On to more permanent living

25.08.18
Our last night of moving around was in Tournon sur Rhone. The town lies on both sides of the river with a pedestrian bridge to connect the two, steep vineyards with their names on billboards backed the streets. We didn't explore very far as we were not here for long but the river frontage along from our hotel had been newly developed with pontoons. We have read that there are few mooring places along the Rhone, so it was good to identify this one at least. It was backed by a plane tree edged square which looked likely for a market on certain days. At the back of the square were several bars and restaurants. We had our evening drink on a barge. This establishment appeared to be run by a very young couple and it was difficult to establish just what they were offering; cakes, pastries and alcohol it seemed. An enormous hotel boat passed by, we will be dwarfed this end of the Rhone for sure!
We intended to have a light dinner as we are overdone with restaurant food. We found a tiny restaurant the back of which was cut into the steep rock that runs behind here and that forms the base of it's castle. We had 'ravioles' - the restaurants speciality, which were tiny green ravioli parcels of cheese and parsley in a cheese sauce, mine; goats cheese, Pete's; Roquefort. Delicious, but so much for the light dinner! Of course a bottle of cote du Rhone had to accompany it.

25.08.18
Saturday and on to Nimes where we have a gite for 2 weeks. An easy motorway drive despite a few hold-ups which we were warned would be the case as this is the last weekend of French holidays.

Our gite is in a quiet suburb and quite rural. We were met by hostess and neighbour, Lou who showed us around this quirky little 'barn'. We have our own pool which is luxury. Lou is an artist and her paintings adorn the walls. Everything is shabby chic and slightly scruffy, which suits us. Her dog, Yagi comes to visit and positively moaned at me when I didn't give him dinner scraps. He is gentle and friendly though and well trained not to go for your food so we will welcome him despite not being lovers of dogs particularly. The garden is wild with fig trees, olive trees and firs and all the windows are leafy.
The temperature has dropped from a sticky 32 to 27 degrees with a cool wind and clouds. It is forecast to crank up again tomorrow.
A light dinner at home tonight.

Auxerre

18.08.18

We arrive in Auxerre on l'Yonne. A stunning old town with timbered buildings tumbling down a steep hill to the river which is bustling. Many boats here and we chatted to an Englishman sitting on the back deck of a Stevens just like ours. He has shares in it and this was his first trip. Their mooring is with Aquarelle and we asked the manager about winter mooring here. It would be a suitable place to leave our boat as from here there are several waterways to explore, canals Nivernais and Bourgogne and the river Yonne, and Auxerre is easy to get to by car or train. Tariffs  were a little higher than we had hoped but that's mainly because we want the best protection for her.
Boats were nose to tail along this stretch of water and this was the first time we saw people moving around mooring for the evening to enjoy the town. A barge, Grizzled Skipper was moored here - we have seen this on our travels on the Thames.
We had a beer in a busy square and researched a few restaurants around it to investigate later, but once again, the one with the best review - an old hotel - was closed down. The most thriving (as it was the only one) was a bit of a fast food establishment. Luckily, as we were early we managed to get a table at a hidden brasserie tucked at the back of a courtyard, Poivre et Sel, where the food was more authentic French. We lucked out for sure.

Auxerre cathedral - beautiful (wish we had heard this harpist playing, he seemed to be resting)

Mustard

23.08.18

Took a train ride into Dijon today, buying our tickets from the tourist office at her than the slightly confusing machine in St Jean station. Train bang on time there and back, so it was all very easy. Another blisteringly hot day and we walked a lot. Dijon is another beautiful city, the centre full of expensive stores. Of course we had to stop at the mustard shop, which was a fun experience. All sorts of different flavoured mustards including one with cassis. We bought a balsamic blend and aubergine and rosemary, hmmmm.

Went to the museum of art which had an exhibition about the Dukes of Bourgogne and their artefacts - lots of rich paintings, armoury, altars, tombs and religious decoration, all very detailed and intricate. Not entirely our sort of thing but some of it interesting.

Lunch on a pedestrian back street alongside the museum - people watching. Lots of very beautifully attired ladies drifting by.

We checked out the riverside where there are moorings, so this will be a future stop again.

Future moorings and book swapping

22.08.18
Found the H2O office and Florence to ask about winter moorings for 2019. They can provide all we need so we will probably go with them. St Jean is a good place to start from with several waterways to explore.
We visited the old lady's book swap and met some more helpful people - the whole town is geared up to boating of course. I was able to take a book despite not having one to swap as I haven't finished my current read yet. It was suggested I bring a swap next time we are here, which I will. 2019?
Drive to couple of other villages in the vicinity, quiet peaceful deserted places. One had a large table set up by the river however, where lots of people were congregating and chatting. Seemed the only thing on the table was melon and coca cola though.

Had dinner at restaurant we had wanted last night. Very nice on waterfront in 32 degrees of heat. Storm clouds gathered and lightening appeared on horizon but never got to us.

Met a couple from Melbourne on the walk back who had come to pick up their boat, Eureka 1. They have been doing this for years and I queried what it was that attracted kiwis and ozzies to come to France for boating. She replied that there was nothing like it for them at home - only sea. And on these waterways there are mooring places every 10k or so that are lovely places to stop.

St Jean de Losne

21.08.18

Clamecy: famous for its log boats to Paris until 1923. Very low bridge by lock : swing bridge that didn't seem to have the space to swing.
On to st Jean de Losne and a very old building for our BnB. Smiley young proprietor showed us our room over the courtyard garden and told us there was a beer machine there. Visited the H2O Marina to enquire about winter moorings. Vast place on the edge of the Saone. We will speak to Florence tomorrow who will fill us in on how we can moor here.

Returned to BnB and had beer in garden with kiwi couple who own an ex hire boat (a Broom) and had just arrived to board it and cruise until October. Learned a few tips from them about winter mooring with H2O.
Another couple from England turned out to be narrowboat owners. Their boat is moored at the bottom of their garden on the K and A canal near Bradford on Avon - an absolutely idyllic area we know.   They were here to visit her 96 year old mother who had lived on a boat for most of her later life with her husband in the Med, then swooped that for a river boat and spent time in St Jean. When her husband died she sold the boat and continued to live here in a tiny house. She was originally from Eygpt and had lived in Nice and brought up family in England, so a well travelled independent lady.

Our chosen restaurant for dinner was fully booked, largely because it was about the only one open on the waterfront tonight. We ended up eating at a tiny tapas place run by a young thin rasta  couple. Food was good.

Joigny and others

19.08.18

Visit Joigny - another old picturesque town on the Yonne. Back to our hotel in Auxerre, Parc de Marechaux for a swim, then out into town for beer and dinner at La Tour. Our hotel is a chateau of faded elegance. A pleasant quiet room overlooking the garden that is thick with mature trees. Ours walls are of slightly padded grey silk!

20.08.18
Feeling fragile after tummy upset through night. Drive to Cravant on le canal de Nivernais then onto Vermonton where France Afloat are based in a very hidden corner. Very quiet, no boats moving, some moored.

On to Mailly le Ville. Home to the lowest bridge on system.

Brienon sur Armancon

Another tiny village with an organised waterfront. There are so few boats around and most of them moored. It is so different to our congested English canals and their towns. Like the roads and linear villages you travel through by car in France, you never seem to see a soul. Where is everyone? Staying out of the hot sun perhaps!
I find myself thinking that the villages could get a lot more out of the boating community if they had grocery stores, cafes and bars near their moorings, or at least signposts to where you may find such things.

Getting a feel for French boating

17.08.18

Euro tunnel from Folkestone at 11.36. Arrived at our hotel in Chalon en Champagne about 3pm! Ibis Styles ; very simple and functional on a lively square in this old part of town. Beer in the sunshine alongside lots of Friday evening revellers. A good atmosphere. Restaurants not so easy to find - some closed, some looking uninviting, more like burger cafes. However after a wander around and down a side alley, we found a tiny brasserie, Le Chaudron Savoyard, where we had a over sized tartiflett each at a table outside and went back stuffed.
The Marne and it's canal passes through here.
Next day checked out the canal in Pogny, a tiny village but where they had built a new mooring strip with several water taps spaced along it. A building plot at the back of this is crying out for a cafe. Next year when we are afloat maybe there will be!