The Seine and the Yonne: Real Rivers to Test our Skills

Sunday 11 September (A Dark Day – the Seine “sous la pluie” and locks to widen the horizon)

Well today is a day we will all remember and French television in the evening has little beyond the memorials of 9/11.  It was a dark day affecting so many people of so many nationalities.

It is also a dark day on the river.  If yesterday promised an Indian summer, it was only to trick us.  Today 22 departments in the north east of France are on orange alert for storms. It wasn’t quite that bad, though we awoke to thunder at 5.30am and rain through to 7am.  But it was clear to walk the dogs and prepare for cast off.

We have four locks and 8 kms before we reach the Seine which we do in just over 1½ hours. The weather is grey with intermittent rain.  We get a taster of commercial traffic with too heavy barges coming up the canal, one of which almost forces us into the side, though no real problems.  And then through the Moret lock down to the Seine junction.  It is wider here, but not greatly so, but the moored boats give a picture of now having reached a serious waterway, though except for one bleary-eyed crew nothing is actually moving.

We pass the old lock and Glyn (is he still bleary-eyed) asks which way is the canal.  All too quickly it is the Seine.  Wide and beautiful, but after passing a few more moored barges and grain carriers, absolutely empty.  Except, that is, for the rain.  It has thickened and there is a heavy grey across sky and water.

That's the Seine, You Fool

Amazingly, albeit a Sunday morning, it is though absolutely empty.  For 10 kms up to the Varennes lock we pass only one vessel carrying sand down to Paris, and finally are caught up by one small Belgian cruiser heading to the Petite Seine. Two boats in an hour.

The Varennes lock though!  Not frightening, but we were just not prepared for this.  The weir to the side was huge (see picture on blog) but everything well marked and easy to avoid.  But where was the lock.  Ah!  The whole of that is the lock.  180 metres long (10 times our length) and 11.5m wide.  So we are in.  A very helpful VNF lady helps get our ropes on, as the bollards are quite far apart and we have to reverse a bit to get to ones we can use.  And the lock begins to fill.  This is a canal in itself. But it fills smoothly with just two tiny boats at the back end.   The Belgians chat to us about boats (so much pleasure, so much money), and off we are again on the big river until we reach Montereau.  They go north, we go south.

This is Varennes.  Where's the Lock?

Oh! That's the Lock!

Despite the guide book mooring at Montereau, at the place we are supposed to, is impossible.  But just around the corner we find a deserted old railway quay which just suits us and the dogs fine. 

Then we set off for our first “sloping sides” lock.  Though smaller than the Varennes (the first at Cannes-Ecluse is only 94 x 8m. Linda particularly is anxious how she will manage the mooring ropes or even get to the bollards when there are sloping walls.

So we enter the lock on the green light.  No-one makes themselves visible.  The lock gates close, and the lock begins to fill.   No mooring ropes.  Control it on the engine as we have no other option.  This works well, but the lesson we learn quickly is that the most vital element it to keep the bow firmly pointed to the quay: the flow will then only push it backwards and can be controlled from the rear deck.  If the bow comes out you start swinging.  We learned that just in time before it moved too far.

We repeat this at the next two locks.  In fairness the lockkeepers did appear and ask if we wanted them to take our ropes, but the motor solution (at least this point) seemed as good as anything.

So we arrive at Mizy-sur-Yonne where we propose to moor the first night on the Yonne.  We are uncertain where.  One book gives no mention of moorings; the other says there is a quay downstream of the bridge.  But if we can’t moor here the next moorings are an impossible 15kms and 3 locks: not do-able on a Sunday evening.  We cruise slowly along the banks of Mizy looking for a quay.  The first possibility is OK but not long enough, and is certainly not a proper quay.  We pass a series of other moorings which are either just for row boats or ramshackle and out of use.  We turn around and head back downstream to the first option.  There is some overgrowth and a major branch of a tree in our way, but we can just snuggle in with some of the stern sticking out.  But with three mooring ropes we are safe.  It is a good place to walk the dogs, and there is a restaurant just over the road.  Maybe time for a meal out, but no, of course, it’s Sunday evening and shut.  So after walking the dogs it’s macaroni, ham and parmesan, with yoghurts for pud.  Very tasty, chez Morverc’h.

Just one boat passes us that evening.  A very large sand and ballast carrier called the Albatross.  Thank God we are not following it tonight.

Monday 12 September (Hard Lessons and Fine Towns)

We sleep well, walk the dogs a long way in the morning, and set off at 8.30am.  This will be a day of many learning experiences.  If learning canal and river skills interests you, read on.  If not, just have a laugh.

We arrive at the first lock, which is an entry to a cut off the main river.  The gates are closed, and so we wait outside.  Suddenly behind us comes a barge and pusher-tug (together probably 70 or 80 metres long and very wide).  Will we have to wait while it goes ahead?  Surely we can’t share a lock with this.   Wow, it isn’t going into the lock but, we guess, to an extraction quarry up river alongside the cut.  The lock gates open and the good news! There is a straight wall on one side against the sloping side on the other.  We take the straight side. Then the bad news again. Just as we are settled a ginormous boat called the Puebla from Champagne-sur-Seine joins us.  If the lock is 94x8m then the boat is probably 50x5.  We are told to move forward as far as we can (and implicitly under no circumstances let our boat drift back, or.....).  Well we were told about sharing big locks with large commercial vessels.  First real experience is more challenging.  At least we have ropes on.  Green amateurs we hang on to them like grim death.  In fact the fill is quite smooth, but it has taken its nervous toll.

We ask the Puebla if he would like to leave the lock into the cut first, but he is real gentleman and says No, it’s easier for you to go first.  Half way along the cut we enter the second lock.  Both sloping walls this time, with the Puebla right behind us.  Hah!  But one side has a rising pontoon to which we can moor.  But getting ropes on before the Puebla comes nosing past us is no mean challenge, and the dogs watching our every move don’t help.  We just manage it.  Lesson two: in these locks the dogs stay down in the cabin while we are mooring in locks.

At the third lock the Puebla has fast disappeared ahead of us.  But when we reach it the gates are closed against us.  We can’t get any contact on the VHF, and the facilities for mooring a small (and low) boat like ours does not seem good.  However we can see some activity on the lock.  So we hover as best we can.  An even bigger boat than the Puebla slowly heaves into the lock coming downstream.   Finally we see it.  It is the Albatross.  Thank God again it is going the other way.   Meanwhile trying to control our boat against the outflow from the lock as the Albatross makes its spill water, and then lock waters themselves are released, while avoiding getting pushed over towards the weir, takes all our energies.

The Albatross comes out, the captain waves, and says some nice words of greeting (which we can’t actually hear) and we are in the lock on our own.  The rest goes very well.  By 12.30pm we are moored by Pont-sur-Yonne for a well-earned lunch break.  The town offers good pontoon moorings.  We can walk the dogs, and though only a small town it offers a good boulanger and very reasonable Vival small grocery which has all the few things we want, including fresh milk.

The Old Bridge at Pont-sur-Yonne - a small but lovely town

So now for the afternoon.  We have advised that we will arrive at the next lock at 2.00pm and we are there exactly on time.  The lock gates are closed, and the VNF van there, but no other sign at all of activity on the lock.  We wait quite happily chatting to each other (well shouting lunatically above the engine, VHF buzz and noise from the weir) and we find how a small boat like ours can moor up while waiting.  We should have known this all along, but at least we are learning.

After 20 minutes we try a squawk on the VHF, but no response.  After 25 minutes we try, with some worry that we must be seen as rude or pushy, a few blasts on the horn to let someone know we are here.  Nothing happens.  After 30 minutes Linda scrambles up the bank and walks the 100 metres to the lock to see if she can find anyone.  After mooching all around she goes to the lock office.  Ah! There is someone in a complete state of dreamy innocence.  Sadly she has to shatter his dream by knocking hard on the door and asking if possibly we could enter the lock.  He jumps to life.  Later a French friend tells us we should have just leaned on the horn until someone came.   But we do not know what other tasks they have, and the British are seen a pushy and contrary enough anyway, without needing to give actual offence.

Once on the job the lockkeeper is excellent.  This lock has both walls sloping and a clear sign at the entry saying “Amarrage Obligatoire” (you must moor!).  How to get a rope on when you are three metres and down and more importantly five metres out from the bollards?  In this case he kindly waits at the lock gates for us, and though it is physically difficult for him to reach it (given his Queen Victoria shape), he does reach out and kindly takes it. And the rest of the process is speedy, efficient, friendly and smiling.

The next lock is open and speedy with straight sided walls, and so we arrive at Sens at 4pm.  We stop off briefly at Evans Marine (part of the boatyard we used at Migennes in April and are using again this time) to say hello to Philippe whom we have emailed with regularly but not met face-to-face.  It is good to meet up.  We ask if he knows anything about VHF as we don’t seem to be able to raise people with ours.  Not much, he says, but they’ve changed channels this year.  Oops. Another lesson!  It does help to be on the right channel.

After a very helpful and friendly chat, including advice about where to moor in the town, it starts to rain.  We decide to get back to the boat and complete our day’s journey.  It is only three minutes to the boat but in that time it is really raining, black overhead, and the wind has whipped up.  Even more than we thought, as the boat is really jerking all over place, and almost impossible to hold still in order to cast off.  Wow those Orange storm warnings might have been right.

We finally get off and see on the opposite bank a couple of speed boats and water skiers hurriedly getting ashore.  This change of weather is not good, but it was not that bad.  It was the water skiers going past which threw the boat about.

So into the town quay and once in the shelter of the central reach the wind dies down even if the rain does not.  We moor easily, and take the dogs for a walk.

Initially it is not easy to find a good dog walking area.  But Sens itself seems a well set-out town, with lots of greenery, many fine old buildings, and good shopping.  We find a convenient Tourist Information office and get excellent friendly service with town plan and advice about a park (albeit a kilometre away) where we can walk the dogs.

View from the Boat Window - Moored at Sens

We return to the boat, have an early supper and decide to take the walk to the park at 7.30pm so that we can back by 9pm before it’s dark (though as always we take torches as a precaution). 

The Central Periphery Avenue in Sens - Just Before Dark

The park is actually excellent.  It is very big around a beautiful lake.  It is green and fresh and full of different plants and trees.  The dogs can run and it gives them very good exercise. And then the half hour stroll back through the town.

We are back at 9.00pm.  Read a little, watch the meteo (the weather may be getting better) and retire for an early night.  We really are delighted by Sens.  There is clearly more to explore, but this town is really worth visiting.

Tuesday 13 September (Experienced Riverfolk)

Tuesday is a slightly lazier start with a good walk around the town’s tree-lined circular (central periphery) promenade, a quick visit to the boulanger, breakfast and off for the first lock at 8.45am.  A large British-registered Dutch barge, the Izuli, has been moored behind us, but she is off at 7.45am.  We have become so accustomed to locks not opening until 9am that we operate on that basis.  In addition with no light until 7am and then chores and walks to complete, 9am suits us fine.  But here on the lower Yonne the locks open at 8am, so one can have an earlier start if wanted.

But it is 9.00am for us at the first lock. At least that is when we arrive.  Again 10 minutes and no action.  So we squawk on the VHF (on what now think is the right channel) and Yes! We get a perfect reply.  ‘Hello “Plaisancier Anglais” (so now we know how to describe ourselves). A commercial barge is on its way downstream and will be at the lock in about 10 minutes, so could we wait until then.’  Of course we have no option.  But at least now we know what’s going on.

Finally just after 9.30am we get into the lock.  The lockkeeper is clearly showing a student or probably a trainee manager the finer points of lock keeping, and does this as he operates the lock.  Until that is the lock is full and we are waiting to be let out.  A good 10 minutes after the lock is full he remains just outside the lock office in deep discussion with his novice, and we just cannot attract his attention.  Finally at 10 am we are on our way.

The next three locks are perfect heaven.  We can moor up properly, communicate with the lock-keeper, moor ourselves to the floating pontoons.  It is all so easy.  Although we meet some commercial traffic it is much more limited now.  Once we have passed the massive industrial and extraction works at Gron the landscape itself seems to change.  The river is a little narrower and the fields and forest more varied.

The Scenery Starts to Chnage on the Yonne

At the first of three we have straight entry into the lock.  At the second we have to wait on a downstream commercial barge which turns out to be the Puebla, and we exchange return pleasantries from yesterday.  At the third lock it is open but two extra large barges waiting upon the entry moorings.  However the lock is open with one boat already in, and these two look like they are staying put (no crew to be seen, and no engines turning).  We confirm that on the VHF with the lock-keeper, and go in.  And who should be our travelling partner but the Izuli.  We moor on the opposite side to them and they ask us to keep forward as their stern might drive out.  No problem.  You left so early this morning, we say.  Yes, we wanted to keep ahead of you they say!  Did they think we would slow them down?  Given we left an hour later and lost 30 minutes at the first lock how did we catch them up.  Maybe they got stuck too.  We bet they were miffed to have to wait for us at this lock.

But they are friendly and helpful.  They are mooring after the lock at Villeneuve-sur-Yonne for the night while we are only taking a lunch break here.  They advise on where to moor.  They are surprised we are continuing further today, and even more surprised that we aim to be back to Briare in the first week of October.  Maybe we are doing too much.

Villeneuve-sur-Yonne - a beautiful aspect:

how about this for a hospital?

And once again this seems an excellent town.  We don’t on this visit have any time to explore, but the setting and quality of the moorings is excellent, the facade from the river impressive, a lovely and riverside walk for the dogs.  It’s great.  After lunch we have a nap (or at least Glyn does while Linda as ever is back into her Kindle) but set off just after 1.30pm.

Just two locks to our destination today at Cezy.  They go like clockwork with organised and efficient lock-keepers.  And once again the landscape has changed to a smaller river (though still big by English standards) and you now have the feel that you are in pleasure boat country rather than on an industrial and commercial highway.

We make Cezy at 4pm.  It is really just a large village but with a single good mooring ½ km from the village, close enough but isolated enough to give the dogs the freedom of the banks and fields.  The village too is lively and maintained, so we shop at the grocery store, boulanger and chemist.

What a great day.  We feel fully experienced (well a few questions outstanding, but...) and very relaxed.  We even get the blog up-to-date after the fourth walk of the day for the dogs.  But then for the next 10 days it is really slow down time.  This journey was to get here.  From here we sort out the one or two issues with boat (but do we really need bow thrusters any more?), then a relaxing week or so on the Burgundy canal, a slow run back to Sens, as there are some lovely places, but then fast back to Montargis.  The final stretch of the Yonne, the Seine, and the Loing past Nemours are, in our opinion, more waterways for travelling through than visiting.  But who knows? Maybe we will change our opinions in the future.

Wednesday 14 September (Back to First Base at Migennes)

We were in our own rural paradise at the mooring at Cezy.  The dogs can run and sniff.  We wake early but do so in a relaxed way.  We do some domestic chores but are off to catch the next lock, just 5 minutes away, for 9am.  Alas the lock-keeper only comes on duty then and all is quiet.  Linda decides to go up to the lock but slides on the muddy steps.  She is quite shaken with torn trousers and a bloodied knee.  And of course then the lock-keeper appears.  But it is a slow lock and nearly 10am before we complete it and the ensuing cut.

But then out onto the open river again at Joigny.  This is beautiful town (see picture on blog) which we enjoyed so much, with its wonderful market, cafes and shops, when we were here in April.  As we approach the town a small red-dustered Dutch barge comes out from the town moorings and slowly winds through the town bridge.  We follow it slowly through to the next lock.  It is however only cruising at 6 kms – on the wide river where the limit is 12kms. To begin with we are happy to enjoy the air and scenery at this speed.  But then we realise we won’t make Migennes by 12 noon at this speed and the mooring party (which you certainly need at the boatyard) may go to lunch.  We move to centre channel and give two long and two short beeps on the horn (no reaction from the Tara – for this is the boat in front of us) so we pass quickly.  This only gets us in first to the final lock but it does mean we get away quickly afterwards.  And indeed we make the boatyard, where we arrived in France in March, by just after noon.

Joigny - just before the Yonne meets the Burgundy:

a town worth visiting

Simon Evans and three or four hands from other boats are there to help us moor.  But mooring options are limited.  Finally we moor three out against an old hotel barge in a very poor state, being (slowly) refurbished, but currently with floorboards and many other things missing.  To get ashore we have to get onto our roof, then mount the hotel barge and creek gently through it, before boarding a further barge which is against the quay down a steep gangplank.

We chat to Simon, who sadly has lost his mother in the fortnight since we last spoke.  Although she was in her 80s he is clearly upset.  So we move on to boat issues and sort out our work programme for the next few days.  He’ll look at the bow thruster tomorrow.  We find out after some further investigation that the utilities problem is one we can sort out, with a spare part from him.  Hopefully the other things will be done on Friday.

Meanwhile we have made various contacts with new boater friends, though all Aussies.  Jeff and Mu have just brought the Matilda Blue, a 70’ English narrowboat, back up from the Midi after cruising her down the Rhone.  They gave some tips on this and where to moor.  Less usefully Jeff thinks Wales’ result against South Africa is nothing, anyone can beat South Africa, and Australia will clearly win the Rugby World Cup.  Greg and Cecilia are refitting a Dutch barge called the Vrouwe Catharina, whose name they will retain.  However they had spotted us (or the boat) at Briare a few weeks ago.  They have the Shiralee there, an old Crown Blue boat, though it up for sale now that they have the Catharina.  They are based at Briare and know various new boating friends there, so we will meet up again.

We met up with them as we take our ‘mountaineering training route’ over the moored barges to the quay.  We can manage the complicated route.  But after several attempts and different varieties of solutions we realise the dogs can’t.  After a further discussion with Simon we locate another option for mooring where they can get off.  This involves some doggie mountaineering which at first they are nervous about, but then enjoy it as great fun.

But now it’s 6.30pm and they have been on the boat since before 9am.  We need to move.  Unfortunately while turning the boat to go back to the new mooring the stern just slightly swings in to a shallow and gets stuck....., and stuck....., and stuck.  After several tries Simon, and Roger who works with him, realise we are well and truly grounded.   ‘Have you got a bow-thruster’ shouts Roger, which merely drives Glyn into delirious laughter (would we be here if the bow-thruster was working).  So they get another boat and eventually tow us off the shelf, but it is 7.30 before the girls get back to land and a walk.  We give them as much as we can, but only an hour, as even the new agility trail is not one you want to do after dark.

Supper, and then we can’t decide has this been a bad or a good day.  We are here, the cruising was really pleasant, the weather has decidedly changed for the better and will stay so for several days, our works are planned to start tomorrow, our loo problems have been solved, all others are in hand, Simon is a great source of comfort, and we’ve met new friends; on the other hand Linda had a bad s start and lost a pair of trousers, the dogs have not had a very good day (though they slept through most of it and have been very good tonight) and the mooring is one might say, challenging.  But come on, that 6-3.  And we have completed the Burgundy West circuit with great enjoyment and no serious problems.  Apprenticeship over! From now on we are going to take it easy, come hell, high water, Rhine or Rhone!

Northbound to the Seine

Monday-Wednesday 5-7 September (Getting Going Again)

Well here we back on the water again. (Oh! No, we hear you cry.)  We managed to leave England finally on Monday the 5^th after waiting ten days for a replacement chip in our ABS system.  Well at least it allowed us to see a lot more of Alfie, and his first visits to Malmesbury Carnival and Corston Fete. 

Alfie with Linda August

So Monday was picking up the car, packing and heading for Portsmouth.  We always take the dogs for a walk on Portsdown Hill before we board the ferry.  They need it, and Linda enjoys the memories of some of her childhood here.  But it’s dark now by 8.30pm here.  The view over the lights of Portsmouth is however tremendously impressive.

Tuesday:  We escape the boat at Caen by 7.00am and drive our usual gentle route through the back roads of Normandy and the Centre, crossing Calvados, Orne, Eure-et-Loir and the full-length of the Loiret from north-west to south-east.  We stop early at Falaise to walk the dogs over farmland, and mid-journey at Belleme to have a beautiful walk through the forest.  We make Briare before 1pm.

The rest of Tuesday is spent organising some fuel and early start on Wednesday, as well as the usual plug-in and checks on engine, electricity, amenities, etc.  That just leaves time to do some “provisioning” (we seem to love that word now!) and be all ready for tomorrow.  We are five days late, so we need to move.

Walking the dogs after nightfall gives that ever lovely picture of Briare.  The walk in Malmesbury has its beautiful attractions too, but it seems 5 degrees warmer here.

Wednesday:  It was meant to be an early start but it’s not light until 7am.  The dogs have a hurried half-hour walk before we finish some final chores.  Linda goes to the bakers, and on the way finds a totally new greengrocer.  It turns out he has only opened today, and at 8am she is his very first customer ever.  His produce looks very good and well laid out.  Pity we stocked up most things yesterday.  But his potatoes are very good, and Linda gets a complimentary melon for being his first customer ever.  We’ll certainly go back again on our return.

Today we are going to Rogny, northwards up the Canal de Briare, and then onwards to the Loing to join the Seine just upstream from Fontainebleau.  History lesson.  The Briare is France’s oldest canal begun around 1600 AD under Henri IV, to join the Loire and the Seine basins, so that goods from the Loire estuary could be taken to Paris.  Henri IV was probably France’s best ever king, but known only in England for “Paris is worth a mass” and possibly the Edict of Nantes.  Like Henry VII in England he came from foreign parts (just) and finally managed to unite the country after years of fratricide, setting the foundations for a glorious period under his grandchild (Louis XIV from Henri IV and Elizabeth I from Henry VII).  Unlike Henry VII, however, Henri IV was a little less austere.  His downfall was women (too many of them).  Men should learn never to mix it with women, especially Medici women.  Hope we got that right.  Here endeth the lesson.

Today we do 23 kms, plus 16 locks – 6 up to Ouzouer-sur-Trezee where the canal follows the path of the Trezee river, and then another 4 to the summit at Gazonne, with gorgeous lakes all around which the support canal water system.  Then finally down 6 locks at Rogny-les-Sept-Ecluses, to join the path of the river Loing as it drops towards the Seine.  There were seven locks in a formidable staircase when the canal was first built (hence the name), but this allowed no passing places and thus was a major hold-up to traffic.  The original flight was very impressive but the present arrangement also very enjoyable.

The Original "Sept Ecluses" at Rogny

We have never passed this way before.  The scenery is varied and interesting, and not as flat as some of that further south.  From the canal Ouzouer is very beautiful village, and we regret that we don’t have time to stop.  Next time, sans doute. 

A View of Ouzouer-sur-Trezee from the Canal

Rogny looks a very interesting town too, not just the former “sept ecluses”, but the moorings are deep and metallic (and they charge for them, and for water and electricity too though we need neither).  We decide to give that a miss.  Maybe next time. So we motor a further 3kms up to the very quiet but lovely village of Dammarie-sur-Loing.  The scenery is in some ways reminiscent of parts of the Kennet and Avon canal, as we wander along the boundaries of the Loiret and Yonne departments, now in Burgundy, now back in the Centre.

We are moored by 4.30pm at a very beautiful spot where the dogs can run free, there is wonderful woodland nearby, the sun is shining, and at least here all is right with the world.  Glyn falls into a deep sleep so Linda has to walk the dogs.  But he wakes in time for his supper, and for a quiet stroll around the village.

Thursday 8^th September (Chatillon-Coligny and the Path of the upper Loing)

Today is essentially making sure we progress towards Montargis and the Seine along the path of the river Loing but staying on the Canal de Briare.  Here the Loing is descending quickly from its upper reaches.  We pass twelve locks dropping a total of 45 metres (about 148 feet) with an average depth of 3.76m (12’4”) , with the shallowest 3.24m (10’ 8”) at Chatillon-Coligny and the deepest 5.12m (16’ 10”) at Montbouy.  As we are descending getting our mooring ropes on at the tops of the locks is easy.  Managing them so that we can get them off at the bottom of the lock takes just a little more care and attention  - especially when a certain two-year old four-legged friend, who thinks she’s the perfect crew, tries to dance all over them.

It wasn’t a bad journey.  We set off just before 9am and moored at 4pm, with an hour for lunch Chatillon-Coligny.  This is very pleasant countryside, with wide avenues, a wide variety of different trees and forestation, and the occasional village, villa or gallo-roman remains.

The morning part of the journey was from Dammarie to Chatillon with six locks over just 6 kms so it took much time than to manage those.  For this part we were joined by Claus and Gret on the Mille from Copenhagen, which helped while the time away, especially when we had to wait 20 minutes in one lock for an upcoming cruiser.  Claus and Gret have been cruising France, Belgium, the Mosel, the Rhein, the Rhone and the Med for six years so they could tell us quite a bit about various waterways.  They winter in Paris (and Copenhagen) and spend every summer on the waterways.  Alas they are no fans of the Burgundy Canal which we said was our next major exploration.  If you like trees and fields, they say, it’s great, but no towns and hardly any villages.  Be prepared!

Claus and Gret stop off at Chatillon-Coligny where they hope to spend a couple a days.  They advise on some of its better points. They clearly like it here, and it is beautifully set out where the canal passes through.  They should have loved Briare but had two bikes stolen there so are not such fans. We only have an hour, including eating and walking the dogs, but it’s very useful advice for our return.  And the lady at the halte nautique / tourist office is equally friendly and helpful. 

The Bridge over the Canal at Chatillon-Coligny

From Chatillon we pass the locks at Lepinoy and Montbouy, where we had originally planned to finish the day, but it is too early.  The locks up to Chatillon are mechanised and with team work with the Danes and very organised lockkeepers we have passed them very quickly.  These next two locks are manual, but nevertheless the lockkeeper is ready and we move through sleekly.  The final four locks are mechanised.  But now we are alone, and the very friendly but deep-throated lockkeeper confides that we will be his only customers this afternoon.  He is very efficient but still finds time to chat, to admire and play with the dogs, and tell how beautiful and quiet the moorings are here, against the hustle bustle of Montargis.

A lovely day.  It several times it threatens to rain but never does.  And during the afternoon it actually gets quite warm.  All ready for Montargis and the Canal de Loing tomorrow.

Friday 9^th September (Montargis and the Loing Navigation)

Today was to have been just a travelling day, but it turned out much more pleasant than we thought.  The weather wasn’t particularly good but quite warm and no rain.  Grey and “lourd” as the French would say.  We set off from Conflans in a slightly coolish atmosphere, with a very friendly eclusieuse to see on us our way, who spoke good English and was very taken by the “best ‘bergers’ which French shepherds like most”, even after Topsy treated her van as though it was a stray sheep. 

The journey then took us through Montargis which is very pleasant on the south side, though the works for the new railway bridge for the TGV are less endearing than the fast train service will be.  The centre of the town along the canal is also very pretty.  It reminded us a little of Reading, though the town itself is not so big, and more personal and attractive.  It is by-the-way that Montargis is also twinned with Crowborough in Sussex which coincidentally is where we were married just 41 years and 4 days ago.  It can’t really be that long.

Approaching Montargis by Canal

The north side of Montargis along Châlette-sur-Loing is again more industrial, interesting in some ways, but somewhere to pass through.  This brings us to the end of the Canal de Briare and, turning off before the sadly disused Canal d’Orleans, we move on to the Canal de Loing.

Whereas the Briare followed the downhill stream of the upper Loing, the Loing canal itself is more a navigation along the river proper.  It is quite wide but to us it was surprisingly pretty, with interesting houses all along the 3kms to Cepoy.  Cepoy itself is a lovely little village with the tree-lined canal overflowing with fallen conkers (very hard conkers – if only we could get back to Seagry).  We were told that the lock was open until 12.30pm but misinformed, so we nestled in the lock itself for lunch, walked the dogs along “conker avenue” and at 1.00pm were joined by a very jovial lockkeeper to see us on our way.

In the Lock at Cepoy

Conker Alley at Cepoy

We then had just 8 kms and three locks to Nargis, our destination for the day.  We made it by 3pm.  Again this part of the canal was very beautiful and peaceful, with locks bedecked with flowers and/or multi-coloured flags.  Since Chatillon we have travelled on our own, and only passed two other boats coming the other way.  It is September now, but very sad that this canal is so under-used.  We remarked upon this to the engineer / foreman who acted as our “eclusier” through the two locks at Retourné and Nargis.  He was saddened too.  He added that the traffic had been very poor all year.  People go to the Briare because they have heard of its prettiness and interest (which is certainly there) but this part has few pleasure and hire boats, he says.  It is their loss and our gain, but such a pity that this not enjoyed by more people. 

We moor up at Nargis, but have to use a sloping quay.  In preparation for these we have provided ourselves since our last journey with weighted zigzag fenders to keep safely off the stone sloping walls.  We put them to work, and are very chuffed that our home-made solution works extremely well.  We then drill some fixing holes in the old gangplank to hold it firmly to the land side, so we do not lose it, while tied boat-side firmly to one of the holding points.  This too works a treat (though there no speeding hire boats to test it out) with a firm gangplank which even the dogs use with supreme confidence.

This has turned out a much more enjoyable day than we expected.  We walk the dogs and then visit the village.  It has a small but very pleasant centre with a good epicerie and a seemingly excellent baker.  But we’ll test that out tomorrow.

Saturday 10^th September (Through Nemours to the Seine Approaches)

The baker was indeed very good, and today was the return of summer. Sun, sun, sun, and the temperature reached 31^o.  The journey today is from Nargis past Souppes-de-Loing and then through Nemours to Epizy where we will overnight before Moret and the Seine.

The day is wonderful but the scenery less so.  The environs of Souppes-de-Loing are industrial and uninspiring.  Similarly the approach to Nemours doesn’t leave much to write home about.  We need a mooring for lunch and have to use a demolished warehouse site.  It is adequate for our purposes and in fairness the view over the other side of the canal is a reasonable picture of trees, but that is the only spot of beauty in an otherwise dreary scenery.

After lunch we pass through the final lock at Nemours and turn left to descend to the Loing River proper.  This is more inspiring, over 50 metres wide, and a real sense of major river. We could turn right into the town where maybe the riverfront also makes it nicer, and maybe we will another day.  However the stretch of the Loing doesn’t last more than a kilometre where an awkward and badly signposted turn takes back on the navigation, leaving the Loing ahead which looks liking a mixture of a duck pond and a silted mill reach.  In fairness we see glimpses of it later where it runs along the canal which are less depressing, but nevertheless certainly not poetic.

The canal here is very pleasant especially in the sunshine with the avenues of trees just beginning to change their colours.  We finally moor just upstream of the lock at Epizy, a nice quiet spot with a relaxed and friendly lock-keeper even if that cannot be said of his chained-up Doberman.  A beautifully sunny day.  Nothing challenging, but at the end for some unknown reason we both feel very tired and have a good late afternoon nap before a lazy evening.

Well, that’s the Canals de Briare and de Loing at least on this occasion.  Tomorrow the Seine.  

The Home Stretch Again 5-14 August)

Moored up at Herry

Friday 5 August (La Floroine and the Loire Walks at Ménétréol)

So this morning we left Herry with Topsy give a little verbal retaliation to the bigger dogs who frightened her.  Today is a short cruise.  This weekend we are really going to be lazy.  We are only going as far Ménétréol-sous-Sancerre which is 14 kms and 3 locks.  It is quite easy and we get to Ménétréol just before 12 noon.  At the last lock the keeper says there are plenty of spaces there, but in fact we took the last one.  We pooped into the local restaurant – La Floroine – and booked a table for the evening, and then take a walk towards Sancerre.

A lazy afternoon, reading, fiddling, actually looking around the village which is full of old narrow alleys with a huge railway viaduct at the end.  Isn’t it intriguing?  We have been here a few times before now, but never wandered around the village.

In the early evening we take a long walk towards the Loire to see if we find the river itself.  It’s not far away.  It is so beautiful wandering down local pathways, across fields (whether we have a right of way or not the farmers seems not to worry and always wave “bonjour”), past allotments, alongside woods.  But we never quite get to the Loire.  So we wander back, feed and settle the dogs, and have our second meal out in three days.

We always think of this of a cafe rather than a restaurant, but for some reason order a fuller meal.  Are we just in a good mood or is the food very good tonight?  Foie gras salad or friteurs, ham with herbs or a saignant steak, peach clafoutis or a simple crème caramel, all delectable.  But what is really enjoyable here is the simple ambience sitting outside alongside the canal and enjoying the French summer evening.

Ménétréol at Dusk

Saturday 6 August (Sous la Pluie)

Another easy day, just 18kms and three locks to Léré.  Not too bad in the early morning as we take a walk back beyond the Thauvenay lock through a farm selling goat’s cheese include the local speciality crottins de Chavignol.  Not sure whether we are trespassing again, but the lady farmer, returning with her bread at 7.30 in the morning doesn’t seem to mind, and waves a friendly greeting.

We set off just after 8.00 but the weather is changing and clouds gathering.  Within a quarter of an hour the rain is very steady.  We are cruising for about 3½ hours under solid rain.  Well, is there anything better to do when it’s raining like this?  It’s alright for Glyn under the canopy on the back deck, but Linda, getting out to help the lockkeeper at Bannay, gets soaked in about 5 minutes flat.  Well, these are the joys of boating!

But by the time we moor up at Léré the rain is breaking and the sun coming out.  We moor alongside the “Sept-a-Huit” cruised by Roger and Lilyane Pizzighalli, who are really friendly, and help plug in to the free electricity supply, as well as a moor using their bollards.   They base their boat at Baye at the summit of the Nivernais Canal, and are down here for a few weeks.  They sensibly are not cruising every day, and staying here for a week or so.

We take a leaf out of their book and just relax as the weather improves during the afternoon – snooze, read, walk, eat and then just repeat the process.

 The Lock at les Houards

  

Sunday 7 August (Au Soleil at Léré)

We aren’t going anywhere today.  A bit of cleaning and a bit more touch-up pointing.  Various walks, but especially walking back to the Houards lock which must be one the prettiest and well-kept flowered lock in France.  And of course bread and cakes from the Lys d’Or.  We have a pizza in the town cafe in the evening.  We skipped this cafe the last few times we have passed and feel it deserves some support.  A very large extended family of a dozen or so also decide to join us, but the menu has no meat, and just as the cafe is gearing up for such a crowd on a Sunday evening, they decide not to stay.  The cafe is quiet, but from about 8.30 it starts to do a roaring take-away trade with.

Monday 8 August (Return to the Loiret with Philippe, Marcelle and Batiste)

A big day today.  This is just the run home to Briare, but Philippe and Marcelle (Margot) and their grandson Batiste are joining us.  A longish day too with 28 kms, but only 2 locks plus of course the three port locks into Briare.

We walk the dogs early all the way back les Houards, passing some other boaters walking dogs on the way.  They seem to do shorter walks than we do.

Philippe, Marcelle and Batiste arrive just before 0900, with vegetables, fruit and wine.  We will be well-stocked for the week.  The day is cloudy but no rain.  We pass by Belleville and at Beaulieu Philippe shows where they once moored on a trip down here.  We also discover that he was born just over the river in the Nievre.  We glide on up to l’Etang where the old canal veers off to the Chatillon crossing of the Loire.  It is fascinating looking at the parallel canal and hearing the old history from real locals.  Meanwhile Batiste seems fascinated by the waterway and the boat, and has made a lifelong friend in Shady, though he is less sure about Tops, who herself remains uncertain and protective.

The breeze begins get up but we are well protected from the east.  However as we approach Chatillon and look for moorings for lunch the tree cover reduces.  Hoving to port to talk to talk to some boatyard workers about where we can moor, we realise that pulling off from sideways on into the wind is no easy manoeuvre.  Of course we can cruise without bow thrusters, but in situations like this, wow, they would be handy.  We use the old-fashioned ways of feet and bargepoles, and it is not too difficult (even if it takes three attempts).  WE find a good mooring.  It says we have to pay at the Capitainerie, but it is lunchtime and no-one is to be found.

We take a bit of a walk and go for lunch at the Vieux Port.  Lunch is “formule”, good but not especially exciting.  But it gives us back our energy.  So we set off for the stretch along St Firmin towards the Pont Canal.  We pass the chateau at St Firmin.  Philippe and Marcelle have danced for the old countess who from time to time lays on lavish parties.  It is intriguing how the old aristocracy still holds on in France, as quaint as anything the British can offer.

We get to the Pont Canal.  Alas another boat has just entered from the other end, so we will have to wait 10-15 minutes.  Except the navigating of this boat seems very original.  They sway from side like a true sailor after a night on shore!  They use feet to push from the side.  Are there just very new at this, just larking about, or is there is some other reason?  Any way eventually they complete the 700 metres and we can begin our crossing.

It is beautiful day and as we have turned into the canal the wind turns to a head wind which is much less problematic than when it is broadsides.  We take a slow straight line across the aqueduct.  Lots of people are out walking, and Philippe and Marcelle pass several friends and acquaintances just a little surprised to see them on a funny English narrow boat.

And so we cruise on up the final 3 kms of the Canal Lateral and then turn into the Canal de Briare (France’s oldest canal started around 1600 AD in the time of Henri IV) and just the three locks down to home.  Philippe and Batiste note how deep the first lock is.  But we have to descend from the height of the Pont Canal some 12 metres above the Loire, down to the level of the river itself.

It’s been a great day, with great company.  After mooring we finish with a glass of bubbly and cake each from Léré.   We give a glass to Batiste and take a photo for his mum.  She may not be too impressed, but we can assure her it was only in fun.

And then back in the car to drive all the way back to Léré to retrieve Philippe and Marcelle’s car.  It is sad to leave them, but we will see them again later in the week.

Before we return we have a long chat with Roget and Lilyane on the Sept-a-Huit, and they present Linda with a cap from Bryony’s restaurant on the Canal de Bourgogne, after we say we are hoping to get on to the Bourgogne in September (and they note that Linda’s second name is Bryony).  We all hope to meet up again sometime on the Nivernais.

And since we left this morning who has moored up just along from where we were, but Gail and Andrew on the Celine.  Gail is translating something for the DBA magazine, but translating from colloquial French with lots of local idioms is never easy.  Another long chat and then back across the Loire at Belleville and down through Bonny-sur-Loire back to Briare.

Batiste admiring the scenery

 ..... and then enjoying a cake  

Tuesday 9 to Sunday 14 August (Great to Be Among Friends)

The rest of the week is in port, as we tidy up and prepare to leave the boat for 2½ weeks in England.   Well not quite in port!  On Tuesday evening we have dinner with Pascal and Nicole Pinon and meet Lena their daughter and her friend Mathieu.  We are very well fed and watered.  This was a really enjoyable chatterbox evening.  We just hope Glyn didn’t talk too much.  On Thursday we have lunch with Martine Renard at Bonny, and also meet Ghyslaine and Gerry Ball.  Ghyslaine is very much local but has worked in England a lot and Gerry comes from Nuneaton.  Another Franco-British entente cordiale.  No wonder when we all eat so well in France.  We talk about links with English villages.  And on Friday we are invited out again to Philippe and Marcelle at Coullons where the dogs can run in their very large garden and around the “etang” (more a lake than a pond).  We watch the boys fishing, have a lovely supper with the family, and Philippe has cut up some logs for burning in our wood stove over the winter.  We just don’t deserve such friends, but it wonderful to have them. And so back to England.  But we hope to be back here again in early September.

Marcelle assisting the fishermen

The Pont de Rialto - End of the Journey at Briare