a bollard.

Welcome, they all say, it’s going to be a party tonight.  And in the gazebo alongside the summer season cafe is a disco and band all set up for the evening.  At that moment the Pedaloo Geant arrives and moors up at a reserved place.  The pedallers all roll off and head to another marquee where food and liquid is available in French proportions.  We have a beer each, walk the dogs, and eat.  And then go out again for another beer and to join the party.  The American ladies “of a certain age” are dancing away like teenagers, and trying to get the men, or any men, to dance with them.  Everyone is in a party mood.  It could be a noisy night.  We walk the dogs at 9.30pm and get back about 10.20.  The party is still going strong.  But then, at 10.30, everything stops.  As we pass by we speak to the “Pedaloo” President.  Is the party over?  Mais oui!  Tomorrow morning they all have to be fit and strong for the pedal to Decize, so early to their tents. 

 Oh No It's the Pedaloons

Thursday 21 July - Tea with the Waters

We try to get off early the next morning, but after three days doing over 40 kms we only have 12 kms and 2 locks today.  However we are too slow and the Pedaloo is off before us.  We move off 10 minutes later and again there is great merriment as we pass them.  We offer them a tow, and merrily they accept.  “Grace a Dieu” they were only joking.  See you in Decize, they say.

We arrive.  The moorings on the port side are all already taken, but we can easily moor on the other side although two boats are already there, and this turns out to be much better for the dogs who can be free to get off the boat when they want, wander around, sit under the trees.  We go off to do some shopping (sorry, provisioning), have lunch and then wander down to the main quay at the Town front on the Loire.  We have a mooring booked here for the weekend, but want to check it out before we make the descent.  We also want to see Door Maas and Jo Parfitt about other aspects of the weekend.

Door and Jo are not there when we arrive, although their boat is.  The amount of mooring is not great and everyone will be double or treble moored.  Also there is no significant greenery and nowhere to walk the dogs.  We decide we may prefer to stay on the Canal.  A couple on the MV Celine wave to us.  Are you looking for anyone?  We explain and she says that Door has gone up to the new port.  We should have seen her.  Anyway, she’ll be back soon.  Meanwhile would we like a cup of tea?  Well we end up with a tea and a coffee (like us they are one of each).  Gail and Andrew are from the Medway.  They brought their Dutch barge over to France last year, and wintered in the Champagne area.  Andrew was a boat builder.  We have along friendly chin wag.  We explain that we had booked for the tour to Nevers and Apremont for the next day.  They say they had wanted to, but left it too late.  Aha, we say, we are having to explain to Door that we can’t go, because we had forgotten about the dogs.  So a quick thought and all we have to say is that Gail and Andrew will take our place.

Door returns along with Mike Maclaran from the “Sterna” who has been organising the event for the DBA.  Mike is happy about the switch with Gail and Andrew, Door understands about not mooring on the quay, and Mike invites us (along with many others) for drinks on the Sterna at 6pm.

This turns out to be a glorious event, with 40 or 50 people, in beautiful sunshine but with a gentle breeze, and lots of boaters to meet, mainly British, American or other colonials, but also a good sprinkling of Dutch and French.  We (literally) bump into our American friends from Fleury again.  They are moored in the port (as opposed to quay or canal).  Amazingly we don’t exchange names!  But we have a good laugh.  One of the ladies says she has never behaved as recklessly as she did last night for some time, and had a bit of a head this morning.  It wasn’t that bad, but at least they are very happy.  And at about 8.30pm we head the mile back across and along the Loire, through the port, and take the girls for a good walk.

Friday 22 July - No Way to Apremont (2)

So on Friday, for the second day in a week, we do not make a trip to see the Gardens at Apremont-sur-Allier.  It is not meant to be this year.  But it is only 5 kms from Le Guetin, and perhaps when Glyn’s knee is mended we can cycle it next year. 

Opposite us are moored the Pedaloons!  They arrived late last evening, made a great fuss, ate their supper al fresco on the canal bank.  The food tent stayed there, but we think they had digs overnight (or did they drive back to Nevers) but they do not camp with the boat this time. We meet Monsieur le President as we pass by.  He is ever full of excellent spirits, collecting money for medical charities.  We will see them all later, he says.

We wander into Decize and mooch about the town.    We got some excellent moussaka from one of the charcutiers in May, but alas not made up today.  With Gail and Andrew we had a good discussion last evening about getting medical attention in France.  They have had problems and worries.  We explained the ease which Glyn had in April.  But now he has miscalculated his warfarin and will run out before we get back.  Getting some sent from England would be silly (and complicated). How easy will it be to get 10mgs in 1 or 2 mg pills?  We find a pharmacy.  He produces his documentation and his pills and explains he is short.  The pharmacist is very helpful.  She thinks she knows what he wants.  It is “coumadine” in French.  But, tres efficace, she has a little programme in her “caisse” which tells her what this is in other languages.  Yes, in English it’s warfarin.  She produces a 20mg pack (2x10).  And beneath “Coumadine” it says “warfarine”.  No problem in selling it to us as she is clear about all the documentation.  We wait for the price.  Glyn has a €50 note to hand.  It’s his fault he miscalculated.  “Deux vingt cinq” she says.  Has he heard right?  Has he understood right?  Absolutely yes.   €2.25.  The relief on Glyn’s face is visual.  I’ll come again, he says.  No you won’t, says Linda, you’ll get it right next time.

We pop into the Maison de la Presse to get a paper and some cards.  We find a greengrocer who doesn’t have any basil (we so need some basil), but does have some lovely figs.  We wander on down towards the Vieille Loire with a beautiful view across the old river as she flows into the main stream.  A few large barges are moored here including the Leprechaun II which belongs to Terry and Iris McMahon who we met last night.   Then Glyn realises that he has left the umbrella in the Newsagents, so back we go.  He’s not having a very good day, but the umbrella is there.  The weather is not too bad today, but the rain is intermittent.

And so back to snooze, relax and walk the dogs. Decize is beginning to grow on us.

At 7.30pm there is a picnic at the Point (where the Vieille Loire meets the main stream).  All under cover, but the weather is better now.  We over-estimate the time it takes to walk, and are one of the first to arrive.  We bump into Terry and Iris again.  A reasonable crowd of 40 or 50 builds up.  Bob and Di arrive from the Kennet & Avon, who are also heavily involved in the twinning with Nivernais and just boats generally.  They went on the trip in the day.  Nevers was interesting.  The meal at Cuffy was excellent.  But everyone got drenched at Apremont.  So some we missed and some we didn’t.

We leave at 9.30 as, alas, we have to walk the dogs.  By the time we are doing this at 10.15 we are walking along a grassy, tufty canal bank in the dark.  Don’t trip.  At least we have torches.  Bonne Nuit.

Saturday 23 July - Meals and Jousting Make Up for the Speeches

Nothing until 11am as this is then the official opening of the new port, only 5 minutes away.  It’s not really finished, and they have a hotel to build.  There are only about 15 boats in the port, with a capacity of 80, and most of these have come for the DBA rally.  But it is the main purpose we’re here. We leave a little early but chat a little to Peter and Pauline in the Peppa, and Jane and Peter in the Tokoloshe (we are told you will know what that means if you speak Xhosa).  When we get to the other end of the port where all the action is, it is quite full.  From this end the port looks very full, the sun is shining, and it’s a beautiful occasion.  Speeches from the Secretary-General of the Department, the Mayor (this one is quite short and funny), the Deputé and the Prefect, several repeating each other.  But in fairness in total it all takes only 45 minutes.  Terry and Iris don’t believe the speeches all have to finish by 12 noon, but they do.  And then aperitifs.  And the restaurant at the far end of the port is also open.  It was actually a pleasant and friendly event.  But we, like most of the DBA boats, are too long to moor here in the new port.  They might need to rethink that a little.

After lunch and walking the dogs there are various activities down on the Loire and the Vieille Loire.  One of the most amusing was jousting by boat.  Being whacked off the prow of a boat by a great big barge pole is not our sense of fun, but the fun was watching how they nearly always missed each other.  Hopefully some pics to follow of this fascinating pastime.  Old Loire boats are sailing up and down (amazing how they sometimes go against the stream without any sail – is that a rudder or an outboard motor we spy?).  Stalls are out for various associations.  And it’s a very nice afternoon.

Jousting on the Loire

Walking the girls is also very pleasant.  It’s warm but not too hot, and a beautiful gentle breeze off the water.

The evening is an official ACN/DBA dinner at the Salle des Fetes.  Officially it starts at 8pm, but aperitifs are not over till 9pm.  Lots of chatter.  We sit at a table with Mike and Maggie from Corston (Bath that is, but not very far away).  Mike worked for Bath Water and was very involved in the re-opening of the K&A.  He is also still strongly involved in the Berks and Wilts restoration, and very enthusiastic.  We discuss the seeming impossibility of re-opening the Berks and Wilts through Swindon.  But Mike has a vision.  It can be done with some re-routing.  And it can bring so much to Swindon.  The Council know it is worthwhile.  It is such belief and determination which has re-opened so many canals.  But Mike can give us twenty years.  It will happen he says, though maybe not in his lifetime.

Also on our table are Tony and Rosemary from the Anfra and Andrew from the Maja.  They hale from the Medway too, but have been almost living in France on board for a long time.  We feel like interlopers with so many old hands.  Andrew who is not far off Mike’s age does all his own maintenance and rebuilding.

We are entertained by a Loire Marinier group of musicians who play and sing called “Chavannes”.   They are actually excellent.  They sing with or without accompaniment and it is really wonderful.  We ask if they have some CDs, but alas only Christmas Carols. 

Coffee?  Yes please.  My God it’s 12.30pm!  We dash back to the boat (still 30 minutes on foot), let the girls out, give them a big cuddle each.  They’ll have more time with us tomorrow.

Sunday 24 July – 20^th Birthday Party for VNF

A quiet day today.  We just walk the dogs and do some things on the boat in the morning.  In the afternoon the VNF (French Waterways) have a 20th birthday party at the Point, with cake and bubbly.  Lots of people there and lots of boating activities on the Loire including the Pedaloons.  You can have a go if you, they say, want but we decline.

White Sails on the Loire

We bump into Bob and Di again.  They are staying in the camper van until dashing off to various other places including Redon in Brittany.  We invite them back for dinner. The early evening leaves Linda frantically organising an unplanned dinner party.

Bob and Di arrive at 7.30pm.  We drink some wine, eat, put the world to rights, tear it apart again, and put it right again.  Coffee, cognac and Jura sustain us during the final re-righting.  We also extract lots of advice about boating in general and boating in France in particular, as well as some of the concerns around the K&A’s future with the possible demise of British Waterways.    Again it’s 12.30 before we blink.  Bon and Di retire to the camper.  We say we won’t see them in the morning as we need to get away early.  The girls have behaved all night and they have a 15 minute stroll before lights out.  It’s been a great and relaxing as well as stimulating weekend.  Tomorrow we head for Digoin, the southern end of the CLL (Canal later de la Loire).

Festivities at Briare and Gien

Sunday 10 July - Arrival at Briare

Well, as we write this we are already 3 weeks into a five week break.  Where did the time go?  The first few days there wasn’t much to write.  Then there wasn’t time.  Then we got lazy.  Finally catching up.

It was Sunday 10 July that we arrived back in France.  The drive down from Caen to Briare was gentle and easy in beautiful weather.  We only made one stop and arrived in Briare by just after noon.  Walked the dogs, ate lunch and unloaded.  But even within three hours we remembered this mooring was not ideal.  The ledge under the water meant we were moored one metre out, and every time a hire boat went by the gangplank shifted and / or hit the water.  However Bruno (Le Capitaine / Harbour Master) was as always on hand and helpful. 

The Mooring at Pont Henri IV, Briare

The permanent mooring was still occupied but he would move us immediately down to the lower port.  Meet him at the lock and he would see us through.  We met him at the lock.  “Where’s the boat” he said.   Any way another half an hour and we were safely below the Pont Henri IV, with everything we wanted within two minutes walk.  What a great man – Henri IV we meant, but yes Bruno as well.  Then just a quiet day in beautiful hot sunny clear weather, with a beautiful evening walk along the Loire.  So good to be back.

Monday 11 July - Shopping and Things

Monday just had to be shopping.  And lots of it.  We laughed some time later when an American boater called it “reprovisioning”, but we guess it’s close to that.  So thus went Monday, ready for a week or so.  Nothing more exciting chaps.

Oh, except, driving to Auchun we saw Annie (Delbecq - who else) riding her bike along the banks of the Loire.  Definitely Annie though she looks quite different on a bike.  She didn’t see us and we decided not to frighten her.  Too much excitement for one day.

Tuesday 12 July - Cleaning Up

What happened to the beautiful weather?  The morning comes with grey turning black.  By 10am we have a wonderful thunder storm (if you like thunder and lightning).  France clearly needs some rain.  She got some this morning, though probably not nearly enough.  Have we arrived just in time for the end of summer?

Luckily the dogs got a good walk before the rain, and the rest of the day is just cleaning through, including a good orange teak oiling for the wood floors.  Aren’t we good?  Mind you, the outside needs some cleaning too.  But not today.  The afternoon weather is better but not great.

Wednesday 13 July - The Brits Arrive and Fireworks at Briare

Tonight the twinning party arrives in Gien from Malmesbury.  First some more tidying work, including the bowels of the boat, but really a restful day.

At 6pm we head off for Gien, early for the civic reception at 7pm.  Although we know the way we use the Sat Nav.  She’s just such a nice girl to listen to.  We name our destination as a favourite to be called “Mairie Gien”.  When we get there she tells us we have now arrived at “Mary Jean”.  Sorry, Friends in Gien, but from now it will forever be “Mary Jean”.

Only Martine (Renard) is there ahead of us, and she had to come from Bonny-sur-Loire.  The furthest to come always arrive first!  Well not always.  We chat and then Nicole Depond arrives and a few others.  It’s great to be in France.  Suddenly its 6.40pm.  Bryan said he would ring form the coach when the English party were an hour away.  Scrabble around for some numbers and find Robin’s mobile.  Amazingly we get connected.  The coach has got stuck in traffic and got held up in Melun.  Arrival time after 8pm.  The furthest don’t always arrive first!  And “plus ca change”!    Why are we (the English) always travelling before bank holiday?  Mind you, on the first such visit to Gien we were four hours late (for which blame the “chasseurs en manif”   bringing Paris to a standstill) and actually one hour late is one of the best times for a Malmesbury arrival in Gien.

By 8.15pm all are arrived and everyone is happy.  The plans made by Nicole (L) and Cecile (R) have now to be rushed, but as always they are efficient and graceful.  Back to Briare for an evening meal with Patrick (D) before the fireworks at the Pres Gris.  Dinner starts by 9.30pm, but there are 20 of us, all chattering in French, English and Franglais.  Excellent food and, dare we say it, even more excellent company.  But we overshoot the 11pm for fireworks, though we can hear and see them.

We start to worry about the dogs, only 100 metres away, but also only 100 metres from the fireworks.  We apologise as the first to leave.  The girls aren’t too bad but pleased to see us.  And the informal fireworks continue, all around the port.  We think the firecrackers finally finish about 4am.  But the mood is lively, friendly and jolly.  The girls don’t really like the firecrackers (at all) but the youngsters setting them off are just youngsters enjoying their day of liberty and freedom.  It’s already le Quatorze.

Thursday 14 July - Festivities at Arrabloy and Gien / Tim on Board

It’s Bastille Day in France.  Sorry, la Fete Nationale.  We have to leave for Gien by 9.15am, and give the dogs a good walk first.  So 4am finish or not we’re up and out just after 7am.

From Gien the coach (very posh official Bath Rugby coach) takes us to Arrabloy for the national march and celebration there.  [Arrabloy is to Gien what Milbourne, Corston or Brokenborough could be to Malmesbury.  They were incorporated into the town in the 1990s, and just (literally the last Sunday) had a referendum to declare independence, along with the Georgia Pacific rates income.  The move was defeated, 17 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed.  This celebration from the Mairie at Gien could have been very tricky if it had gone the other way.] 

Then back to Gien for similar somewhat bigger civic events.  They play but don’t sing the Marseillaise.  Aperitifs at the civic hall.  And then inevitably a great lunch at the Folk Abeille.

In the afternoon we are free to follow the various activities in the town.  We say (truly) we have to get back to the dogs, and Tim comes with us.  The dogs are so excited to see him.  Their own Timmy has come all the way to France to see them on the boat.  This demands an extra special walk.  They really are excited but know they daren’t misbehave with Tim.  And so we saunter off along the Loire before (or was it after) the inevitable coffee.

Back to Gien for the evening for dancing, singing, a picnic and then fireworks at the Port du Bois.  The Folk Abeille and their companions from la Charente dance wonderfully.  Julia Bowen sings some beautiful songs against the background of firecrackers.  They never give her the slightest flinch or misnote.  That’s true professionalism.  Then we eat.

We dash back to Briare again at about 9.30am to see the girls before getting back for the fireworks.  We arrive at 10.50 for 11.00 fireworks.  Ah!  Parking is impossible, so Linda drops off at the port and Glyn eventually parks about a mile away.  The fireworks are absolutely impressive, for nearly 25 minutes.  We should do this for Malmesbury Carnival, we discuss with Ray Sanderson, until we learn that they will have cost more than €50,000. 

But there must have been over 20,000 people there, all together wondering at the awesome display.  Cecile Roger doubts quite such a number.  But it’s certainly as many if not more than go to a Cardiff City game.  It was (another) great night.

Friday 15 July - Chateau Chamerolles / Barbecue chez Maurice et Lilyane

Today there is a trip to Chateau Chamerolles north of Orleans, with also its museum of perfumes.  We want to take the dogs so we drive separately, a quite easy drive of about an hour.  We arrive about twenty minutes before the coach.  The access to the gardens is open so we go through with the dogs, walk around some of the lawns with the girls fully under control, and then find beautiful woodland where they can run free.  We get back to the car after about 20 minutes just as the coach is arriving.

As we exit the gardens we see a warden follow behind us and he closes and locks the gates we have used.  We hear him on the walkie-talkie saying something about “deux chiens”.   He looks unhappy.  Later when we walk around to what we now find as the main entrance and we find a clear notice saying dogs not allowed.  We later find the guard and apologise. He is fine about it.  We say what a pity it is that dogs can’t use the woodland.  He shrugs.  Well Shady and Topsy really enjoyed them, even if it was forbidden.

After an excellent picnic lunch (courtesy of Patrick once again) Linda takes the tour around the perfume museum, while Glyn (plus ca change) finds a nice pelouse where he can sleep with the dogs before taking them for a walk across some fields beside the woodland.  Probably illegal yet again but it seems that republican France still needs some liberation from the landed classes.  They could do with some “Manchester hikers” here.  In the perfume museum the lavender and the rose are wonderful, but the civet is, well, civet!

A gentle drive home, but did we get clocked for speeding (only just over the limit just as we were discussing what it was)?  We won’t know till we get home.

In the evening the Gien Twinning Association has arranged a wonderful barbecue with swimming beforehand chez Maurice and Lilyane out at Coullons.  Patrick drives us so tonight we both have a drink.  Is everybody mixing enough?  Everyone is too happy chatting, eating and drinking to worry, so it must be alright.

Excellent weather and an excellent evening.

The Gardens at Chamerolles - Only for the Addicted

Saturday 16 July - Paella in the Woods / Supper in the Rain

Today is the formal business stuff.  A two hour joint meeting in the Maison des Associations.  Great regret that Jean Pierre (the mayor of Gien), Jane Winch and Marie Coupland can’t be with us.  We are none of us getting younger though in Marie’s case it is a family illness that keeps her away.  Great discussions about the visit to England next year.  The republican French are very keen to come over for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (especially if a formal visit to Highgrove can be arranged), and as it coincides with Chippenham Folk Festival others are happy as well.

The rest of twinning is going very well. With good contacts between seven or eight organisations, though some only exchange every few years. 

Meeting over it is off to the woods for lunch by a lakeside with the Folk Abeille dancers.  What an excellent crowd they are.  It is really great for the girls as they can roam in the rough but beautiful woodland.  Other dogs are there too.  And youngsters really like all the dogs.  Marie-Jo’s grand-daughter from the Lorraine joins for us a moderate hike through the undergrowth, and they all doubt that we know our way back, but we do.

Occasionally it threatens to rain, the clouds get thicker, but it holds off.

John and Celia are joining us for the evening again at Coullons but their host (Nicole D) has had to go to a family event today, so John and Celia come back with us to the boat for a coffee before going on to Coullons.  Celia really enjoys her English cup of tea.  (France is wonderful but there are things we all miss.)  John meanwhile has to make himself useful and notices that the barometer is a bit stuck.  We say we bought it shop-soiled and it has never really worked.  Over an hour and half and two cups of coffee he carefully dismantles and re-assembles it, and for a couple cups of coffee we have a working barometer.  What friends we have.

The evening meal has been prepared by Michelle (Guillin) and even if we are already struggling with too much food it is far too good not to eat.  It’s a good crowd of about twenty again.  She has been working on this for two days.  On the drive there we pass some roadworks which are pretty hairy – who knows which lane is which?

A happy friendly, evening, but by 10pm it starts to rain, and rain, and rain.  Then the thunder and lightning.  And it pours.  It’s time to go but no-one wants to go out to the cars.  Finally near midnight Glyn says we have to get back to the dogs.  He’ll go for an umbrella.  He returns in less than five minutes, literally drenched to the skin already.

The drive home is hairy.  We’ll never drive these road works again.  (Later Marcelle and Philippe say we were mad to do it in the first place.)  In the dark and rain who knows where to drive.  If there is an accident here those responsible for the roadworks should be done for corporate manslaughter. By the time we get home at 1am Linda who did this drive is completely exhausted, and straight to bed, while Glyn gives the dogs a 10 minute walk.  

Picnicking in the Woods at Noues

Sunday 17 July - No Way to Apremont

Today was to have been a trip to the gardens at Apremont-sur-Allier, but because of the forecast rain it has been cancelled.  Not a trip to enjoy in the rain.  So it becomes a relatively free day and we can relax, with lunch again at Coullons, and a formal farewell dinner at Autry.  We take the back road to Coullons and Glyn drives.  But it’s light and fine and there is no hassle.  A very convivial lunch.  Ray Sanderson brings it to a suitable conclusion with a report from Sherston on the English Boules Championship.  How have Gien done?  A close fought quarter final against some very good Welsh (is that possible?).  An even harder semi against a local team who played extremely well, though they didn’t score a point!  But alas the final against English internationals.  Oh what a pity.  Ray keeps suspense to the end.  No, Gien has won again.  Did we need an excuse for another round of drinks?  And that leaves us   with an afternoon to walk the girls.

The evening meal is excellent, though we all play a guessing game about what the main course is.  Hardly anyone suggests Ostrich.  An exchange of gifts, and pleasant company.  The Malmesbury visitors who are on their first trip to Gien are all overwhelmingly delighted.  They knew about French food, but have learned that despite all the old jokes the French are also excellent company and hosts, relaxed, friendly and even funny.  This visit has really been a success, not just for itself, but also for re-inforced links in many areas.

Everyone parts happy but sad.  Tomorrow the English party departs early.  We make our goodbyes as we will not go to see them off.  We haves lots of preparation of our own to do.  But like Cinderella we don’t quite make it home by midnight.

Dancing at Autry - Annie to the Fore Again

Monday 18 July - Pont Canal to Bannay

Up early today.  We have three and a bit days to get to Decize for the ACN/DBA [Amis du Canal de Nivernais and the (formerly Dutch) Barge Association] rally and the official opening of the town’s new port.  Decize is 80 miles, by canal with a 5mph speed limit and locks only open at specific times that’s quite a target.

So drink tea/coffee, walk dogs, have breakfast, check engines, refuel, and we’re off.  Stupidly stopped to do some quick emails and missed the first lock.  But we’re through at 9.20 and fully fuelled by 9.50.  Nevertheless it is nearly 11.30 before we clear the three access locks and reach the Canal Lateral de la Loire to head south.  But by noon we are crossing the Loire on Eifel’s Pont Canal, and once again feeling the freedom of the sun on your face and the breeze in your (well Linda’s) hair.  It is beautiful, and the view over the Loire is all you can want it to be.

Our lunch target is Léré south of Belleville, but that’s another 22 kms and we don’t make it.   We cruise gently, gliding through Chatillon and thinking of Corine and Jeremy, pass the old Lateral to the crossing at Chatillon, think about stopping at Beaulieu but decide that we need to get to the sights of Beaulieu and Belleville behind us, and finally make a stop at about 3.30pm at Sury-pres-Léré.  The girls need a walk and so does Glyn.

It was lock-free to Beaulieu, but now we have five locks to Bannay, our destination for the night just opposite Cosne-sur-Loire.  We make it by 6pm.  A good mooring, but all that’s all we want.  Tired, we eat, walk dogs, chat, read and get ready for tomorrow.  Cours-les-Barres, tomorrow’s destination, is one of our favourite places, but so is it for many others, and it is another 45 kms and nine locks, so tomorrow will be some going as well.  Bonne Nuit tout-le-monde!  See you at Cours-les-Barres.