Old haunts

Sep 13

We were hassled all the way into Fragnes by a hire boat that wanted to overtake us on blind corners (woman driver) but with a little delicate weaving we got the last good mooring with electricity. To our surprise 'La Chouette'  was there (waiting for passengers) last seen in July on the Midi. The restaurant was closed for August - so pasta again!

The ecluses on the Med (east) end of the Canal du Centre are horrible if you are going east to west, with slimy rope initiators near the gates and you need to climb a ladder to activate them with any certainty.

Horrible ecluses

but beautiful ecluse gardens

We overnighted at the usual haunts - Chagny,  then on our favourite wall at St Berain where we were joined by a new 19m Piper (mixing with the rich folk again). But the boulangerie was shut for August.

More of our usual friends

All the fishermen react the same way

Not much boat traffic so Peter got a chance to helm - not that Angie was taking any chances!

St Leger was full of hire boats, so we perched on a short wharf and did a quick shopping trip before going on to St Julian.  An hour later it was full too.

We had wanted to eat at the Auberge restaurant for ages but we had always passed through on a Sunday - Tuesday should be OK, but no the chef's family had arrived so 'Ouvert' turned to 'Ferme' and 'drinks only'. Our romantic meal became a glass of vin rouge under the moon.

St Julian auberge

We were now recce-ing moorings near the TGV at Le Cruesot for Angie's UK trip.  Montchanin looked OK but no mod cons (even Peter deserves water) so off to Blanzy

Montchanin tile work - everything s decorated

Blanzy has free elec, water and is a nice spot but not an Alimentation for miles - Peter felt that he couldn't cope without milk and the other basics (are all men difficult?), so after a week it was off to Montceau where we had wintered in 2010.

Montceau is cheap but the Port is slowly deteriorating, we assume due to lack of interest by the Mairie. Peter reckoned he could survive despite a very noisy disco.There was also a big fair on and they threw us out on Angie's last night so they could have a firework display. So off to the Leclerc's pontoon, but the power T-Bar came adrift as we sped into the last ecluse so no reverse - Angie stopped the engine and Peter lassoed a bollard to bring us to a grinding halt - wet knickers all round. The next morning we got Angie to the TGV bus, Peter stocked up with food and changed a gas bottle and then singlehanded through the ecluse (easy downhill) and back into the Port.

Angie's op went well but in a last NHS moan (promise)  - she was given a list of symptoms ('if these arise phone this number immediately') - they did and she found the Hospital Dept was closed for the weekend with an answer machine saying 'Wait till Monday or go to A&E'.  So she did and after 5 hrs waiting was treated. Anyway all is well and Peter is now hurriedly cleaning the boat, washing and ironing waiting for her flight back via Lyon. Now to plot a slow course towards Roanne.

Up the Saone

Aug 13

The River Saone was a relief after the Rhone - a much slower current and the ecluses were much more relaxed - all on the 'green' again which was good as they use telephones for contact rather than VHF. We left Lyon on a Sunday and no boat movement the whole day other than us. A bit of confusion at the Isle de Barbe as the signs at the junction were overgrown by bushes (a common problem) but the helmsman shouted at the navigator (a common procedure) - coin tossed and onwards.

Isle de Barbe

Isle de Barbe Chateau residuals

Come the Revolution we get this as a holiday cottage

We were determined to have short days after the Rhone so stopped at Trevoux - a lovely hill village always immaculately clean (the only problem is the boulangerie is on top of the hill). Peter had to buy both croissants and Chaussons aux pomme as a restorative.

Trevoux

Angie was on her 'stepper' most of the way - must be the only helmsperson to have 'walked' up the Rhone/Saone - some of the boat crew we passed looked worried.

Luckily it is not contagious

After a night in Belleville we moored in Macon - the waterfront is a bit bleak and it is not our favourite town. Most of the moorings en route were near empty - not sure what has happened to the plaisanciers - the hotel boats weren't that full either.

Macon old cathedral towers

Macon .'new' cathedral

'Should we speed up?'

We were meeting a lot of water skiers - some with a death wish as they crossed our bows.

Kes just let it all happen around him.

'Call me for Dinner'

We had never been to Tournus so found a mooring on a wall and did some exploring..  Nice town centred on the old Abbey, but no food shops worthy of the name in walking distance so just one night.

Tournus Abbey church

We had seen a few storks but were always too slow with the camera so a nest will have to suffice.

Mare (unamused) and foal

We thought of stopping at Gigny old ecluse, where we sheltered from a Mistrale on the way south, but it looked full so pushed on towards Chalons sur Saone.

Gigny old ecluse

We were making good progress and as Chalons has never been welcoming to plaisanciers over 15m we continued on to the Canal du Centre,

Entrance to Chalons marina

Chalons Commercial - new ladders and bollards and lots of yellow paint

We finally turned off the River into the Canal du Centre and at the first ecluse got held up (for three cycles) by a small hotel boat and a couple of hire boats - but nice to get back to canal boating.

Entrance to the Canal du Centre

In the 14 days from leaving the south at St Gilles we had only had two days of bad weather but the temperature has dropped 5 degC so Angie is into fleeces on the early dog walks - next it will be a duvet on the bed - followed by thermal underwear!!.

to Lyon

Aug 13

We passed through St Gilles ecluse onto the Petite Rhone at about 7am on 1 Aug - a cheerful eclusier (same as 2011) which started the day well. The rudder indicator had been playing up since we changed the rudder top bearing and it packed up (winter job) as did the 'speedo' due to mud or weed, so on full visual rather than instruments we did a fairly easy run up the Petite Rhone doing about 7 km/hr against the current (using an old fashioned watch to time it)..

Petite Rhone entrance (from Rhone)

Once we hit the Rhone we slowed right down - 'don't panic' the Helmsman cried - and we upped the revs to 1500 revsEc/hr (which is 100 over our 'fast' canal speed). Avignon was looking fairly distant at this point and we weren't sure whether an overnight anchor mooring was going to be needed.

We were pushed around a bit at the dreaded Tarrascon bridges but no real problem.

Tarrascon Bridges

Tarrascon 

Beaucaire from the Rhone.

At our first Rhone ecluse we got shut out on a 'green' at the last moment by a double commercial which didn't amuse us - but that was the last time - the next 11 ecluses we went through on the green without delays which must be a record. At least Kes got a dog break though it took a climb up 5 levels of a dolphin 'tower' to get to shore.

Road hog but we weren't arguing

We arrived in Avignon at 6pm so a 13 hour day - luckily plenty of mooring space to our surprise (and the price had increased a bit from 2011 (surprise, surprise)).  We had done all our sight seeing coming south so early to bed and early away.

Avignon from the south

Pont d'Avignon (or more correctly Pont de Benezet)

Villeneuve sur Avignon north of Avignon

We had decided on a slack day, so pottered off for 6 hrs to L'Ardoise which is 3 km up an old arm of the Rhone and new to us.  A nice little marina, very friendly and we utilised the bar/restaurant to give Angie a break from cooking - pleasant but the beer and food were a bit pricey (especially as we were fighting dehydration).

L'Ardoise marina

Herons everywhere

Another early start, so Peter had to bake bread again - having a nice warm engine room to prove the dough makes life easy. Early starts meant no wind and the Rhone was on its best behaviour.

Rhone at 8am

Donzere Gorge

We shared Bollene ecluse with a tiddler - what a waste of water.

Bollene Ecluse

We struggled with the current south of Viviers where we had planned to moor, but Viviers marina seems to have turned into a small boat port so onwards and upwards through the Chateauneuf ecluse and (as it was too early for an ecluse stop) went onto Ecluse Logis Neuf, where we moored on the plaisancier pontoon on the top sharing with a Belgian cruiser. A 14 hour day - poor Kes.

Viviers looking south

The next day was a mild 5 hours into the Port de Plaisance at Valence.  We fueled up on principle (very surprised at the low consumption) and walked for 10 mins to find a supermarket - past an attractive female looking for custom - hope she wasn't as hot as we were. Alicia pulled in (Steven Sagar's old barge) with its new Aus/Polish crew who were doing their shake down cruise from St Jean to Avignon and back (makes us look like wimps).

PdP Valence

Must be a big bateau to fit that on

The last Rhine steam (chain) tug

The next morning all ready for an early start and the starter motor failed - Merde Alors or words to that effect. Found a little french mechanic (bit worried he as was driving a newish Mercedes 4 x 4) who spent 3 hours stripping it, fitting a new solenoid and getting a new 90A battery for the grand total of €220. Rather than argue about the low price, Peter gave him a bottle of NZ sauvignon Blanc and by lunchtime we were back on the water - right into a major thunderstorm. It was meant to be going south but followed us north all day. Cowering somewhat (with Kes behind the sofa) we pushed on towards Vienne. However, after 9 hours we were still well short due to the late start so we moored at the bottom of Ecluse Sablons Very pretty watching the hotel boats going through in the dark.The next morning we locked through with a small commercial - about 150m - first Maltese registry we have seen on a peniche.

It only took us 6 hours into Vienne, in grotty weather but the screen wiper did its job just. Boat lights on for probably only the second or third time in 4 years. Onto a 25m pontoon south of the Passerelle - the commercials bounced us about a bit but we were happy to have stopped.

Quite big those floating bollards

Now for the final push. The 14kms up the Lyon 'chute' had us down to 4 km/hr and talk about boring, nothing to look at except an occasional road bridge.  We were passed with consummate ease by a hotel boat luckily it had gone by the time we got to the last ecluse.

Six hours after leaving Vienne we were in Lyon About a km up the River Saone we found the new Lyon marina (still unfinished) told Le Capitaine we had shrunk to 16m and settled in on a wall for a few days. Fuel consumption from Palavas on the Rhone au Sete to Lyon was only 150 litres - hard to believe. Lucky with the ecluses, not a lot of wind and few commercials (or plaisanciers) made for a good run.

La Confluence marina

The new Marina has a big up market shopping mall with a large Carrefour and a boulangerie within staggering distance - but despite lots of restaurants it is a a bit modern and soulless at the moment.  The drunks jumping into the Bassin on Friday night cut down the sleep but were no trouble. We did some sightseeing in central Lyon (on the way south in 2011 we did the Roman bits and museum). 

We rehydrated - extracted more money from Credit Agricole and after three days - you guessed it - pushed on.