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September 5th
Sunday
Gissey le Viel to just beyond Braux, Canal de Bourgogne.
Traditional Sunday morning start - boiled eggs and very late.
Then off for 90 minutes through most fabulous country - huge area visible from canal - probable views stretching 5 to 10 miles. Parts look like thoroughly Europeanised South Africa, with little villages of red roofs dotted around higgledy-piggledy.
Stopped just before day's first lock at 12.00.
Set too on bank in shade with extension lead from boat (battery on P.C. useless) to do log from Didgery to P.C. Sent off, and got a cheeky message from a convict colony.
Passed through Port Royale - about 2 minutes after the lock - good moorings, but totally sun exposed - no shade whatever. 2 boats and peniche moored up.
First vines showed up soon after, (remember this is Burgundy) but looked dreadful and abandoned.
Canal lined with Poplar trees - busy shedding their leaves. Lots of Mistletoe in these and other trees.
We seem to be in an area of agribusiness - gentle slopes with large fields that go on for ever.
Stopped soon after Braux lock - the arithmetic ahead of close grouped locks and short pounds did not look good, so stopped where we could moor nicely, and have some shade and a view.
Unfortunately, did not check map carefully enough. There is a busy concealed road just 2 fields away, and the evening has turned into one of those quiet clear evening when everything is audible.
In actual fact there was no traffic on the road after about 1830, so mooring most satisfactory!
 
September 6th
Monday
Braux to Lock 36 - Magny le Ville, Canal de Bourgogne.
Rained for a large proportion of night and morning, and up to midmorning. Didn't quite have energy to wake up properly and shut back door, so noise of rain on rear tarpaulin kept us slightly awake.
Set off 0830 - early start planned to get down a reasonable portion of 37 lock in 12 km flight, with all locks set against us - custom on this canal to leave all locks empty with bottom gates open, regardless - singularly stupid!
Good start - as we arrived at first lock, lady L.K. appeared to see us through.
Borrowed special windlass off her, and set off to wheel up front. Went well - initially on foot, latterly, and for most of the day, on bicycle.
The trouble with this game is that one concentrates on the technicalities of doing the job quickly and adequately, but never looks up to see the countryside.
We did look up! The country is superb. In this valley there are gentle slopes, frequent quite large area of forest, with cultivation, as it were, carved out from them, and, it has to be said, areas abandoned and tumbling back to forest
Did 1 flight then tried to stop at village - Marigny la Couhet - mooring for water and bread. Next lock at end of moorings opened for us very ostentatiously, amid cries of better to moor next pound down.
It wasn't - especially when we demanded a proper answer as to where the next water was and discovered a long way in front - 2 days! There was, in fact, nowhere to moor in the next pound down!
Stopped and stayed put - this must have been one of the villages that tried to get on the tourist band wagon - nice picnic spot, trees, barbecues benches and tables, water point, etc. But, for an undisclosed reason, the mooring length has recently been revetted, piling with earth and stones put in canal on water side of piles so no way can any boat lie to the canal side without mashing it's prop, and lying on it's side. Extraordinary! We stick our bows hard in, and let the back end dangle in the channel.
Went on after lunch, but a bit worn. Out of training. Spent the summer standing on the back of the boat like Lord Muck, doing nothing for ourselves!
Did next section very satisfactory, then decided it was time to stop.
L.K.s started "good moorings 2 locks down" game again, and pressurising us to go on, so went ahead on bike to look. Complete nonsense, there was nowhere to moor, but there was a large Dutch cruiser coming up - attended by 2 male L.K.s (we had 1 middle aged female), leaving locks full for us.
We found it very difficult to work out what they were all on about - but suspect that firstly the French men will not share work, or work alongside women, and secondly that they can go home when boat leaves flight. i.e. our mooring up in it means we are still their responsibility until we do go.
Anyway, found reasonable mooring just behind us, so insisted on reversing out of the lock, and making use of it. Certain amount of tight lipped expression around, but we were not prepared to go on!
Tied up 4 pin, wind had come up, and rain threatened.
Commissariat problems - had to make bread, and fridge empty!
Still puzzled at attitude of lock staff - cannot see what the problem was.
 
September 7th
Tuesday
Lock 36 - Magny le Ville to les Granges (nr Venarey les Laumes), Canal de Bourgogne.
Set off in cool, hazy sun with intention of doing no more than our share of the work!
In fact, thinking back, that is probably what foxed them yesterday! If the silly bugger (me) wants to drive himself into the ground - let him. Our noses remain fully skinned. All I was achieving, in fact, was making their work easier!
Let Mme Fatso do the entire flight of 9 locks in her own time and in her own way. We took just 45 minutes longer than me charging ahead yesterday and setting the locks up front. The gain was definitely not worth the pain.
If we had been on our own, it would have been a different kettle altogether, though.
Really quite comfortable run through last 18 locks of what "Navicarte" calls "37 locks in 12.344 kms", and was, in fact, 56 locks since the tunnel 4 days ago.
Managed 9 locks before lunch break (2 hours long!) at village Pouillnay, doing the locking through their way, and last 9 to village les Granges in the afternoon, to moor up right behind a Narrow Boat on the village jetty. Much more comfortable doing it their way - even if a bit slower, and not nearly as energy consuming (mine)
Pouillenay shall go down in history as the village where S. shot off as soon as we tied up to purchase lots of basic food, and found a minute boulangerie right at the far end, whose total annual turnover of tinned vegetables and tinned sausages she bought, and also where I rode Floss's bike for the first time on a proper road with traffic. "Tenez le droit" - this was after unjamming the chain from around back axle.
Note here the importance of this area - overlooking the canal is the town of Alise St Reine where the great Gallic chief Vercingetorix threw his sword at Caesar's feet, and admitted defeat - see Asterix, Obilix, Getafix, and the rest of them.
The country side we came through to-day - vastly improved in our eyes due to absence of rain, is superb. Great valleys and gentle hill slopes of mixed cattle grazing, a little cultivation, and forest stretching for miles in every direction. Because the canal is dropping, we are always on something of an eminence, so get these splendid views.
The Narrow Boat we are moored behind - "Buttermilk" - is the one that was lying at Joe Parfitt's yard, and against which we moored up for our first night in France. Tim and Su Drean, who own a cottage here, and having let it, live on the boat. 62 ft, arrived in April.
Invited to lunch time braai to-morrow - we'll see!
 
September 8th
Wednesday
les Granges to Perigny (Lock 72), Canal de Bourgogne.
Off at 0900. Early start due to panic - will we get to Roanne in time to lay up boat, in time to get to U.K., in time to catch Esmerelda, in time for S. to get carved up, in time for her to recover, in time for Christmas, in time to recover from Christmas, in time to come out again in the next millennium, in time to do 4.5 million jobs on boat, in time to finish them, in time to start next season.
Beautiful morning - sun coming up through mist, totally calm.
Wide canal, poplars on both sides, in the bottom of gentle valley sometimes 2 fields wide, sometimes a couple of miles.
The mystery of the maize - hell of a lot grown here - they were cutting it for silage to-day - complete with self propelled harvester and rows of tractor-trailer units.
Beautiful run into Montbard, where we had to do S.M. shop.
Found S.M. canalside on way in at 11.30.
Mooring up and sorting ourselves out when L.K. arrives and says we got to go through next lock, there is another S.M. there.
Faffed about, but "pressure" to go on great, finished up outside closed S.M. at 12.15, but tied up in quite nice P. de P.
Lunch on it's grass under trees whilst awaiting S.M. to open again at 14.30. Whilst lunching asked by a French speaking American if I could speak English!
Still cannot work out what L.K.s are on about, although it is a great deal easier in most ways to along with their requirements!
Presumably we'll have to make a stand sometime, as we did yesterday, but it doesn't seem to last. If we knew their agenda it would be easier.
They actually got a lot more laid back once we were out of Montbard. Different foreman?
After shop, got away again at 1600. Hot and bothered, having carried or hauled on sack trolley all heavy comestibles except beer.
Started to meet rows of a.c.c. belonging to Connoisseur Cruisers at Venarey. We thought season over, but apparently all their - admittedly not very big fleet - were out, although Nichols on top of the hill were all in.
Pleasant run, bright, sunny, but a bit hot. Tried to keep in the shade which resulted in meeting a hotel boat while on the wrong side. Driven by an Englishman. Embarrassing. Frantic L.K. in little white van waving to us from road. Thought he was being friendly. Actually saw the boat on plenty of time, but did have to do scuttling act to get to right side of canal. Astonished to see only 2 passengers.
Met up with, and ran alongside, a rather noisy major road, so had to keep going until it left us, which it did at about 1800.
Watched hot air balloon go up, come down and go up again. "Belonged" to hotel boat. Presumably this accounted for lack of passengers. The money these people must spend on their holiday!
Next available likely mooring meant we kept going to 1900, then stopped off at what appeared to be perfect mooring, only to find that the pound was surging, so every so often we would drop on the bottom. There was an irrigation unit in the next field with diesel pump motor and ratchet, an intermittent railway line, and buzz-bike like sound in background!
Later:-
We think the buzz-bike sound was a forage harvester, anyway it stopped at dusk.
We usually go in at dusk, because at this season, even on hot days, it is too cool to stay out much after 19.30.
Once in boat, heard nothing, deafness aided by Cote de Rhone.
Sleep appreciably disturbed by onset of effects of farting juice taken mid-afternoon - poopoopoo,- extinguish all naked flames - mais pas moi.
 
September 9th
Thursday
Perigny (Lock 72) to Ancy-le-Franc, Canal de Bourgogne.
Again, clear bright morning, canal very wide now, and so under-utilised (unused) we tie up with only 2 ropes, and push boat off loosely, so we are reasonably level.
In fact there is the odd boat about - we passed another hotel boat almost as soon as we set off, and another tied up in a pretty spot with English ladies sketching.
Into Ravieres about 11.30. For the past 5 kms been passing near or under hills and cliffs with lots of quarrying and stone cutting at numerous different sites - very deep square cuts, very white stone.
Ravieres appears to be centre of ops, with large stone working plant, and peniche quay. Stacks of cut stone, beautifully accurate surfaces. Some blocks had been sliced as thin as ¾ inch, and banded back to-gether in original order with spacers inserted, just like logs in a saw mill weathering.
Hot - but found neat unoccupied village type mooring. Stopped and went up for bread - become very French in our daily requirement for fresh bread. Nice little town, very quiet, although all shops - incl small S.M. are present.
Sat under tree shade near boat doing not a lot - locks shut at 12.00.
Off again about 1415. Bloody hot.
Too hot, so stopped for tea and cool off of selves and boat just after Lock 79 at 1615.
On again at 1645 to very nice offside mooring just before Rapille 81, at 17.30. Very long run.
Canal much deeper here, but even so a hotel peniche looming on the horizon persuaded us that 4 pins were necessary.
S. did her best to leave boat permanently, by using gangplank that was yet to be secured at it's boat end. Ended up in undignified heap with c. of g. just on back deck, like an inebriated beetle upside-down between a paving stone and a puddle unable to right itself without swimming.
Moored her to a stern bollard whilst suitable arrangements made for recovery (recovery could only be made from boat, and recovery crew was stuck on shore side with no means of boarding). There was some urgency as hotel peniche was approaching, and inappropriate for "Albert" crew to be an arses-up exhibition.
Recovery duly completed with 1 foot only in water and some bruising - and considerably dignity reduction! Shaken , battered but unbowed - especially after strong brandy.
Fortunately all recovered by the time the Hotel Peniche passed.
Very poe faced passengers - all of an age and appearance to be a company convention. Beautifully laid glass and napery on tables, etc, etc. Skipper strong American accent but probably Skanderhoovian - certainly didn't take job too seriously, ran his boat aground whilst "looking at your boat"! amidst much hilarity.
Countryside much more agribusiness - lots of plough up to forest edge up hills. Several pathetic ruins of factories on canal side - mostly allied to stone carving of stone from adjacent hills, all with peniche loading docks.
 
September 10th
Friday
Ancy-le-Franc to Lock 94 Arcot Short of Tonnerre, Canal de Bourgogne.
Even brighter, but still cool early morning.
Set off full of enthusiasm to cover lots of ground as 1st 4 locks automatic.
1st one, new type to us - big box on lockside with lots of numbered buttons and little lights on a board.
Got bottom gates closed, but the kept opening again, then discovered main switch liked disconnecting, and starting cycle over again.
Took deep breath, and 1 hour later defeated it.
Subsequent ones easy,. but very slow.
Charming Dutchman had lock cottage at 2nd one. You can't buy them, only rent them. You start by getting a shabby one at low rental, but as you improve it, up goes your rent! This explains the shabby state of the L.K. cottages back up the flight - they were terrible, but no-one is going to pay to make improvements, and then a higher rent.
He said French men are only interested in what goes on outside the home, and inside the pub - hence they are not good at nice homes. Further, the French only ever do everything, or nothing. And never, never get involved in Govt Administration - it is a nightmare.
Soldiered steadily on as it got hotter and hotter.
Total traffic 2 hire boats and one hotel peniche, who was made to wait while L.K. put us through. This is against custom - any sort of working boat has absolute right of way - they probably tipped him badly!
Brolley up first thing - no wind - but first had to carry out complicated repair on bent rib with 9" of copper water pipe and jubilee clips, and, of course, some baling wire.
Don't know how we would have survived day without - it got scorchingly hot.
Lunch in nice shady spot - boat and us covered - at Lezinnes between railway bridge and lock. Amazed to see train, quite ½mile long, of special trucks carrying 2 layers cars. Many other freight trains, both last night, and to-day.
Subsequently saw several more car trains.
Tried to find tea stop place at 1600 - quite hottest time - but too shallow and no shade, so had to soldier on.
Started trying to stop for night just after Tanlay. All the little towns and villages we went through had little harbours, but the are "paved" with tar or gravel, and although some have the odd tree for humans, the boats just sizzle in the sun, and the whole impression is of unaleviated sunblasting heat.
L.K. started usual business when we aid we might stop of shovelling us through - he was right! There was no-where in the pound we chose, and the water was a foot down and in the next one we found quiet, bollards, reasonably deep water, but no view! After yesterday's fiasco did 4 pin tie up with ladders pegged to bank by springs.
Lovely cool breeze, shade, drinks, cheeze, biscuits, decided to do Income Tax to-morrow.
 
September 11th
Saturday
Short of Tonnerre to PK 29, Villiers, Canal de Bourgogne.
Hotter and hotter, but cool nights, albeit plenty bugs about.
Straight into Tonnerre - obviously we were the first through the lock to-day, nobody about until after I had closed bottom gates.
Then woman and youth turned up, as did vociferous man who gave them loud rockets for not being present.
Result was fed-up-ness among them, so we that got "run-around" when asking for directions to baker, and S. ended up in an industrial estate about 3 kms away.
Filled with water and pulled out - with bread.
Most of boats - 1 yacht (RNSA), 1small barge, + something else - in quite nice basin seemed to be English, but no contact made.
Cleaned a bit of the boat whilst waiting - "Albert" is getting a little travel stained!
Canal here very wide - 30 - 40 metres - lined on both sides either with formal lines of poplars, or with 15 - 30 yard wide line of thick scrub and forest trees.
Through a couple of locks, hit mid-day stop time, and pulled in for lunch break. Set off again 1430.
Did income tax forms - discovered that complete set of supporting documents was not complete.
Too bloody hot, and about 1530 rammed the bank under some trees to wedge the boat in the shallows (couldn't even be bothered to find decent moorings) tied centreline only, and flaked out in chairs until 1730!
Moved on, through lock 101 and moored for night. Significance here was this was the only spot away from main road and railway line, both of which follow pretty closely line of canal along the wide valley floor
Very quiet spot - a bit shallow so had to do gangplank tie up, and share area - 100 yards away - with an a.c.c., but pleasant short grass, in shade, and masses of "autumn crocuses" about.
Countryside, while essentially rural - agribusiness, on the whole with enormous fields, but some smallholding and strip farming - is getting more "settled" with many more of the super little higgledy-pigledy villages the French go in for (it appears that even complete steadings - 2 or more - are at times located in villages). There are, of course, also towns to negotiate!