The weather at the start of our cruise into Genelard was cool - reminding us we are in the last month of our season. However, it did recover to become quite balmy in the days that followed.
It is an easy and pretty run along this canal and with the temperate weather we were encouraged to stop for a walk around both Genelard and Montceau-les-Mines; and even relax for a while at our mooring.
Peter caught-on quite quickly!
While in Montceau-les-Mines we looked for a restaurant. Maybe we were looking in the wrong places but we couldn't find anywhere we wanted to eat. For a town of this size this surprised me. Our fall-back position was the ever reliable BBQ. (Another great meal by the Chef-du-Bateau! - served hot from 'shore-to-ship'!)
Montchanin to St Leger-sur-Dheune (and a visit to Santenay):
Thursday 02/09/2009 to Thursday 09/09/2010.
We sailed with Peter & Sharon and stopped at a wild mooring at Montchanin at the top of the canal ('le bief de partage'), and then on Friday on to St. Leger-sur-Dheune.
We had a great meal at the restaurant in St Leger, "Le P'tit Kir". I like it a lot, not only because the food is good and the people friendly, but also because it is one of the very few restaurants on any of the French canals that has tables and chairs right on the water's edge. It's very picturesque. (I'll get you a picture next time!)
Santenay (Saturday).
The weather was perfect on Saturday morning (well, at least perfect for my taste). It was warm, with dry heat, no wind and glorious sunshine. Perfect for a bike ride.
We obviously had to sustain ourselves first, and so after a long and lazy breakfast on deck we broke out the four bikes and headed off down the bike track.
(The bike path along the Canal du Centre has been improved over the last couple of years with sections having been upgraded to a long and flat bitumen surface. The section we are on has been here for a few years now but is still in great shape. The work is, I understand, to continue along the entirety of the canal system over the next few years, and other sections will be added to create a network that will eventually extend from Switzerland and across France to the Atlantic coast).
It's about 9kms from our mooring to the Cote d'Or wine village of Santanay, and we arrived there after about an hour of riding. It's a very pretty ride along the canal - the bike path being the old canal tow-path (the chemin de haulage).
After such a (gruelling) ride we had to reward ourselves of course with a good lunch at the restaurant in the square.
On returning to "Histoire d'eau" we spent some time testing a new 'figure-head' on the bow of the boat, but decided not to pursue this any further and to leave her as she was. Not that the figure-head we tried wasn't handsome enough, it was just that we felt it gave the boat a certain "deer in the headlights" look.
Peter & Sharon left us on Sunday to continue their vacation (off to Paris no less!). Their stay certainly INURED us from too quiet a time. (Thanks Peter for the word of the day! 'Had to work it into the website somehow!)
As their cab took them off to the TGV station, we met up with some longstanding friends, Jim & Mary on "Festina Tardé". Jim's sister Maryanna was also visiting them (we'd met her before in Champagne on a prior trip), and Pete & I spent a few days with the three of them visiting wineries, eating & drinking (both onboard and in restaurants) and playing games. Jim & Mary introduced us to a dice game - a lot of fun, but I'm glad we weren't playing for money!
We had a BBQ on Jim's boat to which he invited a number of the locals from St Leger; the port captain Phillipe and his wife Michelle, Olivier from the boat "Lady Jane", and Gilles the local baker and his wife Babette. Ten in all. Gilles brought the food; including some pork brochettes from a whole pig he'd recently purchased.
The following day we went to Gilles & Babette's house, above the bakery, and he showed us the pig he was still butchering. He had yet to make the sausages, prepare the legs as hams, and to cut some of the rib sections to be smoked in his home 'fumerie'.
Gilles also gave us some of his home made sausages (haven't tried them yet, but Jim has, and he has reported that ... 'they're fabulous!!')
As I write this, our friends David & Juliet (on the hotel boat "Jubliant") have just arrived. We look forward to spending a day or two with them and then with Deb & Rod (Pete's sister & brother-in-law) when they arrive on Friday. We plan to cruise up the Saone to Dole & Besancon with Deb & Rod; but as yet have no plans that are 'set in bronze'. Steve, our nephew, is also joining us later in September (but not sure yet exactly when or where).
Santenay:
On Saturday we walked from the mooring into the centre of the village and had lunch in the square at a restaurant called "L'Ouillette". This is the first time we've eaten here, and it was pretty good (but how could it not be - we had a beautiful warm and sunny day, good food and conversation, and a cold bottle of the local white which had been grown, made, and bottled in the village).
Every now and again as you walk around a French village, having a wonderful time and feeling lucky for what you have, you come across a reminder that the very good fortune you are enjoying was won for you by another generation who were not as fortunate.
"To our comrade Georges PANSIN
On Sunday, to atone for our sins at "L'Ouillette", we took the bikes into Chagny. There is a market there every Sunday and we needed to shop! (or so Pete & Deb told us).
We had to return to the boat in the afternoon so that I could make a phone call back to Australia to congratulate my brother on becoming a grandfather. (Well done PA!) Anyway, after all the exercise and excitement of the market, we all needed to return to the boat to have a relax and read a book or something.
We had a good couple of days in Santenay!
Rully:
We left Chagny and did another big cruise (8kms & 3 locks) arriving at the mooring at Rully. This is another beautiful wine
One really nice aspect about Deb & Rod's visit is that they are staying with us for three weeks. This means we can travel a little slower with them than we might otherwise have with friends who are only with us for a week. We don't need to keep to a tight schedule for pickup or drop-off, or feel that we must cover a certain amount of ground in the week they are here. It is working out to be a very relaxed cruise.
(Fortunately, I get on well with my sister-in-law; ... and it's not in my nature to complain!)
Fragnes:
We arrived in Fragnes after yet another big cruise (9 kms this time). Fragnes is a nice port and has a great bike path into Chalon-sur-Saone (the large regional capital).
We made the ride into Chalon - good exercise! Another bike ride. Another lunch!
St Jean-de-Losne:
From Fragnes we have 6 kms to the last lock on the Canal du Centre, and then a 74 km cruise up the river Saone to St Jean-de-Losne. The lock onto the river is an interesting piece of mechanical and electrical engineering. Firstly, it is over 10 metres deep; about 3 to 4 times the depth of most of the locks on the French waterways. It is also interesting in that the doors onto the river do not open in the normal way - i.e. "in & out". In fact, there is only one door and it operates "up & down", like a guillotine.
The Saone was in flood a month or so ago, so we were hoping it would be better behaved for our trip north.
Fortunately it was flowing it's normal gentle self when came out of the lock. Not that it would have mattered, as we have a very intelligent & intrepid crew onboard, and the perils of the marine life mean 'not a jot' to them.
(The Intrepids!)
The reserve crew was also alert and ready to swing into action.
While in St Jean Rod & I had two important jobs to complete. The first was to get some fuel. We needed both 'red' diesel (i.e the lightly taxed variety that you can use to run your generator and also to heat your hot water) and 'white' diesel (the type that is heavily taxed by the government, and which you must use to power the engine for propulsion).
Our bunkering took about an hour, which is fine. The only part which is painful is at the end - the paying. Fortunately we don't have to fill up too often; this is the second time this season. The cost however is about $1,500 a time.
The second task was a little less agreeable. The toilet had transmogrified itself from its normal working condition; suddenly becoming unserviceable. This vicissitude was most disconcerting, as it meant Rod and I had to tool up and take the sucker apart.
(NB: I have included some new 'words of the week' for Peter K).
Long story short - it turned out that it was blocked by a 'make-up' wipe. Fortunately, even though Rod & I don't use make-up wipes, we could easily identify the offending article as it is identical to the type that Deb carries.
The case of 'who plugged the toilet' is still open.
Dole:
Toilet fixed and working efficiently, we have made our way up the 'Canal du Rhin au Rhone' to Dole - one of our favourite places. Here we have caught up with David & Juliet again (we had great dinner with them and Deb & Rod onboard Histoire d'eau). We really enjoy this place and the wonderful people we meet here.
There was however one disquieting moment after we arrived. At about 1am on Saturday night we heard some people running past the boat from the carpark. A minute or so later, we heard a loud 'wooshing' sound - like petrol or something being detonated.
We got out of bed and went up on deck to find one of the cars in the carpark was on fire. We called '112', the international emergency services number, and told them what was happening and it wasn't too much time before both the police and fire-brigade arrived. It didn't take the Sapeur Pompiers long to get the fire out and tow away the car. The cleanup also included a second car, which was parked adjacent to the initial vehicle; it also caught alight and was a write-off - collateral damage of sorts.
In the end, there wasn't a lot to tow away.
On Sunday I had the opportunity, thanks to David & Juliet's kind offer, to drive their boat "Jubilant". She is a 38 metre hotel barge and taking her through the bridges and one of the locks on the 'Canal Rhin au Rhone' was quite an experience. I really enjoyed it (and by the way, despite my pleadings, Pete says I can't have one!).
Because "Jubilant" is also a high barge (as most old working peniches are when they are not fully loaded), David has installed an ingenious hydraulic wheelhouse; it literally raises & lowers on hydraulic arms - very neat when you come to a low bridge.
That evening, after my adrenaline rush had settled, we had drinks on "Jubilant" and then went out for dinner at "Le Chateau du Mont Joly", where we caught up again with our friends Romuald & Catherine.
The River Doubs and Besançon:
We had a good cruise from Dole to Besançon, about 60 kms, stopping overnight on the way for a BBQ along the river. This is a very pretty river.
On reaching Besançon we were fortunate to get a good mooring under the Citadel. This is always nice as the Citadel is illuminated at night and makes a wonderful backdrop to the mooring.
We plan to spend a couple of days in Besançon. We are picking Steve up here on Wednesday night at the train station (Steve is Deb & Rod's son), and then we plan to spend some time exploring the town before we all head back down the river to Dole again.
It is my fervent hope that these changes to the status of the ratings will not lead to a repeat of that incident which famously harrowed the Bounty).
Besançon:
Just to prove it's a small world, we had a visit from two friends of Deb & Rod's (Matt & Felicity), who are visiting France on their vacation, and who just happened to be in the campground in Besançon.
They came for dinner and we had a fun evening. It's always nice to catch up with someone from Australia when we're in France, and it's amazing how often situations like this present themselves.
The following day we picked up Steve (Deb & Rod's son) from the station. He's taken a year off between study and starting work as a teacher in Melbourne, and has travelled through both South and North America, and is now in Europe and with us for a week before heading to India and Asia.
Besançon and The 'Rhine au Rhone' Canal :
We had a good time in Besancon and then headed back to Dole, where Steve, Deb & Rod left us. We then took the boat back to home port (St. Symphorien-sur-Saone).
She's now winterized and we are off to the plane - back to Australia for summer, Christmas, family and of course the cricket!
You can click here to go directly to the October 2010 web page ... click here for October 2010
St Leger-sur-Dheune:
Friday 10/09/2010.
![St-Leger - Dinner with Deb & Rod, and David & Juliet [taking photo] in 2010.](St-Leger-Dinner-IMG_1793.jpg)
Deb & Rod arrived on the train today at Chagny (having first flown from Melbourne via HK via Paris), and thanks to David & Juliet's kindness (once again), we drove down to the station and picked them up. It's about thirteen kilometres from Chagny to St Leger; a bit far for them to walk. Although they had just finished a long flight we decided that it would be too 'woossey' for them to have an early night and so we booked a table at the local restaurant. David & Juliet joined us and we had a great first night out!
Saturday 10/09/2010 & Sunday 11/09/2010.
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We left St Leger this morning at 9:00am and made the trip to Santenay (a 'big' 8 km & 4 lock journey). We managed to get a good mooring on the quay and so have decided to stay a day or two. Santenay is a pretty village; it is the last 'Premier Cru' wine village at the southern end of the Cote d'Or.
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Employee of the P.T.T. (Post, Telegram & Telephone).
Victim of the barbaric Nazis.
September 6th, 1944."
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Monday 13/09/2010.
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village. Although not in the 'Cote d'Or', but in the Cote de 'Chalonaise', it still produces great chardonnay whites and pinot reds. We visited the Domaine Breliere, owned by Jean-Claude and Anna. We have been there before and really like their wine, so this was a chance for Deb & Rod to do a tasting and meet some very nice locals (you cannot but like Jean-Claude - a great raconteur and wine aficionado).
Tuesday 14/09/2010 to Wednesday 15/09/2010.
Thursday 16/09/2010.
Friday 17/09/2010 to Sunday 19/09/2010.
After an enjoyable few days in Dole we eventually had to leave; to make our way further up the Doubs toward Besançon.
Monday 20/09/2010 to Wednesday 22/09/2010.
(PS: After an incident with a broken rope in one of the locks - caused by a very fast inflow which lifted and dropped the boat violently - a review of crew performance was deemed necessary. This resulted in the 'intrepids' being demoted, and the reserve crew being promoted to active duty!
Thursday 23/09/2010 to Friday 24/09/2010.
Thursday 23/09/2010 to Friday 24/09/2010.
or here to go back to the August 2010 web page ... click here for August 2010.
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