Barge Date:  06-13-20222

Arrival in France

We arrived in Paris on June 1 at 6AM in the morning. Entered without any difficulties, collected our bags and bought tickets for the bus into Paris. Had to wait 45 minutes for the bus; the driver said traffic was very heavy; and to prove his point it took us nearly an hour and a half to get to downtown Paris at the only stop for this bus which is at the opera. From there we caught a taxi to the Gare de Bercy and were able to purchase tickets for a direct train to Auxerre.

After dragging our bags from the train station to the marina we were able to get on board with the hidden key and found everything to be just right. The bilge was dry, the batteries had a good charge, and everything else looked real good. It always takes time to get everything undone and put back where things belong. Did not want to put too much on the cabin roof as this is where I was to start painting. 

So it was off to the hardware store for paint and supplies and I began to work on the cabin roof. Over the winter there was another Sahara sandstorm and the boat was covered in a light brown color. It looked terrible and I thought it might be a real pain to clean up but with the pressure washer we purchased last year we had things looking better in short order. With the boat somewhat cleaner we were able to concentrate on the cabin roof and sides and began to prep them for painting. 

Of course we did a few other things as well. Marianne was quick to get back into town and to visit the various bookstores that she now knows quite well. We had an interesting dinner and a visit with a waiter at a restaurant. He read us the riot act as we took an outside table that was obviously ready for diners. And the meal wasn’t all that good. 

Marianne‘s birthday was coming up on June 8 and she did not know that her brother and our sister in law were going to make a surprise appearance the day before, driving all the way from Brussels. So on the seventh with the secret still a secret, Philippe and Monique arrived and we were able to surprise Marianne who was below. 

We spent a day with them and did some traveling to the small town of Chablis where we did a wine cellar tour and bought a few things. That evening we came back to town and had another dinner with the family. It is always good to see these people because they are so nice and full of interesting conversation. I should mention that Philippe ran me around town to get a battery for the generator and a small battery tender. Thanks. 

I am always a little apprehensive about taking the boat out the first time. You never know what might happen or what I might forget to do. But with a little help from other boater friends we were able to leave the wall with a nice spring off of a line and we left Auxerre for the basin at Migennes. This is where we are now as I dictate this addition to the blog. We are tied up with people we were near in Auxerre and there is also another friend who may be joining us tomorrow. 

Everything on the boat is working great. However I am having trouble with the camera system and the GPS system for the navigation set-up we have. The camera problem seems to be a “no go” and I have ordered a replacement control box for this from our regular camera supplier in New York City. I could have purchased something similar here in France but the likelihood of our cameras working with that are near zero. So having to pay for the replacement part plus shipping and import duties. That’s what you get for owning a boat. The GPS problem I think is due to the upgrade this year as I can get everything to work with last year's version. The software company for this navigation tool thinks it might be something different but I think they are wrong. Still some playing around to do. 

I had a canvas cover made for the front wheel house windows. Not only does this give some privacy if we need it but it is great at stopping the sun from heating up the warehouse. We like it. 

Traveled down the Yonne River with seven plastic boats and our heavy barge in all the locks. Surprisingly, everything worked out well with my handling of the boat and no one was damaged. Now we are sitting here waiting for the camera part to arrive, maybe by this Wednesday, but I had intended to paint the boat here so that work is continuing. 

 After early morning trim painting around the windows of the cabin, Marianne and I and our friends walked to an event that was being held on the other side of town. Not all that much to it but we were able to see some things and have lunch there. And on our way back we stopped at L'Escale, a cabaret next to the building that houses the tourist office, and had a nice concert of big band music from a group of 17 instrumentalists and a very nice male vocalist. This performance center has been here going back to the 50's and many big name performers graced the stage.

Now we’re back on the boat doing more painting, waiting for the camera part, and seeing what other mischief we can get into. 

 I remind everyone that I am once again under a news blackout. The only exception will be if Putin abdicates or Russia withdraws completely. We are flying a Ukrainian flag on the boat this year and will do so until those bastards go home. Where is NATO?

 

Barge Date:  05-01-20222

Winter of 2022

 It has been a long autumn/winter and now in the spring our thoughts can finally return to France and  the barge. We have tried to stay busy and safe; we have had two booster shots since we returned, the second one just a few days ago. So we feel safe to travel and we will be leaving for France at the end of May.

I certainly stayed busy over most of this break in the US. Although I have to admit that when we returned I was in somewhat in a funk for several months and can’t say I accomplished much. But since Christmas and the visits from Andrew and Christina, LiQiong, and Jinglei, I have been going full speed. I undertook to paint the house and I always tend to underestimate how long it is going to take and in this case how many cans of stain are needed to complete the job (12). Unlike paint, stain is more liquid and the moment you turn the brush somewhat upside down it wants to run up to your elbow. So I was always smelling like a paint can and this went on for weeks. 

It was also my intention to have the kitchen redone this year and I can report that it is 99.9% completed. We had the cabinets made elsewhere and installed but I had to manage the job with electricians, plumbers and the guy that knew how to hook up the gas line. I volunteered to remove the old tile floor and install the new engineered floor. I was able to get this done in about four days and the floor looks good.

We had the cabinets made from rustic hickory so it has a light wood look with a lot of dark streaks and knots. It really makes the kitchen more open and seem larger. Of course we had to remove the old cabinets and take all the contents out and we were successful in throwing away a lot of things. So now we have cabinets and drawers that have just the right amount of things that we actually use. For the lower cabinets and the drawers we opted to have drawer pulls rather than actual doors. Because the pulls allow for full extension it is very easy to see what is inside and to keep things organized.

But enough of this dull stuff. We’re going back to the boat.

I will be taking a new iPhone and an iPad with me when we return. Marianne gets to keep the old iPhone (plus her iPad) and I get my first iPad. While on the boat I have read many books using an iPad and I really like the format. So I expect that will continue this year. Also, this iPad allows me to dictate, so comma for example comma I am dictating this blog rather than trying to type it.  

This year there will be a good amount of painting of the boat. White, green, red, and a little black. I have a few other fix-it-up, improve-it, types of projects and I’ve got a suitcase with a good number of dedicated boat parts ready to be packed. 

From our current location in Auxerre we will be going north on the Yonne River to a short run on the Seine then the following canals:  du Loing, de Briare, the Lateral a la Loire and then finally de Roanne a Digoin. We may move on to Auxonne to stay the winter.  2023 south to the Midi??

Barge Date:  12-01-2021

And You Thought I Was Not Doing a Last Blog 

 Yes, I know, you are wondering where I am. France?  USA?

We returned to Auxerre having gone up the Nivernais canal half way.  If anyone is reading this and thinking about the Nivernais we give it a score of C.  At times very nice but other times lacking. Having just come off the Burgundy canal from one end to the other we would say it was a better experience; bigger, bolder views from the barge and a lot of towns and villages of interest.  The Nivernais had a good number of hire boats and less so for the Burgundy (except for the north end). We liked the Meuse more than the Nivernais. The Canal de la Marne au Rhin was much more interesting than the Nivernais.

I met up with the man I had spoken to earlier who was having his deck power stripped with water. Not a totally good experience. Made a big mess but did get down to steel. What he painted looked good and I picked up some tips. And he was not told that the  people who would do the work were on vacation so he did much more than he intended. I spent some time grinding some problem areas on my deck and actually it was not in such bad condition.  Based on some info from DBA I know what I will be doing when I return in 2022.

We were tied up in Auxerre for several weeks and crossed paths with a number of boaters. This year must be a record for meeting Americans. Probably half of them own boats in the US and live on board in both places.  Marianne went on a book buying spree; we now measure books by pounds not by piece.  Visited a few restaurants, had some fun.

Took the bike out to the Brico store to buy painting supplies and some lumber.  I have developed an idea for removing and installing batteries. If the boards don't break, if the rope holds, moving batteries should not be nearly impossible.

Of course everything on deck has been stored somewhere on the boat. Did all the steps for winterizing the boat.  My new plumbing fittings work great to pump out the water system. Once this was done we spent the last day in a nearby hotel then took the train to Paris.  Because it was the weekend and because of work on some of the rail line part of the trip was by bus.  Normally you take a train direct to one of the Paris stations.

Spent a morning tracking down an attorney in Paris that is dealing with English publishing rights for some of the books Marianne has translated.  We arrived just in the nick of time as she was passing us as we entered her building. But a loud yell from me and a conversation with Marianne as we walked with her was fruitful.  She was actually on her way to a meeting that might start resolving the roadblock that has stopped progress with these rights.  Now to find a proper English publisher that wants to do the printing.

Spent several days in Paris doing low stress things: the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, art museums, etc. Tried to eat well. Then zip zip back to Thomasville.

Thinking about next year already. One more item to make in the shop and I am ready. Will have part of the electric system looked at over the winter to see if there is a problem. And provided the old barge is floating in April or May we will return.

Luxembourg Gardens

This little girl is mugging for a photo.

Outside former apartment of Romain Gary

 Barge Date:  09-14-2021

Up and Down the Nivernais

 This, we have been told, is one of the prettiest canals in all of France. Our judgement to follow.

The Nivernais is a canalized river.  It is the Yonne River that flows north from the high point of the canal - Sardy - to ultimately feed into the Seine. We are at one point on the river then off for a section of canal. Water levels this year are not a problem so the river and the canal are in a happy state. 

We went as far as Cuzy before we decided that we should turn around to make sure we arrive back in Auxerre in time to do more work on the boat and to get the boat ready for winter. I took some pictures and I have a few stories for you.

We expected to see a lot more hire boats on the water but instead it was reasonable. I, for one, like to be moving and having other boats coming does not bother me. You get to get out of the way and wave to the vacationers. One morning we started out thinking we would be alone in the locks but at the last moment a rather large rental entered behind us.  Not a problem as I can get real close to the front doors.  Six sailors on the rental, all with a Belgian connection of sorts. An Irishman seemed to be the captain. After the lock we were on a river section and the rental decided to pass us. Our fumes?  Anyway, for the next several locks they were in front. Going down in a lock is normally gentle so few concerns. 

Back on a canal section the rental is trying to crash his boat on the left bank. Are they trying to stop? Maybe it was someone else at the helm as we see the Irishman take over. They get a bit ahead and around a bend and as we get there we see a boat barely fitting cross-ways in the canal and something that looks like it might be a radio controlled boat in the water and moving along towards us. Once we determined it was our rental we connected the dots and realized that an umbrella - the RC boat we thought we  saw -  from their boat had blown off and they were trying to turn and recover. After much jockeying they made the turn and were able to get the umbrella.

At an upcoming lift bridge - Marianne has gotten off at  a regular bridge and walked forward to operate it - the Irish went through and then seemed not to want to clear the area. I am coming up on them and through, so I pass.  I do this knowing that we will be stopping soon and that there may be only one space for us. And we get the space.  Win some, lose some.

 

In the village of Vincelottes we are moored in a little basin.  Marianne has zeroed in on a fancy restaurant for the evening meal. We are greeted by the Chef/Owner and it is a good thing that I had cleaned up a bit. He gives us the menu, talks about specials, and I go for the fish that he says came in at a high weight and you almost never see them that way (does that mean they are better?). It was a nice meal, pretty plates and a nice dessert. So when I go to pay - he takes the money too - I can see the real cooks in the back room - I ask him about his story; how did this restaurant get started?

Forty-three years ago he found the location.  The previous 3 restaurants having gone belly up. His mom told him it was too small. But he worked at it, the restaurant worked, and he is obviously very successful.

So I throw some numbers at him.  We are off a barge that is 101 years old. Take that. And he comes back with a very uplifting story that has a tragic side to it. Forty-three years ago a lady and her family came in for her birthday and has never missed another year eating there on her birthday. She is now 104 years old and just celebrated at the restaurant with her family.  What is interesting and yet tragic is that she lives in a retirement home in town and she was the first to get COVID.  She survived. But then forty-one other residents died.

We have certainly been pacing ourselves. The engine barely gets warm before I am advised to moor. Thus we see a lot of villages. And when we stop we are hoping to find a bakery, a restaurant and someone that does ice cream up in a fancy way. What is the chance that for most of the stops these business are closed that day? Did not make for happy campers.

Tried to do some work on the lead acid batteries that start the engine. You have to crawl into the back of the boat to get close.  I want to check the water. These are the new batteries so I am removing the caps for the first time. Almost impossible.  Was able to do five.  The sixth cap was under some cables and just was not accessible.  So I get the wrench to maybe take the clamp off of the battery post. Sparks fly.

I did a post online to get some advice.  And it was mostly good. Insulate around the batteries - hey, it is a metal boat, the batteries are on a metal shelf and there is only six inches of clearance to more metal. Buy some insulated wrenches. That sounds good.  The best suggestion was from a guy that said when he put batteries in his boat some time in the past he never opened the caps.  They lasted seven years. Guess what I am going to do?

Have varnished all of the wheelhouse on the outside.  Could be better and I will work some more on it. Started chipping paint on the cabin roof.  I will treat for rust and prime with a couple coats of good marine paint. Next year the deck, the cabin, and the wheelhouse will all be worked on and painted by me and any person I can get to do it.  Who wants to take a trip next year?

Dungeon for sale.

 

 

 

 

In Cravant there is a dungeon for sale. It is a mighty big dungeon and includes a nice garden and living space in an adjoining building.  When we stop again Marianne wants to ask the lady owner and artist for a tour. It has been listed from 350,000 to 800,000 euros.  Sounds like we can get her down a bit.

She is selling the dungeon.

This is a church and other buildings at the top of a very sharp hill.

Tell the time?

The village of Clamecy has a history of wood, firewood. There came a time when Paris could not source enough wood for the winter heating and cooking. With improvements to the Yonne River a new industry was born. Trees were felled in the greater Clamecy area and positioned near the Yonne and smaller waters that fed the Yonne. Each log had an impression stamped into the end to identify the owner.  In the spring these logs, of a particular length - I think 1m14 - were pushed into the water and gathered at Clamecy.  Here the wood would be sorted by owner and great long rafts were created and then floated north to Paris where they were disassembled and sold.  This went on until coal was able to pollute the skies over Paris

Our new runner for the hallway on Lionel

This little French sweetheart wants to eat the new tomato.

So what do we think of the Nivernais?  We have seen a good many canals and the Nivernais is not near the top in terms of the views from the boat. Our earlier trip on the Burgundy gave better views. The Meuse River from Liege to northern France is better.  The trip from Toul to Strasbourg was very nice. We did not cover all the Nivernais and we may never do it all. But from this trip this canal is down the list.

1x1=3