2006

BACK TO CALENDAR 2006

 

29 May 2006 to 4 June 2006

 

1.8 29 May to 4 June 2006

 

 

29 May, Monday, Briennon to Roanne, Canal Roanne a Digoin

Very extremely cold and blowing a hooly - first time ever wearing full winter clothes + Guernsey + English parka jacket and still shivering.

 

Roanne L.K. left lock ready with one gate opened for me, but didn't turn up himself for about an hour.   New bloke - or rather not one of the couple knew before.   Missing the "old world courtesy" the previous L.K.s had.

 

Dear old Roanne looked rather sad.   Very few boats and weather not conducive to fun and games.

Capitaine - 2nd or 3rd since we were last here - turned up,  insisted that I moor on the upwind side of the port at the little wooden jetty pontoon below his office.   Pointed out difficulties (! - not easy mooring a narrow boat solo against an upwind jetty) and asked him to help.   Eventually came on board at jetty when boat lying at 45 degrees to pontoon and drifting down wind fast, took centre line, and whilst standing on stern pulled like billy-oh.   Not un-naturally, no progress, and mooring up unsuccessful.   Went over to town side to almost exactly the position we "always" occupied, ("Tulippe" painted on wall) and realised - too late - that would probably have been better at the pontoon after all.   

The famous Roanne red gravel on the track around the port has ground down over the years and become red grit - which, apart from blowing everywhere on the wind, grinds paint off from around footsteps on boat sides, and then distributes itself evenly from ones feet to carpets and mats in the boat.

 

Looked in mirror, and understood capitaines lack of interest in me as a human being.   Apart from the boat still looking sad (improvements are vast - but more visible to my eyes than strangers') I still looked like the wild man of Borneo, with wildly long unkempt hair, although beard a lot better.  Went straight to barber's shop below flats beside Casino S.M. (now called something else) but closed on Mondays.

 

 

30 May, Tuesday, in Roanne, Canal Roanne a Digoin

Got hair cut - asked for "a little short", but got a lot short - vast improvement, but now hat falls off in traffic when on bike.

 

Searched for the Laundromat in le Coteau that used to do our washes as service washes, but gone without trace.  

 

Dreadful seedy tatty one up by roundabout at bottom of Roanne still there, though.   

 

Super market and bricolage shopping..

 

The acacia trees are going wild - everywhere is knee deep in their petals, thick on the water, and thicker on the boat, where - if there is any sun - they get baked into the paint

 

 

31 May, Wednesday, in Roanne, Canal Roanne a Digoin

Viv came and fetched me and large kit bag of evil clothes.   4 washing machine loads - talked - lots!

 

 

1 June, Thursday, in Roanne, Canal Roanne a Digoin

Got last bits of shopping with Viv at Castorama and le Clerk up at Mably in the morning,  weird thinking that by shopping at Castorama I was - minutely - helping sponsor Ellen McArthur.   Castorama owns or is owned by B. & Q, and the side of her trimaran that we don't normally see in England is all Castorama logos and livery.

 

Most successful and enjoyable visit.

 

Back to Albert, trotted round Roanne again taking photos - weather still overcast and cold,  trying to remember things forgotten.

 

Dinner with Anna on Severn Goose - a truly lovely boat (and lovely dinner, too) that has been lying in Roanne for 3 years to our knowledge, and probably more, acting as a houseboat/cottage.

2 June, Friday, Roanne to Iguerand, Canal Roanne a Digoin

Paid bill, I think it was €6.00 a day mooring, and another €4.00 a day for electricity/water  - rather different to the old days, and left at 10.00.

 

Weather improving,  but still strong cold north wind blowing - only just shorts weather, but biminy remains unused.

 

Got to la Petite Mariniere at Iguerand early afternoon, but felt had had enough.

Mooring empty - unlike last week - so attacked long grass with hedge clippers, tidied up round boat, and enjoyed sun.

 

Considering all things - a pleasant run, with sun out, and countryside - once clear of Roanne environs - most enjoyable.

Still have trouble getting photos - takes about 20 minutes, after suitable subject seen, to stop boat, back up, and then do photo thing.   Might be a question of practice.

 

 

3 June, Saturday, Iguerand to Bourg le Comte, Canal Roanne a Digoin

Was just setting off, when had rush of blood to head and offloaded bike instead to cycle over the river to visit Iguerand village.   Once in the past was lucky enough to meet roving bread van there, and felt would like to see the place again, and lean over the bridge - huge and very handsome - and watch the Loire flow past.

 

Now very different.   Iguerand has blossomed with proper shops - very adequate and well stocked, and virtually no lorry traffic pounding up and down the one and only street, and making life hell for residents.   Presume commercial traffic from here as well has diverted to the new trunk roads or auto routes.   Not sure of that, my maps are now so out of date, that even unbuilt but proposed routes are not marked.  

 

After pleasant and unstressed morning,  left mooring in leisurely fashion about lunch time, and pulled into the wall mooring at Bourg le Comte early tea time.    Very pleasant run - sunny and clear, although cool.   Countryside looking well - except a lot of their still green small grain crops have been bashed flat. 

 

Sitting dossing by the boat when along comes Bruce on Zizz heading for Roanne.    We had tentatively arranged by SMS to meet in Digoin, but I seem to be so dilatory these days, I am still 2 days short of arriving there.

Very pleasant supper and gossip to-gether.

 

4 June, Sunday, Bourg le Comte to Avrilly, Canal Roanne a Digoin

Pleasant weather, again, although still cool.

Couldn't decide where to aim for - in general aiming for Decize ,  but decided against passing Wisteria mooring at Avrilly, although the wisteria is over.  It never did much this year, too cold and windy.

Motored a total of 8 kms altogether to-day.

 

Cleared long grass off mooring - had to do something for my living - and enjoyed using Sunday as an excuse for doing nothing very much else at all.

 

Pushed Brompton up very steep hill to village - neat, clean, but only business a large agricultural tractor agency.   Returned down the hill very carefully - these short wheelbased folding bikes can tip the rider over the front very easily when braking heavily going down steep hills.