Monday 25th June 2018 Digoin to Paray-le-Monial The issue of this boat being sold and a few repairs needed to be dealt with. We were still ambivalent about who to choose and how best to do it. What we did know is our boat had history with the marina at St-Jean-de-Losne. We had planned going back there. That meant the other boat sales agent would be out of the picture as they don’t work together. What’s a person to do? If we picked the wrong agent, we would sit with a boat that could have been sold. A last e-mailing session at the Tourism Office to make contact with key people was rather important.
Patrick holding the boat in place
And then an old school friend popped up and wanted to join us on the boat for a few nights. But of course. The biggest challenge was keeping in touch. Bad enough we didn’t have WiFi most of the time but for some reason both my UK mobile phone (EE) and South African phone (MTN) would not enable ordinary text messages. Hand on heart I had been into both their Help Centres prior to leaving both countries to sort it out. There was more than enough money paid in. A person gives up after a while.
Cut grass went into canal and into our bowthruster
Coming out the last lock before Paray-le-Monial we had a bit of a disaster. The wind blew the back of the boat across the lock so her nose was skew as we exited the lock. The canal was so full of grass cuttings that the bow thruster was jammed. We had to manually fend our way out the lock. That strip of lock canal was like a lentil soup. They had tossed cut grass straight into the canal. Big clumps of it drifted all over the water like mini islands. And then our one fender rolled up and got caught in the bridge. What a mess. As if coming out once wasn’t hard enough, we had to reverse back into the lock, get the fender loose and then come out again.
Paray-le-Monial
Last time we were in Paray-le-Monial was a year ago, but three weeks later. It was heaving with humans. I gather it’s a religious centre where people come to get healed and celebrate St Margaret Mary. Luckily they were setting up and it hadn’t started yet. Creatures of habit, we went back to the same places we visited last time and finished up the evening having a beer and a glass of wine for a whole €4. There is a lovely “8 a Huit” supermarket in town. Back at the boat we had heaps of food to taste test. I like Paray-le-Monial but there was only one other boat around. I suspect the busy road opposite might put people off.
Sunday 24th June 2018 Digoin Madame Capitain had told us there was a market on Sunday mornings on the outskirts of Digoin, so that was on the cards. My husband has a never ending list of boat cleaning and touch ups, so that also had to be fitted into the day. I always need to practise recipes and our boat is the perfect place as it’s a basic kitchen. Our recipes must work in all circumstances. Plus we had a monster pile of laundry. Clearly a day out from boating and a good old fashioned catch-up was well overdue. We set our smartphones to log our footsteps and trundled off to the market. The market is a bit of everything. Not specifically a foodie market. My husband bought himself a Man-Bag so he could wander around with everything he needs.
Digoin Market
The cost for two nights in Digoin was €21 for 2 nights, plus water, electricity and tourist tax. It’s not a bad marina. I do wish they would move these dead-beat, unloved boats away from the marinas. You can see they haven’t renewed their licenses in years. The awnings are tattered and torn and these boats are rusted to bits. They occupy prime tourist space. It’s seriously off-putting when you come into a lovely town to find you get to tie up amongst a bunch of wrecked boats.
Dead beat boats
I really wanted to spend a night or two with my brother who was coming over from the USA to spend time in Paris. Not sure how this trip got to be so frenetic. Helping the Swiss guy cost us a day and a half. On the one hand we needed a day out but on the other hand we needed to make up distance so we could make this work. The original plan was a third night in Digoin but we decided to leave the following day after lunch .
Since the generator wasn’t working due to the fuse, I wanted to make the most of having electricity and got cracking making a Banana Mousse, Puy Lentil Rissoles, Savoury Brown Rice, Sauerkraut, Oat Milk and Almond Milk Yoghurt and a Carrot, Potato and Mustard Mash. Nice thing is we would have food for a while. The pair of us drank loads of local wine. Listened to Pink Floyd and Simple Minds. And crashed into bed early.
Saturday 23rd June 2018 Diou to Digoin I suspected some of the lockies we encountered were students. A lovely young man told us operating the locks was his summer job. He was studying to be an engineer. Spoke perfect English. The jokes always on us when we try to parler (speak) and someone asks if we would prefer to speak English coz it’s obvious we’re bad. And then is fluent. We had a mini convo about how we pronounce things with English vernacular in mind. He was so friendly. I wish we could vote for a lock keeper of the year award because some of them are fabulous. I would be happy to contribute toward something nice for them to win.
Washing the deck while it’s warm and dry
There are a lot of low bridges on this canal and each time we came up to a bridge it was a guessing game with us. Would we or wouldn’t we fit under the bridge? Obviously the radar arch and back awning were down. But a person needs some protection from the elements and so we kept the front awning up. If we suspected we couldn’t pass under a bridge, we quickly dropped the awning and I held onto it until we passed , then we clipped it back up again. Meanwhile my better half had been popping into the boat to peer under motor and when we tied up to keep an eye on the oil/water leak. Since we left Roanne it had been fine. Clearly the new gasket had worked and the dried up seals were back in action. Thank heavens.
Weekends are obviously a great day for cyclists as hoardes of them were on the velo (cycle) route. All friendly and waving at us. In the outbacks of France it’s dead normal for complete strangers to greet each other. A boat passes. Wave. A cyclist passes. Wave. See a fisherman. Wave. Farmer drives by on a tractor. Wave.
Cyclists on the velo route
We tied up in Coulanges at 11.20am and hot footed it to the fuel station. They close midday on Saturdays and only re-opened on a Monday. We hoped to fill our 2 x 20 litre Jerry cans at least twice. That put a spark in our step. Our wheelie shopper had been stripped of the canvas bag down to the frame so we could tie the Jerry cans on and not carry them. Forty litres is heavy. Once filled we raced back to fill the fuel tanks and I went ahead with the one Jerry can while my other half filled the boat with the other one. We made it with a minute to spare. It’s a nice, quiet stopping point. They have a machine that dispenses jetons (tokens) for water and electricity. But we opted to keep going to Digoin.
We needed to shop, so tied up in the marina which is central. Made a bee line for ALDI and topped up on provisions. Fortunately we remembered what they had in stock and loaded up. A 200 gram bar of dark chocolate was €1.50, vegan mayo was €1.50, soy milks were €1.20. Like a LOT cheaper than anywhere else.
An obligatory turn at a market
Then we went to our usual bar for a drink and WiFi and they were closed. We asked at the nearest Presse/Tabac/Lotto shop where we could go. He suggested the hotel come bar down the road next to the river Loire. Luckily they had WiFi. We ordered a drink. And then another. Finally our batteries were flat and we staggered back to the boat.
Friday 22nd June 2018 Vanneaux to Diou While I was tossing out our rubbish and recycling I got chatting to some people on a hire boat. They said they found France difficult and preferred their boating holiday in the UK. We forget how much we’ve gotten used to France and French people. I guess our earlier impressions were similar. The French run on a different time to the rest of the world. And that’s how it is. Thing is, once you get used to it. It’s actually really nice. Kind of makes sense. We now look forward to lunch time. We know to try and speak French first. Are French people difficult? Not in our experience. They’re a proud nation and not trying to emulate any other culture. When in France? Do as the French do. And you’ll be more than fine.
Yet another very low bridge
We hoped to make Coulanges but that was a bit ambitious so settled for Diou. If we’d gotten going earlier it might have worked but both of us are partial to a bit of a morning lie in. It was so nice to encounter a few lockies from our previous trip. We were getting bolder and helping them open the lock gates. Anyone living in this part of the world has to be grateful that they live in a safe, beautiful and tranquil area. We were both super relaxed apart from bouts of sneezing and scratching our eyes out due to allergies. My main allergen is cut grass and they perpetually cut grass all along the canal. My other half is jinxed by pollen and the tree lined canals in spring with a gentle wind set him off good and proper.
Our favourite lock keeper
We wanted to tie up outside an artsinal brewery call La Saint but feared we might be too close to the cycle route. So moved on to just past the bridge. Mistake. The banks and supports had collapsed and there was no way that would work. Next bright idea was to tie up on the opposite bank. Which sort of worked. But there wasn’t a tow path so we beat a new one through stinging nettles and waist high grass to the brewery. We arrived covered in all sorts of growth and bits of nature.
The brewery was closed. It had a Ferme (closed) board outside. But a friendly chap told us to go in anyway. So we did. Another equally friendly lady was helping a customer. We bought a mixed 6-pack of their beers. It was her birthday and she was trying to prepare food for what we must assume was a party and get us out the door as quickly as possibly – but politely.
Our stash of artisinal beers
Back at the boat we did a 30 minute HIIT session with a mobile phone app, showered and immediately tried the new beers. The fuse for our generator blew so that was yet another thing to buy next time we were near a bricolage (hardware shop).
Us on the left – parked next to another Valk kruiser
Wednesday 20th June 2018 Decize to Vanneaux A last e-mail check before we left Decize and another e-mail had come in from the potential buyer to say he was unable to come to France to view the boat. Basically the whole thing was off. It was back to Plan A for us and that was to end this trip in St-Jean-de-Losne and get the a few minor repairs done. Have a chat to the agent there. Then decide how best to market the boat.
One day before summer solstice and it was definitely warming up. Good for the paint work on the boat. A bit hot for my liking. Our new friends came to say goodbye and they went with friends of theirs to collect a car in Roanne. I dashed across the way to Intermarche and topped up on provisions. Then we set off. A young couple in a hire boat joined us through the locks. The first lock keeper was trying to explain how to tie up and asked him repeatedly to move back as his nose was right up against the lock gate. His other half was hanging on to the rope so tightly that no matter how much reverese power he gave, the boat didn’t move. Fortunately it was an experienced lock keeper and he let the water in slowly.
Hire boat taking a lunch break
As we arrived in Vanneaux who should be at the lock waiting for us? Our new friends. They had come to check on an elderly Swiss chap on a barge who had not been well. And were very worried about him. He had a friend helping him but that person had left rather abruptly. He had no food. And no way of getting his boat to Decize where he needed medical treatment. The husband asked if my other half would help him move Swiss guy’s boat the following afternoon. Of course he would. Vanneuax is a fabulous spot. It has free water and electricity and a restaurant right next to the marina. The restaurant was unfortunately closed for the day.
We decided to make a BBQ on the banks of the canal and the old man came and joined us for supper. Lovely person. Very interesting man. But I felt so sad for him. He spoke a lot about how wealthy he was, his three ex-wives, four children and huge divorce settlements. His expensive cars and his fabulous home. He’d paid for a Russian woman he met on-line to meet him in Paris in a few days time. And here he was sick and all alone. He didn’t want the Russian woman to know how ill he was. I couldn’t help but feel he had placed too much value on money and not enough on quality relationships.
Thursday 21st June 2018 Vanneaux Just when I think I’ve seen it all on the waterways, I get surprised all over again. A troop of horses with old fashioned carts rocked up to the restaurant in Vanneaux. The whole set-up from clothing to style of carts was from a century ago – if not more. Country style. People came out en masse with cameras and were clicking away. Turns out they offer horse and cart holidays. People pay to wander around the countryside inside a carriage and sleep in a coach while this lot fed them and the horses. Who knew stuff like this existed?
Old fashioned horse and cart
They set their horses free to much on grass while they camped for the night next to the marina. There can’t have been any paying guests around as they slept on the grass in the shade for the rest of the day. This group kept to themselves. Someone suggested they might be travellers.
Our new friends arrived with a sandwich for the old man. We had made him a smoothie for breakfast. The blokes got the barge going and I expected to see my husband 3 – 4 hours later. By the time it got to 6 hours later I knew either he was having far too much fun. Or something had gone wrong. He arrived back at the boat with the other couple and the Swiss man, who wanted to treat us all to supper. He didn’t have time tell me the full story as the old man was not feeling well and needed to have supper straight away.
Clearly it had been an eventful day. Firstly the barge was leaking copious amounts of oil and had little to no oil pressure. They had to figure out where to put in oil to avert a crisis. Then two locks in, the boat refused to idle. They were going into the third lock when they tried to switch from forward to reverse to slow the boat down and it kept cutting out. The lot of them were frantically trying to tie up so the boat didn’t go bashing into the lock gates. From that lock forward they had to enter the locks gingerly with ropes at the ready to tie up quickly as that was the only way to bring the boat to a stop. By the time they got to Decize all of them were glad it was all over.
