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 – 20th 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).
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