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A
"Historical" Log:-
Lovely weather, a lovely boat, so what did we do?
One thing not done was writing up the log.
Why? Basically idleness, but constantly found that "log writing up time",
was also "getting supper
time", also "lets go and see so-and-so time", also "visitors came to see me time" ,
also
"dropping asleep over the key board" time, and, of course,
"gin and tonic time", and once out of the
habit it was extremely difficult to resurrect it.
Sorry!
Am writing this
fully aware that no one will read it after some 4 months, but have found
looking at past logs extremely useful to myself at times when cruising - or when at
home bored with suburban living and can refer back.
Pulled out of Decize, having waited for the end of the school holidays in
France (normally 1 September) - with Albert looking a touch shabby.
Utterly great to be back on Albert - what a thoroughly untidy couple of
years it has been.
Headed up the
Nivernais - after the obligatory stop off at the well placed supermarkets
at St Leger - heading for Cercy la Tours. Found - as last year
at Fragnes - that large numbers of Brit boat owners had the same idea
about the school hols, and Cercy pontoon was a full Little England.
Went on
lock pontoon.
Still utterly great to be back on Albert - especially a moving
Albert. Stretched time spent cruising by going proper Narrow Boat
speed - 1500 rpm indicated on
the engine giving 1 km in 11 mins - slower
than most traffic, but
is - or should be - economical on fuel, and is comfortable, quiet, and peaceful.
Certainly very pleasant.
One night on the way, then Chatillon. The Nivernais countryside
is very pleasant - just like us expats think England is, until we get back
there - green fields, hedges, splendid trees, calm cattle, neat farming, - and so on!
Messed about for a couple of days with Frank in Chatillon - he has a car, so getting
LPG was easy - then cruised up to Baye and visited Pete and Christine -
lovely, but walking along the towing path on way back from supper got muddled and tried to
re-embark on a
white plastic hire boat, rather than green steel Albert.
Back down to Chatillon for another 3 or 6 or 8 days - do not know how it happens,
but days just seem to dissolve into weeks on Albert - then down to Decize
- intention to head up C. Lateral a Loing to Belleville and do some
serious painting.
Got as far as Cours les Barres, found more friends so stopped off for a couple of
days. Hotel boat on "my" mooring (the spot up the far
end under the tree, which needs very long electricity lead) left, so moved up there to do painting, rather than
going on up to Belleville. Spent a happy 10 days there, but painting
not totally successful - expensive International boat paint had been in
the bow locker for some 5 or more years and gone all peculiar - either
like putty, or when carefully thinned like water. Frost?
Old age? or me looking for any excuse to do nothing? - paint tins say
clearly "do not expose to frost", and there is no way bow locker
can be considered frost proof, so excuse good to reasonable. Managed to tidy bows up a bit -
so we have a smart front end - but that was it.
Somehow month dissolved itself away far too quickly, and didn't made a
great impression on the painting -- but there you go - that's boating.
See
photo of Nevers Cathedral at dawn across country by max telephoto
carefully composed - thumbnail on the right -->.
Result? A splendid picture of my horrid little bike trailer's
disselboem.
Too much detail and not enough skill to "Photoshop" it
out. Ouch
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Narrow Boats in Chatillon
Nivernais Country
Champverts Steeple
Nivernais Country
Nevers Cathedral
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