2003

 BACK TO CALENDAR 2003

 

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Map is same as last week, so no map.

 
June 1 to June 6
In UK on family business, sorry, no log!!
 
June 4/5 Thursday/Friday
Portsmouth to Laroches Migennes.                       Canal de Bourgogne
Left Portsmouth - courtesy P&O - 2230. Foot passengers, but had cabin, £115.00.
Had tried to book on internet, but P&O web site shambles - seems to be common knowledge - i.e. not just finger trouble. Booked by phone, and each time (3 times) got cheaper price.
Dedicated bus to rly station awaited us at Ferry Terminal, le Havre, in nice time to buy tickets, and catch train.
All ticket offices closed, and no change for automatic ticket machines (E24.00 for the 2 of us, 2nd, single.)
Got on train - very full as next Mon big public holiday (Pentecost) and tail end of last public workers strike not yet clear, and new one due next week.
No tickets collected or checked on train!
Across Paris by taxi (queued for 20 minutes - Metro on strike) E12.00.
Gare de Lyon absolutely heaving.
Found our train (a) existed, and (b) was expected to run.
Queues at 3 or 4 ticket counters only open (out of 20 or 30??) 200 to 300 queuers at each.
Not a hope of buying tickets.
Tried main line ticket selling machines - lots of them, but (a) they don’t take cash in any form, and (b) they only take French credit cards - i.e. the thin ones where you enter your pin number on a key board.
Went to a blue coat, listened to sundry other enquirers - each of whom had 15 minutes talk - then only answer seemed to be get on the train. It would probably cost an extra E10.00. Weren’t thinking straight - we had already more than saved that on the le Havre-Paris part - but looked sad, and fellow bought with his own card, and we paid him cash. Most impressed with his helpfulness, especially as much difficulty with the strike, not the upcoming public holiday.
Train crowded - absolutely full, and hot as hades. Everyone most good natured.
Ticket checker checked far half of carriage, not ours, rather cursorily and then disappeared. Suspect that was all, so wonder if the laddy in the blue coat wasn’t trying to tell us something he wasn’t allowed to say.
Laroches Migennes about 1400 and almost entire train disembarked and went in opposite direction to us - waiting for a local train?
Trotted over to Albert.
All total joy - except heavy rain storms and wind left him/her filthy.
Settled in - huge joy and relief at end of singularly stressful journey.
Started up- - then comes trouble, Colin and Yvonne, late of Mr. Bean and now of M.Haricot, presently sitting on trestles in Joe Parfitt’s yard.
Gossiped and arranged to meet them under the trees just outside the basin on the canal - water very high in canal, this is end pound, but river locks on strike, so no point in going through big bottom lock, so no water being drained out.
Hence we can float where normally we are on mud and rocks.
Re-embarked flowers - ably looked after by Connoisseur Cruiser, as was Albert - and trotted round to canal.
Massive SM shops - both rucksacks!
Chairs out, box of wine out, beer out (warm because fridge hadn’t had time to cool it), 4 of us continually joined and unjoined by all and sundry, and put world more and more to rights as box emptied.
 

June 7                                  SATURDAY

Laroches Migennes to Brienon                 Canal de Bourgogne.
Slept extremely well.
To-day is hire boat change-over day, and we are on the edge of of a major hire base, and in addition Locaboats and others with bases on the Yonne are changing over here.
Had decided to go to  Briennon (9 kms) to sleep over to-night and finish recovery, and get good shore side charge into batteries.   (All week before last short day charges, and last week nothing at all).
Suddenly realised that is we were not careful, all hire boats ready before 1800 could get through lock above Migennes, and hit Briennon in waves in front of us.
(Briennon is all of 9 kms along the canal, but felt it was quite far enough for first day).
Herself had gone for yet more shopping, and already thoroughly involved in yet more gossip on canal side - Hertfordia and others!
Got act to-gether about 1100, and left in reasonable order to get through lock before lunch.   Did much getting ropes ready, etc etc, then remembered it was automatic anyway.
Into Briennon tea time - nice run, but very hot.
Good mooring, connected lekistry, chairs ashore under tree, and fell asleep.
Woken by much French talking.   We were semi surrounded by about 8 men all talking at once in that explosive manner some French use.
Stayed put, although felt slightly intimidated.   In fact got used to it very quickly and returned to sleeping/reading.
After about 1 hours discussion, men played petonque.    We were actually moored up beside, and sitting beside town petonque pitch.   Pitch is merely hardish, sandy, semi smooth, fairly level, piece of ground.   These were - or must have been - town's experts - they were incredibly good - and unlike other petonque games we have watched they were very quiet and enigmatic in their game.
We were fascinated.
Evening, sun behind trees and yard arm, arrives Colin and Yvonne.   Wine box and beers out, and away we go again!   Fun - but stop the world and let us off!