September 8th
We didn't exactly intend to arrive at Geneva airport over an hour late to collect Sarah (Sarah Wordsworth, old friend of Simon, first meeting for over 30 years!!!), but having taken the decision to go to Geneva by autoroute to save time, we were horrified to find that the A40 was completely shut some 75 kms out and that there was a staionary traffic jam that lasted for nearly 2 hours. Howevere thanks to the marvels of modern telecommunications we were able to advise her and we eventually managed to meet. Of course this put paid to plans for lunch on the way back to JC - but at least we came home with her.....
September 9th
Our plan was to take a gentle trip up the Canal Rhone au Rhin from St Jean de Losne to Dole, stay Friday night, go to the market Saturday and return Sunday. I was far too casual in planning this and discovered that by the time we had been going from 8.30 am to after 4.00 pm we had still not arrived. Found a nice country mooring at Choisey and very thankfully tucked in for the night.
September 10th
We duly completed the journey to Dole in about and hour and a half. Meeting another barge on the way, we were assured that there would be plenty of room for us. Again a disappointment and the port was full in the main area. Luckily we had spotted a mooring just south of the bridge on the way in (we should NEVER break our rule that we take the first available spot). So, a complicated turn around and an even more complicated tie up and we had made it. Going ashore was only possible by using the gangplank, which gave Sarah a few heart stops, but the prospect of a visit to the market, to be followed by a proper lunch persuaded her to take the risk.
Dole market is nothing like as good as Beaune, but we didn't need much, except a top up of olives - but lunch was absolutely outstanding. thank you very much, Sarah.
Then back to JC for a much needed siesta, followed by a visit from Histoire d'Eau and by Andy who had givren us all the information to get us to Paris all those months ago.
September 11th
All the way back to St Jean de Losne in one day! For some strange reason it was much faster than going there... Downhill???. Anyway, all went well until we arrived back at the steps to find the town quay full. A pitiful plea to a nice Swiss barge owner allowed us first to raft up, and later, with much help from neighbours to squeeze our way in. Unfortunately we scratched to Swiss barge in doing so which was very upsetting as he had been so good to us. Our other helpers were Edward from the boat Trionyxx and Bill and Karen from Australia who were next door to us. Charlyn was not feeling too good so Sarah and I entertained all of the above to drinks in the evening. I forget how many bottles we got through!!
September 12th
Off to Geneva again to return Sarah to the airport and to collect Doug and Molly. Both achieved with success and without setting foot in Switzerland. As we were somewhat earlier (and had chosen not to take the autoroute) we had plenty of time to stop for lunch on the way back, which we did in the same restaurant as we had patronised last year. Set menu, but very good apart from the necessity to drink Jura wine rather than Cotes de Rhone. Slumming doesn't matter once in a while.
I quite forgot to mention that the previous evening we also had a visit from Mike and Susan, who we had met at one of our barbeques in Provo some three years ago. Apparently they have been following our blog and having sold their catamarran in Panama were in the process of looking for a barge. Small world!
Back to St Jean de Losne in time for a visit to Intermarche, so we would be in good shape to set off in the morning
September 13th
This time we planned our journey up to Dole rather better. We travelled only some 2 and a half hours up to Labergement de Ronce, where we had spotted a nice country mooring just on the edge of the village - and had ascertained that there was a boulangerie there. To our dismay, not only was there a vacation boat taking up a good part of the mooring, but also another coming in the opposite direction with the clear intention of taking the last little bit of space. Nothing daunted, we made a dive for the quay and beat the oncoming boat by some 30 seconds. Unfortuanately this involved taking not the best angle to get in, so we took part of the renter with us! My story is that he was badly moored and was asking for trouble. We will see if there are any repercussions.
In any case he left after lunch and we had the place to ourselves - and very nice too.
Septmber 14th
No pressure to get to Dole where for the second time we moored just south of the bridge. In fact there was room further up, but we knew the drill and were happy to be there. Dole is, as ever, an enchanting town and Doug and Molly much enjoyed their visit. out to supper in a very pretty restaurant and reasonably early to bed
September 15th
Back once more to Ronce where this time we found not one but two boats tied up and were faced with the dreaded thought of having to plough on all the way to St Jean as there are no other moorings between the two, other than the marina at St Symphorien. A litle hanging around was very successful as one of the boats decided to leave, having had their lunch and the other very kindly pulled up to make space.
All was apparently well until we came to turn on the generator which immediately belched out great clouds of black smake and threw a thick coating of oil on to the water. We switched to the reserve generator and send a fast message to Steve, hoping that he was still in France and better still at St Symphorien which we were due to pass the following morning.
September 16th
A nice and reasonably early start on what was a very misty morning. Thanks goodness nothing came the other way until we got nearly to St Symphorien. Coming into the lock there we spotted Steve on his barge. He came aboard and had a quick look at the main generator. This time he re-emerged from the engine room with a long face and said we were not to use it, and that he would probably have to strip it down completely. What is more he is very busy and can't do a thing for some time. Sounds like money to me.
After that interlude we got back to St Jean de Losne without further incident and were rewarded with plenty of room on the town quay. With our inability to use the main generator that was a blessing as we could connect to the (rather expensive) mains electricity and not worry.
Now we have a quiet weekend ahead, taking Doug and Molly to the market at Beaune tomorrow and to our favourite restaurant for a blow out Sunday lunch the next day. Monday we will potter around here and on Tuesday drive with them down to Castelnaudary on the Canal du Midi, to delever them to Mike and Deidre - and incidentally to have a look at their barge too.
September 17th - 18th
A very long drive down to Castelnaudary on the Canal du Midi but greatly rewarded by finding it to be quite delightful. We duly delivered Doug and Molly to their next hosts, Mike and Deidre on the barge Busy Bee. It's somewhat smaller than JC and has only one bedroom whicvh will leave the hosts sleeping on the floor of the main salon. Hope all goes well. we retired to our hotel in the vallage after supper and then left for the return journey in the morning.
Much to our sadness we found, when we got back to St Jean, that our recently fostered beautiful white cat - who is famous for prowling the quay steps and invading people's boats - had disappeared altogether. perhaps she hitched a ide on a passing barge as is even now on her way to the South of France!
September 19th - October 7th
At the steps in St Jean. Not a cloud in the sky for just about three weeks and perfect conditions for finishing off the outside painting for this year. I just got the last coat on before the weather broke, leaving "just" one half of the main deck and the green of the hull to be done next year. I am glad for the break, although when we get into winter quarters I will have to undertake the varnishing of the inside of the wheelhouse.
During this time we saw a good deal of Andy and Christine from Beau Soleil and ate out with them a couple of times, including an excellent dinnet at le Petit Gourmand in Brazey - probably our nearest good restaurant. Wwe also entertained Michael and Pippa macalaren from Sterna, and got a very nice invitation from them to go for a weekend's shooting in Ulster in December. Other visitors, too numerous to mention by name kept us well entertained during our long stay at the steps
October 7th
Off to Geneva again, sadly in wet weather conditions, to collect Ron and Sharon Eickhoff from MN. We had been looking forward to entertaining them all summer, but it was still a shock to get to the arrival date of our last visitors of the year. We stopped on the way to geneva at the restaurant in the Jura that we had tried to eat at twice before, but failed due to being there at the wrong time of day. This time we made it and had an excellent, but rather expensive Raclette.
Ron and Sharon arrived on time and we made it back to St Jean de Losne by about 6.30pm
October 8th
A planned visit to Beaune market, which was a sgood as ever, followed by a really good lunch at "Le Caveau des Arches which had been strongly recommended to us by Andy and Christine (who seem to measure their voyages around the canals of France by the restaurants at whch they have eaten). Everything was excellent, although Charlyn's steak was very tough.
Just one expedition like that seems to more than fill a whole day, so that was Saturday done and dusted
October 9th
A simply dreadful day, pouring rain and cold. it didn't take us long to decide that cruising should be delayed for a day. nevertheless we managed to fill our time quite adequaely bt introducing our gusts to our local supermarket and by paying a return visit (we went last year) to the annual apple fair at Seurre. This is not really very much - unless you wnat to admire the attributes of about 150 different sorts of apple - most of which seem to be afflicted with some disease or other.
back to JC for a long lunch of ham hocks, cheese and dessert and then the 43rd re-run of Russell Crowe's "A Good Year", which we enjoy so much that we are happy to watch it at least once a month.
October 10th
Dry weather! not sunny, or particularly warm, but certainly quite good enough for our planned trip up river. We left the mooring at about 9.30am and had a ver pleasant quiet journey upstream to lamrche sur Saone, where we had moored a little time ago with Robin and Di. A couple of (very wide) locks on the way gave Ron and Sharon some sense of canal travel, and the fact that we were on the river gave them both a chance to drive JC.
We ate lunch on the way (Ron turning down very politely the fish soup, but at least managing the Salade Nicoise) and arrived to make a very neat mooring at about 2.30pm. It should be a shorter journey on the way back tomorrow.
October 11th
Quick walk to the baker (very nice bread) and we were on our way by about 9.45. Pretty easy journey except for passing through the first lock where we were held up considerably by a river boat ahead of us. The whole thing being made much easier for me as Ron did a lot of the driving - and very efficiently too. We got back to St Jean de Losne at about 2.00pm, not as early as I had expected because of the early delay, and found to our great relief, that there was plenty of room on the quay. A good mooring and a relaxing afternoon, followed by grilled sausages and the Skye Gingell baked aubergine dish (worked really well this time due to draining off excess liquid from tomato mixture.
Oct 14th
Final journey of the season - from St jean de Losne back to our winter mooring at St Samphorien. Just half an hour and through the entrance lock to the Canal Rhin au Rhone. Made a nice mess of that by not going far enough upstream begore making the turn. However regained my dignity by making a tidy turn and tie up in the Marina.
Apart from adding photos (which is my job over the next few days) the blog will now close down until our return here in April 2012, after the winter season at South Side Marina, Turks and Caicos.
See you all in the Spring!
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