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.
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