Visitors, the Long Village and Heatwaves

Santenay and The Long Village

I think it was writer about the English canals who christened the Canal life "The Long Village" and the name applies just as much in France.  Santenay is a small but popular mooring but with no services so most stays are short.  In our past stops here we have often encountered familiar faces and this time was no different.  Not blong after we arrived another boat showed up with Kent and Heather from Maryland (and Aspen and the Bahamas) who have appeared in this blog in 2013 in A Sunday in Besancon, and who we encountered that same year in Santenay just after we picked up Skye, Adam and 6 month old Sean.  Again, memories were refreshed over drinks.  The next morning we motored 45 minutes to Chagny to pick up Caroline and Phil from the UK, just as we did Skye and family  nine years ago.  Kent and Heather had been replaced by a Hotel Barge taking up mosty of the mooring but leaving us two bollards. 

We sat at the picnic tables under the trees catching up and reminiscing and looking down on the valley. A guy on a bike shows up and starts chatting. He was disguised in a helmet and sunglasses but I recognized the voice as Harvey from Hoep det Leven who I met with his wife Sandra (from Boston) doing a barging course in 2010 with the legendary Tam Murrell. They are not technically part of the long village having sold their barge but they can't shake France and are renting a house in Santenay. More catching up as Sandra joined us and the afternoon was soon used up. Harvey wrote one of the best blogs about canal cruising at On A Barge in France.

The next day we set off with the crack crew back on board down the 8 Locks back to Fragnes.

What is better than Juillet 14 in France?

Well two, of course. Our plan had been to stay the night in Fragnes so we could get into Chalon-sur-Saone early on Bastille day to be assured of a berth in the busy port. We discovered on the way up that they celebrated in Fragnes on the 13th. I suspect that Fireworks operators are fully loaded over these two nights. We arrived in time to get the perfect spot, just far enough way from the festivities not to be too noisy but close enough to enjoy the fireworks. 

As mentioned before Fragnes is barely a village but has a huge open air pavilion by the canal. This was filled with enough tables for at least 200 people, who all showed up for the Moules (mussels) Frites and entertainment. Caroline and Phil went off for the food and were able to enlist help from the locals as to protocols: you needed to buy tickets here, stand in line here etc., And by the way, did you bring your own bowls? Oops, dash back to the boat. For 14 Euros they filled whatever bowl you brought with mussels and provided an endless supply of frites. A  bottle of very nice Rully Burgundy wine was 12 Euros. No one went hungry. Back to the boat for the fireworks. But first we had to wait for the next village over to do theirs, that we could see very well. Make that 2 1/2 Bastille days 

Next morning we motored down the canal, to the 10 metre lock, into the Saone and a prime spot in the marina for the Chalon Fireworks. It has been two years since they have been able to celebrate the national holiday and they must have been saving up their supplies. We all felt that we saw one of the best displays we have experienced.

Heating Up.

Caroline and Phil left the next day after another very special visit. The weather had been warm but only preparation for what was to come for them.

While writing this post I went back to 2013 to check on dates, where I found a comment on how the heat was more relentless than what we had experienced before. Now it is much more than an annoyance. It is not as dramatic here as in the UK but 39C (102F) is hot in most places so, as per the previous post, took the easy way out and enjoyed our "holiday" in an air conditioned hotel for two very comfortable nights.  We got back to the boat just before a lovely thunderstorm brought rain and cooler air.

Exit Strategy

Apartment Armida has spent enough time in Chalon-sur-Saone and it is time to think of our other home.

We will leave here today and take a couple of days to St. Jean de Losne for clean up, lift out and cover on.  Then it's off to Paris for 5 days and then back to California.

Copping or Chilling Out

Terry says it's like a holiday from our vacation.

Still Floating Around France

 Destination Dijon

With no firm sense of direction Apartment Armida finally left Besançon.  With Sharon on board, we did the familiar but always lovely cruise to Dole and showed her the delights of that small town. 

After 3 weeks we had noticed a substantial increase in the weed and feel justified for our change in plans.  After Sharon left we went back to Saint Jean de Losne for the annual fete and ceremony for the blessing of the mariners.  Being a Catholic ceremony it might be the “forgiving” of the mariners.  We probably need both.  The port had the weed clearer hard at work.

It happened on the hottest day so far with blustery southerly wind blowing.  We left after lunch and went 6 locks up the Canal de Bourgogne to a favourite wild mooring in the shade, which was delightful.

After few weedy locks the next day we set up house in the port of Dijon, which was also clogged with weed.  It didn’t matter as we ploughed through to the pontoons, which we had to ourselves.  The port in Dijon is in a park that had a reputation for being a bit seedy but it has tidied up its act and is quite pleasant.  A secret, it seems, from other boaters. We were entertained by kids in the playground and people out for a stroll, often with their dogs that we came to recognize.

Apartment Armida was just outside the old city but only a 15 minute walk or 5 minute tram ride to the center of it all.  Dijon is still a charming city that we like even more every time we come here.  It is full of history and wonderful buildings that  make a slow stroll a feast for the eyes.  We had a great time exploring (rediscovering) all the little squares and streets as well as some very nice meals. We had specifically come for the Festival of Music on June 21^st and it did not disappoint.  The threatened thunderstorms stayed away, and we strolled through the town sampling different musical groups at every turn.  I’m sorry but I don’t count DJs as a musical group, but I guess they do.  We finally settled at a café in the Place de la Cordeliers where there was a stage featuring Big Band Jazz.  We sipped wine and snacked, and people watched while the dogs in their stroller got their unfair share of attention.   For us, it now ranks second only to Paris for the best Fête de la Musique.

The wind shifted to the north and cooled off.   We had a couple of rainy days which we loved.  It’s hard to think of a more cozy place than in a comfortable boat in the rain. 9 days in Dijon was lovely but we had to move on to meet Caroline in Phil in Santenay. 

So we fought the weed out of Dijon and had another lovely night at our secret mooring before stopping a couple of nights in St. Jean de Losne.  Armida needed her stern gland repacked before we set out down river.  It is not as painful as it sounds but I preferred to have Blanquarts do it.

  They have "Simpsons" clouds in France.

Between two worlds - Chalon-sur-Saone

Then it was off down the big river with to Chalon-sur-Saone with a stopover in Gergy for dinner at the restaurant overlooking the mooring.

Chalon-sur-Saone is another charming small city and river port.  The big river cruise ships come up this far.  The marina where we made our apartment is tucked behind an island across the river from the old town.  It was like being between two worlds.  The Island has is charming with a street full of restaurants.  However if you turn the other way there is nothing but box stores in a huge shopping park.  It is all very convenient (more so with a car) and we were able to stock up.  But we preferred to walk across the bridge an pretend there was only the romantic France.

Well, maybe a Waterfront Cottage

The river seemed very busy after the canals – we saw many more boats: Dutch, Germans, Belgians. It seems they have returned in numbers, but once we left the river it was quiet again.  Even the lovely mooring at Fragnes didn’t have many boats.  This is not a city apartment type spot but a lovely park like mooring right next to the grass.  It is splendidly managed by the lovely and always helpful Celine.  We spent a couple of days here scraping and painting and cleaning, with some time left over for sitting on the grass. 

Up 8 locks to Santenay overlooking some of the better vineyards on the Cote d’Or. We will meet our guests tomorrow and make our way back down the canal for the Bastille Day celebrations.

Back in Besançon...again.

Switching Modes

Those of you with a keen eye will note that we haven’t travelled far since the last post.  There has been weed has been invading the canals for the last few years and the authorities are frantically looking for solutions.  In the meantime, travel in those sections that are bad is annoying at best, and impossible at worst.  We have dealt with weed infested sections of the Burgundy Canal before and managed OK.  But after arriving in Besançon, which is looking better than ever and has a modern, clean mooring we asked ourselves:  Why battle the weeds in the canals when we can have a comfortable waterfront apartment right at the edge of a fascinating and  ancient city? Our answer lead to us adopting a new mode involving more enjoying France and our location and less following the urge to keep moving.  More hikes, walks, day trips and excursions - and less traveling for Armida.

Our Apartment

The weather has been wonderful, there are few other boats about and our mooring by the Cite des Arts provides nice views, music from the practice rooms above (not always melodic but not intrusive) and entertainment from the various boating groups on the other bank.  All the while overlooked by the
magnificent Citadel. 

Hiking Hills and History

In the new mode I have now taken some time to explore some of the many trails that head into the surrounding hills.  As Besançon is wrapped by the “boucle”, or oxbow, of the Doubs river, is it at the bottom of a valley. So, like SLO all hikes go up at the beginning and down at the end – the way I like it.  Sometimes they are along roads for part of the time but the way I look at it, for someone without transport, it is still hiking. The old town is nestled into the higher hills while the new parts spread out into the flatter areas so forested trails begin a couple of minutes from the boat.

The climbs are not as high as in SLO or the views quite as extensive, but the trails are lush and green and full of history.  The early Americans trod a lot more lightly on the landscape around SLO than the inhabitants here did for the last few thousand years. So aside from the beautiful forest and spreading view there is a lot more to encounter.

Besancon was a major centre for the Gallic tribes before Julius Caesar made it a strategic city for the Romans. In the 17^th century Louis the XIV sent his army to capture it from the Holy Roman Empire and his chief military man Vauban to design and build its fortifications, only to have to give it back to the Dutch after the treaty of Nimegen.  He sent Vauban back again to recapture the town and continue his building frenzy.  The town is dominated by the Citadel high up on the neck of the oxbow  and there are fortifications on the nearby hills and smaller forts dotted around the town and along the river.  It seems to have worked, as it was never occupied again until the Germans came in WWII when the Citadel was used as a military base, a prison and execution place for the 100 resistance fighters.  It is now UNESCO  listed, carefully restored and home to museums and even, bizarrely, a zoo.  The old town is encircled by the river with the modern building on the other side spreading north to the flatter lands.  It is a large educational town so there are many students, and not so many tourists.  We are enjoying walking the old streets and sampling the restaurants.

Rosie is showing her age and tires easily, so we bought her a chariot for the longer walks which doubles as a high chair for them both in restaurants.  They have been the subject of frequent photo requests.

An Amazing Museum

One of the initial ideas behind coming this way was to get to Mulhouse at the other end of the canal which is the home of the French National Automotive Museum that we had heard a lots of good things about. Instead of taking three weeks on the boat I took and hour and a half on the train for a day trip.  My high expectations were exceeded! What a stunning place with amazing (all European) cars collection.  It did beg the strange question: “Is there such a thing as too many Bugattis?”. 

As I was leaving, I saw a line of English Austin 7s in the parking lot and figured it was a special exhibit.  No so: It was the Austin 7 car club from the UK on a 1000km tour of the continent who had stopped to visit the museum.

Dogs weren’t allowed so Terry stayed on the boat, I am hoping she will make her own trip.

Our friend Sharon arrived from California next week and we will share the joys and Besancon and Dole with her before heading for our next waterfront apartment location.