Reflections

It’s been a week since we came home and life is getting back to what was once known as normal.
We both agree that this has been a wonderful year of cruising, and what we had wanted from the beginning. Last year was getting to know the boat and the waterways and moving down into France; this year was about enjoying France.  The weather was perfect for us which made a huge difference.  It was gorgeous as we came from Strasbourg across to Paris, got cooler and grey for most of July and part of August (which was perfect as we were in Paris) and then was gorgeous again for most of September and into October as we cruised up the Yonne river and the Burgundy canal. Now I look on the internet at the temperatures I know we made the right decision to come back to California.
The biggest surprise this year was how few boats seemed to be out cruising. There were plenty when we arrived in St. Jean de Losne but it seems not many of them went very far.  It meant that we never had trouble finding a mooring anywhere and we still made lots of new friends, but sometimes it was eerily quiet.

This must have been the year of the spider as they were everywhere – in the ropes and the covers and on everyone’s boats.  I only make this comment because now we have returned they seem to be everywhere here too.Could it be they are making their move for world domination?
Rosie really likes being home – we were worried it might revive painful memories of Noodle - but she settled straight back into the old routine and actually seems happier here. As for us, it is nice to have the comforts of home and to catch up with friends and family.  We don’t have to schlepp off to the grocery store every day or lug clothes to the Laundromat. Nor do I get to go searching for the patisserie and the pain au chocolat every morning, but that means we don’t eat them either (we are missing the patisseries already). It  means our day is not as full, and we don’t go new places and meet new people every day.  In short we are already looking forward to next year!
Armida is sitting on the land at H2O in Saint de Losne, about 1/2 hour from Dijon in Burgundy.  I hope she will come through the winter that can get well below freezing with snow and strong winds.  It will be her first winter outside since she was built 25 years ago but that’s the way it is in France, and we didn't want to go all the way back to Strasbourg, or the Netherlands for a covered mooring.  Below is the map of our travels this year. We ran for 250 Engine hours, went through 394 Locks and travelled 1083km (650 miles). Next year we are thinking of doing the loop through the Canal de Nivernais and then back down the eastern Loire valley on the Canal de Centre and then shooting down the Rhone and into the Canal du Midi to finish in Toulose. Still projections at this point.
This is my last post of this year – back next Season!
Rob, Terry & Rosie.

Winding Down–Reluctantly

In a little over two weeks we will be on a plane back to California but we are reluctant to leave.  It has been six months on the boat and we are still enjoying it, and still getting along, even in this cramped space.  Before we leave we have to get everything tidied,  pack the suitcases, change the engine oil, get the boat lifted out of the water, winterize her (it gets to –20C here) and concoct a cover as she will be outside.  This is a lot of work facing us but the real reason we are feeling reluctant to leave is the weather.  The last 10 days have been nothing short of spectacular, with no signs of immediate change.  Cool nights, misty mornings and still, sunny days but not too hot (26C/79F). So the thought occurs to us – why are we doing this work when we could still be cruising?

We had a nice week in Dole enjoying the weather while Terry recovered  and i got my hands dirty caulking the teak deck.  The good thing about the Sikkaflex caulk is that it sticks to everything, the bad thing is that it stick to my hands so for a couple of days I look like a real grease monkey.

Right now we are on the quay of the Saone River at St. Jean de Losne known as the centre of the French waterways as several canals converge on the river near here and there are boat builders, marinas and the best services for boats outside of Holland. As we sit on the boat we watch many boats coming up and down the river and heading into the marina for the winter – lots of English, Australians and New Zealanders, plus us and one other American flagged boat.

Of course the good weather will not last forever so it will not be long before we’ll be looking at the conditions on the internet and being glad to be in California.