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  Kent and Heather had been replaced by a Hotel Barge taking up mosty of the mooring but leaving us two bollards.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.