3 May to 9 May 1999                      Link Back to Calendar

May 1
Saturday
In Newbury - sweating
 
May 2
Sunday
In Newbury - still sweating.
 
May 3
Monday
Albert craned, at 0700, in morning, see photographic evidence - and trucked off for France.
Went to Hazlemere with car, and garaged car, with Anthea’s Mum.
Lunch in pub, and were picked up by Jules, but after adventurous start, had blow-out on motorway.
Got back to Parkstone plus/minus 1800, shattered.
Supper mit beer with Jules - OK (very).
 
May 4
Tuesday
Into Bournemouth by bus, from Parkstone.
Sundry shoppings, then to stn by taxi for train to Portsmouth.
Duly arrived and taxied to Treasures flat.
Splendid supper.
Delivered to Ferry at 2100.
Discovered bespoke cabin to be in ultimate bowels of ship below car deck, so changed to larger and more palatial on 9th deck - NEVER take cheapest cabin on ferry!
Brandy and beer, and smartly to bed.
S. went on deck to watch departure, but felt captain did not need supervision as much as self needed sleep.
 
May 5
Wednesday
Alarm - Didgery and ship’s - went off at 0445.
Not funny - felt very ordinary.
Got up, and through to cafeteria and bought breakfast at cafeteria - eggs, toast, coffee etc S. forgot to bring hers from counter, but shared mine - plenty to go round, and she didn’t pay for it.
Ship tied up to France meantime, and clocks forward by 1 hour.
Found a bus to take us from the terminal to the station, and got there in plenty of time to catch the early train to Gare St Lazaire, Paris. Hence off at 0800 French time instead of 10.00.
Into Paris by 11.00.
First French test - get directions on Metro from natives, passed test, got to Gare de Lyons, and found much earlier train to Laroches-Migennes, but still had to wait 90 minutes plus.
Slightly sweaty train journey - train very full, but comfortable, and kept emptying and re-filling. Difficult to hear announcements - difficult to understand them as well.
Arrived Migennes mid afternoon - very dozey by now - saw massive boat yard with acres of boats from train., but couldn’t see Albert. Sadness - is there a crisis/drama?
Leaped down, crossed canal by footbridge, and asked way to "boat yard with crane". Difficult, as they didn’t know "crane", we didn’t know French for crane, and they didn’t know where it was, anyway, and wanted us to go to the hire boat basin. How do you mime craning a narrow boat?
Went into town/village, carrying our all (rucksack and bag), and met extremely helpful taxi driver at paper kiosk, who was intrigued enough with problem, and did know of a second boat yard, and able to mime craning to a misunderstood extent.
Took us there - and amidst protestations of good will, found a very dirty Albert.
Joe’s boat yard (we don’t actually know the name of his "business) is actually about 300 yards (metres?) up the R. Yonne, round the corner from the Migennes Lock, which is the entry into the Canal de Burgogne, from the R. Yonne.
Tidied up boat - Joe was out on business - found she had suffered somewhat - 2 of ballast weights thrown onto engine room floor, with much else thrown about. Should have paid more attention to wedging everything in, as on the whole we had in the cabin, resulting in minimal chaos.
Sorted it all out, ran engine, and moored alongside another narrow boat.
Slept over - having got - apparently - the announcement e-mail off.
Hash supper, and to bed - thoroughly buggered!
 
May 6
Thursday
Woke lateish (08.30) to fine overcast warm, windless day.
First day in France!!!
Took it VERY easy - normal get up, breakfast (porridge, but no bread) - no chance to get any yet.
Long gossip session with Joe Parfitt - to such an extent that we did not escape until 11.00, but he rang Migennes lock-keeper to announce our imminent arrival - it appears that going through a lock here is an "event". With their size of boats it probably is. Obtained bill - Ff1206 for craneage (£180 in England)- but he preferred cash to our travellers cheques.
Sun came out - fine day.
Idea was to go through lock to Migennes town mooring, go to supermarket, bank, etc, etc, etc. However, by the time we tied up - good moorings, low quay, 2 or 3 barges, but masses of room - it was 12.00, with supermarket closing at 12.30 until 1500.
Another visiting boat crew helped us in to tie up - apparently the form here - and we made a quick dash - initially in diametrically the wrong direction - got ourselves into well stocked, but people empty supermarket. Wretched prices all in francs - can you believe it? Got beer and some food - couldn’t find butter or buerre??? Then out with untidy parcels breaking loose from bike.
Took trolley to boat, unloaded and returned it.
Untied boat, and went a couple of hundred yards away from Migennes, but noticed forgotten bike on key side so had to return and load up.
Weather now sweaty warm - definitely shorts and shirt only.
Had very pleasant dozey lunch - beer, French tongue (chunks not slices) and cheese - and went on to next lock (another 600 metres (yards)) to turn around.
Back through Migennes, past enormous hire fleet (few boats out, as early in season) and back down lock, this lock is an exceptional deep one - 4 - 5 metres drop and rise, and needs very long ropes.
Re-tied up to Joe’s yard, paid bill, dumped rubbish, and departed up stream.
Just got nicely going, round corner, and there’s a weir and lock. Waited against bollards - enormous and far too far apart for our length, so dangled in current from the bows, whilst 3 hire boats came down.
Up in enormous lock (about half an acre) but only 4 - 6 ft rise, quite slow and calm.
Found "Halt Nautique" 300 metres above lock, - overnight mooring to the rest of us - tied up at 1610 after hard days work. Place called ""la Graviere",
Spot very pleasant - slow river, both banks (low) well wooded with May blooming, masses of vociferous bird life - including cuckoo (cuckooing in French) - grass at mooring long enough to be all covering, but no nettles - tranquil. Can hear the traffic and trains in the background - and aeroplanes - but definitely an OK spot.
Tried to sort stiff throttle arm, checked and refilled gear box and prop shaft oil - lots of oil on floor of engine bay. ???
Did clothes wash.
Sat on bank in chairs and drank beer.
Cooled off in evening - even so got bitten by mosquito.
Good life!!!
 
May 7
Friday
Overnight mooring very good indeed - beautiful spot, trees on both sides of river, slow flowing, and lots of vociferous bird - incl cuckoo - life.
Late up, late start, so didn’t start at all.
Washed boat on top, right side, front and rear of motorway grease and filth.
Stopped off for lunch at camping site on river bank, at Bassou - 2 kms from overnight mooring.
Washed other side of boat, and set off up river.
Into canal cut at Raveuse 7.
Waited ages for lock-keeper to arrive - she was doing her "other" lock.
This and next lock run by 1 woman on velocette.
Canal seemed about 2 metres too low - horrid.
Out of canal section at Gurgy, past lots of barges and waterways equipment.
Advertised harbour at Gurgy, where we wanted to spend night, completely dried out, and deserted, although water and electric points and jetty side grass etc looked in good nick.
Tied up - horrid mooring - to 3 breasted up plastic, deserted, hire type boats, in heavy rain, it had been raining most of the afternoon.
Only practical mooring available, with enough water to float in, although book said moorings adequate for 1.8 metres.
Very weird - locals just shrugged and announced that "there was no water".
About 2000, after supper, realised water dropping still further and fast.
Panicked at thought of being stuck in strange not very nice or welcoming place on mud for week-end, so upped and offed fast upstream, intending to moor at or near the lock so that at least officialdom could see we existed.
No mooring possible before lock, trees and mud flats everywhere, and found fast current at lock.
Only possible on lock dolphins - some 25 metres apart, in fast stream.
Tied up bows, dropped back on line and tied stern. Then used new heavy spare line to double up bow mooring.
Not satisfactory - possibly even dicey, but no alternative. Ended up about 10 feet from steeply shelving rock faced river bank.
Boat sheered or fish tailed gently back and forth in stream, but all appeared to be secure, so we went to bed, slightly worried, and not feeling totally secure.
 
May 8
Saturday
Montenau to Auxerre
Started day at 0400 with rope and mooring checking session, and cups of tea.
Back to sleep until 0715.
Got up, and breakfasted as we did not know lock opening times, and we would have to go through straight away, as we were occupying lock mooring.
Eventually, 0900 less 1 minute, action perceived, and gates opened as of own volition.
Thankfully cast off, and popped into lock.
Greeted lock keepers (seems there are usually none or 2 - like busses) who stared straight through us.
Above lock - now in sunshine - does weather deliberately match morale - into village of Moneteau. Lovely lawns, flower beds, neat clean and tidy, and lots of friendly polite, helpful people.
Tied up on town mooring (turf) and headed for supermarket.
Hilarious shop - locals seem to take us in their stride - including red Cotes de Rhone at ff11.
Bought £3.50 worth of tongue by mistake, but remainder successful.
On up river through 4 more huge locks (teamed up with French Canadians in hire boat (tried to speak French to them, but this was unsuccessful) big areas, wide gates but only about 5 foot rise.
Weather developing into really nice warm day - shorts & tee shirt, countryside beautiful, and everything coming very right.
Into Auxerres at tea time.
Loud English voice from Dutch Barge - " first narrow boat this year, - isn’t she pretty".
English People came to help us to tie up - but we had finished by the time they arrived - difference in speed between mooring narrow boat and Dutch Barge.
Nice moorings - low (6" stone wall, lots of rings, and no charge, (or cross river to "Port de Plaisance" and have access to water and electricity and pay ff130 a night. stayed put.
Had tea, then foot borne voyage of exploration into town.
Town deservedly considered one of most beautiful in France.
Whole streets of very old half timbered and wobbly tile roofs.
Wandered round as tourists, and found everyone, including locals, out doing the same - including very well behaved youngsters having organised skate-board/roller blade/BMX bicycle rally in square.
Town really very beautiful, and "Rough Guide" just doesn’t seem interested!
Rang Jules to check on safe arrival of e-mail round robin.
Assured of safe arrival, and reply, which we hadn’t received.
Checked Compuserve and found 8 incoming mails awaiting us - had been pressing wrong button.
To bed - late, tired and pleased with life.
 
May 9
Sunday
Late up after quiet night - road alongside used only for within town traffic, and there seem to be no night spots, discos etc on river front.
Traditional eggs for Sunday breakfast.
Wandered round town doing "messages" - i.e. left over shopping, and enquiring about water.
Set up awning over bows, and sat and gossiped with virtually every body.
Addressed French in French, including Yorkshire couple, and all incredibly helpful and long suffering as we stammer, gurgle, and generally wreck their language.
The natives are friendly here!
Did one loo in ff2.5 toilet on river front - smelly but practical!
Did the other after dark. Washed out in river - yuk.