Monday 28 March 2011

Off At Last

30 Mar 11

Yippee - after saying farewell to our fellow 'winterers' (Paul, Terry and Teresa) and  topping up with diesel and other essentials (vin rouge) we cast off on Sat 19 Mar heading west on the Canal du Centre - a bit damp and overcast but free at last.

Montceau Bridges
We were rapidly back into our cruising routine with alternative early rising for Kes the Collie. Our first overnight was Genelard and the Centre for the La Ligne de Demarcation.


Then Paray de Monial, an attractive (and expensive town) marred by a side excursion into a dress boutique - much poorer we moved onwards to Digoin where we crossed the Loire.

Paray Le Monial
Canal Aqueduct over the River Loire at Digoin
The weather was absolutely beautiful all week.  At this point we became the Canal Lateral du Loire - definitely an improvement as the moorings all had free water and electricity - long may it last. Beaulon had a nice little Chateau and this old restaurant.


The weather deteriorated at Gannay sur Loire so we pushed on, turned onto the Loire at Decize and moored on the Vieille Loire after pushing over a sandbank at the entrance.

Loire to Lateral

Decize
Next the Canal du Nivernais and a lot of ecluses.

2 comments:

  1. So you have escaped eh? We are hoping to get of ourselves when Granny Linda gets back Fair Winds C&L

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  2. Hi Colin

    See you in Carcassonne for the Winter if your engine hasn't seized up from underuse :)

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