Oh Happy (laundry) Day!

Saint Jean de Losne (still)

Today the sun was shining when we woke.  I can’t remember the last time that happened. It is not supposed to continue but at least there are signs the weather is breaking.

We grasped the opportunity to cast off and motor around to the quay on the river to the very convenient Laundromat (laverie).  We couldn’t do this the last week as the river was two steps higher. I don’t know if it is considered “green” to take a 12 Tonne boat with a 6 litre engine half a kilometer to do laundry – but anything for a change in scenery.

Of course we had to have coffee, croissants and jam basking in the sun before work could begin.  Four loads of washing, one in a dryer and the rest on the lines to dry in the warm sun.  A great day.  Even the dogs loved getting back on the water.

So the weather has changed, the river has dropped and the Canal du Centre has opened and things seem to be getting to where they should have been two or three weeks ago. Maybe we can even do some cruising.

Our friends, Stephen and Jeanne, are coming next Saturday and it wasn’t clear where we could meet or take them; now it looks like our original plan of a short jaunt up the Canal du Centre may work after all.  Our fingers are crossed.

So we got to experience the coldest May on record in France.  And tons of rain.  Goodie.

Plans in France don’t seem to work as well as other places but at least today was a happy day.

I saw the Sun!

Saint Jean de Losne

I think I saw the sun this morning – it’s been such a long time I can’t be sure.  It wasn’t there for long but for about 30 seconds there was some color and cheer in the world. Maybe it will happen again today.  After nearly three weeks of this we have to hope.

A week since our last post and we are still here in the marina, along with everyone else, hoping that the weather system, that is stuck somewhere in the North Sea, will get a move on to let us have some decent weather.  The rain stopped yesterday but it is looking dark to the west and it is cold.  The rivers are still running high and the canals are still blocked.  We considered going up the Canal de Bourgogne to Dijon for a change of scene but the thought of 21 locks in the cold and rain outweighed the lures of the big city.

Friends Jill and Frank gave up on the Canal du Centre, which is not to open now for another two weeks and returned last week with the idea of doing their loop the other way around, but they are still here for the aforementioned reasons. One boat went out for a test run the other day; they went up river for 45 minutes, turned around and were back in 10!  Others friends are stuck in the Arsenal after the winter in Paris and can’t even get out onto the Seine because it’s too high and fast. At least they’re in Paris.

The dogs are stir crazy – they sit in the boat looking at us pleadingly to take them out and when we do they look at us accusingly – “Why did you bring us out into this cold and wet"?

The people on other boats all feel the same and will happily talk with anyone about anything just to break up the day.

We expect the weather is better wherever you are –  if it is please send us some.

Brrrr…..Bah…. Humbug

Saint-Jean-de-Losne
Today the high temperature is 12C (53F) with a cold breeze and rain – not a bad day for January – but it’s May for Pete’s sake.  Yesterday wasn’t much better and the next few day don’t look great.  Just as well we didn’t plan much for May as there aren’t many places to go.

Our friends Jill and Frank in Détente set off for the Canal du Centre a couple of days ago hoping it would open in the 15th when the authorities said repairs to the collapsed bank would be completed (the top pound of the canal is empty).  Now it looks like the end of next week! With more rain today and forecast, who knows. Fortunately our first set of visitors don’t arrive until the start of June.
Meanwhile we spend our day cooped up on the boat with occasional excursions outside between showers. Some dress appropriately.

And others don’t.

The only reminder that this is indeed spring are all the blossoms and the wildflowers.  If we ever see the sun again it will be delightful once more.  But not right now………

Clearing and Cleaning

Saint-Jean-de-Losne

Today we have been back for a week and it is nice to be in our cozy little home again.  It appears that Armida had a good winter as the covers were still on, she wasn’t too dirty and everything seems intact.  The engine started right up but we haven’t left the dock yet. Blanquarts have installed the immersion heater so we now have electric hot water -  a big improvement.

California saw us off with hot weather and fires in the hills and we managed to bring some of that sunshine with us to France for a pleasant drive from the airport.  The only fog was in my head.  It was bittersweet driving over waterways from past cruises:  the Marne, the Seine, the Yonne and the Canal du Bourgogne, all if which looked very full.  Last year we worried about the lack of water; this years is the opposite.  The rivers are very high and there are closures on many canals due to too much water.  It does mean that everything is very green,… and yellow.

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Rosie and Lilou have settled back into the boating life easily having already adjusted to the time and the routines, particularly meal times as Lilou reminds me every day. Our efforts to improve the weather by importing sunshine from California seem to have been overcome by the recent arrival of lots of English who have brought their rain and cold. Because of this and the high water we are in no hurry to leave, so we are taking it easy, cleaning slowly, catching up with some friends, and thinking about our busy year of visitors and where we will go.   The grey days still let the sun out occasionally.

One More Time

Our bags are packed, we’re ready to go…well not quite, but we still have five days before we drive down to Ojai to stay with Tess and Tony before we fly out of LAX next Saturday.

This is probably our last season for a while as we get ready to put Armida up for sale and plan for all the visitors who have suddenly realized this is their last chance to visit us on the canals of France. Consequently we are not planning a long voyage, more likely a “greatest hits” of Burgundy, which we will decide on when we get there. It will be a shorter season as we are booked to return at the end of August to start working on our next adventure.  That has a lot to do with this little guy – Sean Spencer Wallace – born on January 18th in Sydney.

It’s a Wrap

Giverny

This year it feels like we stayed too long.  After we came out of the Canal du Centre at the end of September we went to Saint Jean de Losne to consider our options for selling. When, after considering, we decided to wait until next year, we felt like our season was over but we still had three weeks. And the weather was looking bad.  At that point we were ready to be home in our comfortable house with good showers and machines for washing things.

So we puttered around, caught up with some friends who soon left and went home, did more laundry did a short cruise up to Auxonne, did some more laundry, fashioned a cover for the boat for the winter, and finally packed up an left.  After a false start when one of us forgot the extra bag we had packed and had to return to the boat and then another false start when another of us left a purse in a restaurant we finally escaped the clutches of Saint Jean de Losne and said goodbye to Armida for the winter – stay warm, or at least don’t freeze too much.

The Statistics for this year are:

Engine hours:                   303

Kilometres Travelled:     1401

Number of Locks:             416

We are now reclining in a lovely B&B above Giverny where Monet’s gardens are and looking forward to flying home on Thursday.

Our plans next year are to do short cruises for about 3-4 months and then sell Armida.  So for those of you who have been thinking of coming to visit – this will be your last chance for a long, long time.

Oh, and if you know anyone who wants to buy a boat…….

Winding Down

We are now at the mooring where we will leave the boat for the winter.  It’s a large marina and we are surrounded by many of the boats we met or passed over the last three years.  Tonight we will meet up with  two couples, 1 NZ and 1 UK, who we know and are also getting things done for winter. 

We still have a couple of weeks before we fly out on October 25^th.  We’ve have decided we are returning for another three months before we put the boat up for sale.  Rob has some work to do on the teak deck so he will come over in April.  I will come the first of May.  May, June and July we’ll stay in the area doing lots of little trips rather than doing the distances we’ve done before.  Just take it easy.  Then we’ll leave it neat and tidy, turn it over to a broker and hope it sells for a good price.  It is in perfect shape, but is 27 years old.  The interior is also very desirable as we have a walk around bed (unusual for a boat), good storage and teak custom interior which they don’t do much anymore.

Today the weather is warm and gorgeous.  We had lunch on the back deck and it felt just like summer.  Two days ago it was raining and cool.  We never know what we will wake to.  The leaves have started to change which is always so pleasing to the eye.  We are looking forward to going home before it turns cold.

We met a man the other day who walked up to the boat to chat with Rob.  He saw the Australian flag.  He’d been on a friend’s boat for the last two weeks.  We asked him how he liked it.  He said, “Not much.  I’m not used to doing nothing”.  My first thought was, he just doesn’t get it.  It does take a certain kind of person to enjoy this.  Then when I sit down to write you, his words come back to me, for I have nothing to write about.  The scenery is pretty, the food is good we visit with people, we read and walk with the dogs.  We like it.