Barge Date:  06-04-2019

Back to France via Paris

Return trip had us going to Paris so in order to break up the return travel we opted to stay one night near the Gare de Lyons.  As it turns out, this is very near the Seine and the historical Arsenal boat marina.  Until I started boating here I would never has suspected this installation in downtown Paris.

We took a 4 hour nap to help us adjust to the time change, and then we headed out.  First a pastry and a coffee and then the Arsenal.  I would like to spend a few days here next year, but it is hard to get space for an 18-meter boat.  I have been to told to just call a day or two in advance, and this has worked for some.

If you were to continue through the Arsenal you begin a very long tunnel under Paris to surface again at another marina.  I want to do both next year .

As we continued along the right bank, we began to see Notre Dame and the damage.  As we closed in on this church you begin to see the details of the fire. You could not get close to the church, but that did not keep people from wanting their pictures with the church in the background. Watched the traffic on the river as I also want to pass this way next year.  Will need a photographer on shore to get those Kodak moments.

Hopped on the fast train to Dijon the next day and then a local to Auxonne.  Recognized a boat along the river that had been with us 2 years ago in Belgium. The following day we stopped by to visit with Phil and Jean from Australia; they joined us the next day on Lionel.

Made a run to a Brico (French Lowe's) and to the supermarket so we have supplies.  I have read that the early part of the Champagne and Bourgogne Canal (and for the remainder of the trip known as C/B Canal) is devoid of towns close to the canal; so be  prepared.

We also made a trip back to Dijon to visit the city and to check in with the visa people.  Would you believe it, the system was changed just as my visa was issued. You no longer need to come in person with your passport.  You can do it all online.  One problem.  I tried to do this online before the Dijon trip and the process failed just as they asked for 250 euros.  Have tried many time since.  We mentioned this to the nice lady at OFII and she suggested to keep trying.  Oh, it is trying. Used Firefox for the first go-around.  So switched to IE.  Here I am told the browser is not supported by this site. Come on.

The city of Dijon is very nice.  We were there on a Monday - when most stores are closed - but I don't need anything.  Would be nice to see it with more people milling about.

The front of this church you see is populated with gargoyles.

Departed Auxonne at 8:45am on June 4 and for about 6 hours up the Saone River and on the C/B Canal. Traveled with a Danish couple on a small sail boat, sharing the locks until they pulled over for the day.  We had pulled ahead to the next lock and could not get the lock clicker to work, or so we thought.  We could not see until real close that there was a commercial barge in the lock and coming our way.  Did a good bit of going backwards to give him room, and we passed only to have the lock fail to close behind us.  So it goes.

Have staked out for the night in a rural setting with cows and hay fields. We have seen some very large farms along the way and beautiful fields of wheat, oats and grass.