Wet and Happy

Dole.

At last we are in the water – the weather is great, life is good again!

After dealing with the minefield of May’s public holidays in France, adventures in plumbing that lead nowhere, waiting for parts that a) weren’t ordered and b) was the wrong part number, express couriers that took the long way round and various other frustrations we finally got in the water on Friday. A test up the river proved everything to be working fine and we are happy campers.   We had a jovial dinner with friends from last season (Pete and Allison from Il Largo) and a couple we met way back in the Netherlands, (Frank and Jill from Detente) and set off for Dole again. While we got bored with the little town of Saint-Jean-de-Losne, it is not called the centre of the French waterways for nothing.  We must have met at least 10 other boats that we have spent time with over the last two years.

We decided that our first trip should be in the relative calm of a canal rather than the large Soane River that has few moorings and still a fairly strong current so it more difficult should anything go wrong, and Dole is a pleasant place to meet our friends Craig and Toni who arrive tomorrow, that is if you don’t factor the carnival that had set up across the canal for Doles big weekend of excitement.  The fireworks were fun but the noise of the rides and screams until 2am were not so much.  Fortunately it is closing down today.

Lilou is not yet sure about this home that keeps moving and doesn’t like walking on the pontoons but loves all the action she can see, Rosie has settled back in nicely. Still got final cleaning and organizing to do but hope to get into the relaxed routine we expected  two weeks ago.