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.
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
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