Future Prep Work for Traveling

Barge Date:  02-10-2020

Took the 4 hour trip to Atlanta for this year's version of the French visa.  The process went well.  Two of the employees remembered me from last year.  Will keep it simple - 180 days "long stay visa".  That should cover me from April through September and depending on when we actually arrive and the days out of France (back for the wedding) I could stay well into October.  The key, I think, for the long stay is to tell them about the boat so they know what is going on.  Received the passport with visa back in about 10 days.

Received an unusual gift for Xmas.  How Marianne came upon this unique gift was just happenstance but we must take what is offered.  Will travel with us to the boat this year. Sorry, not my life story; just lined pages so I can start one.

Freakin' Awesome

The big picture look at where we will be traveling this year is to say south and southeast of Paris. To get there we will take the Canal de Bourgogne (Burgundy Canal) northeast from our winter port of Auxonne. The first leg of the summer adventure has the small city of Auxerre as our target. This is a trip of 284km, 199 locks and 1 bridge. We start at 185 meters, climb up to 370 meters then drop to 96 meters. There is a tunnel at the top that is about 3.5km in length. We end up on the River Yonne. We have made plans to winter in Auxerre.

The Canal de Bourgogne had its beginning in 1775 and was completed about 55 years later.  But as early as 1605 surveys were underway as to where to dig the ditch.  So an old canal (there are older ones) and it  has been a major route between Paris and the north and the Med and the south of the country.

The blue tracks to the west of the red and up to Paris will be our playground this year.

The general timetable for getting going this year is to leave the US April 10 or 11. We will enter France at Paris.  Depending on the arrival time we may stay a night to get our sea legs.  Then it is down to Dijon on a fast train and then the local to Auxonne.  We will want to make Auxerre by the week of May 25 as we will leave the barge here for our return for a wedding on May 30.  We may fly into Pittsburgh to make things a bit easier.  Following the wedding we will return to Thomasville for a short stay before heading back to France.

Marianne will once again seek a house sitter for this early part of the year. Anyone reading this might want to consider moving to Thomasville for some of the period we are France; this year or next.  Great place to spend some time.  Mike and Vicki enjoyed their 6 weeks here last year.