In the Valley of the Ouche

Pont d’Ouche

Up to Dijon the canal crosses the flat flood plain of the Saone.  OK there were 22 locks so it’s not that flat but it is dead straight.  Dijon sits at the foot of the hills of the  Cote d’Or and the canal wends its way into those hills  by following the valley of the pretty little river Ouche.

Leaving Dijon the weed was still there but  by following the path cut by Hotel Boats I kept clear of it.  The weed

issue was on the front page of the regional paper so at least it is noticed.

This valley is very  green and pretty so is very popular with the large and exclusive hotel barges.  There are more of them than cruisers like myself and there are hardly any rental boats. Being stuck behind a Hotel Boat is a painful process and meeting one coming the other way can be interesting.  As they seem to start their Journey on Mondays I decided to set off first thing Sunday morning to get a head start.  It was another hot day and the VNF lock keepers met me at the first lock at the appointed time - 9:00am for me, 9:15 for them.  The weed cleared after about 6 locks and we made very good time.  I did a total of 21 locks and even in 34C heat did not feel stressed.  All the locks from here  on are manually operated and when there was only one lock keeper i was able to get some upper body exercise by getting off and helping to open and close the lock gates.  Most of the time there were two and they were not at all concerned with my solo status. There were two Hotel Boats warming up at the little town of Fleury so I kept going. The stop that night was a lovely little lock keepers cottage that has been converted into a B&B restaurant and small mooring. So far I have kept all my paint but the strategically placed fenders have been doing good work and acquiring some extra dirt.  My chilled Pastisse was very much appreciated.

My first guests Caroline and Phil will be meeting me at the top of the canal on the other side of the tunnel on the 20th which gives me plenty of time to potter along this stretch at my leisure.  Accordingly the next day I only did one lock to the little town of Gissey, a favorite from out trip down this canal in 2011. The buildings of the old railway line are still there.  Interesting that the line has gone but the canal it was meant to replace is still here.  They take the knitting of trees to a whole new level here.

The next afternoon we moved a little further to the town of La Bussiere where it was Armida and two hotel boats.  When you look out your window and all you can see is Wine and Water you must be in France.

This boat is owned by Max, a Frenchman and his wife Bea unlike many of the others that are owned by corporations.  Max was born into the working barge life and went to the boarding (boring) schools set up specifically for the children on bargees. Their little dog Johnny and Lilou found some time to play together.

Many places along here are the backwater of the internet and at time only had minimal cell phone service – I think you needed to know Morse code.  The next day was the 4th of July so how do you celebrate in France?  Well a nice lunch at a Chateau of course. Well actually the restored Abbey La Bussiere that does a relatively reasonable and lovely lunch in the garden side restaurant.  Lilou was a big hit and was interviewed by a coupe making a popular Video Log of the region.  When we left I let her off to run around the beautiful grounds and she promptly turned around and ran back to the restaurant for more attention

Rain had been forecast starting on Monday but although the clouds circled and occasionally came close with some welcome breeze is had stayed in the 30s. Wednesday we moved along to the cozy little port of Pont d’Ouche (where they have internet) and the clouds started closing in.  A big black mass of cloud went by to our west and the thunder rumbled continuously for 2 1/2 hours but fortunately for Lilou we only got some rain and a couple of flashes of lightning. The next day was cool and rainy, nice excuse to hang about in our lovely cozy boat.

Here is another addition to my collection of weird watercraft of Europe.

On the way

Wednesday I stripped Armida down for single handed cruising and set off.

Turns out single handed going up is a breeze.  After I had my public shaming in the fist lock at Saint Jean de Losne where I tried stretching between distant bollards and ended up angled across the lock (no big deal anyway with the right fenders) I just tied up to the closest bollards in the next locks.  A couple of adjustments to take up the slack as she went up and that was it.  Now the thing about France in general and locks in particular: just when you think you have it figured out ……….

We cruised half way to Dijon and stopped by the side of the canal.

What was more of a problem was the weed.  No problems getting out of the weed infested marina, the problem was in the locks going up the canal where the weed that had been cut further up was swirling in the locks and finding its way into my cooling water intake where it was just the length and consistency to clog the inlet pipe before even getting to the filter.  After the fist day of having to use pliers to pry the weed out of the pipe about every lock I realized that the answer was to minimize running the engine in the locks. Here is our first days takings.

 

Out of the locks the weed returned to its rightful place, on the bottom or on the surface; only in the locks was it mixed up.  So the next day I cut the engine immediately in the lock and started it just before leaving and cruised slowly out.  That reduced my cleaning interval to about every 5 or 6 locks.  I am told that the weed abates one day travel north from here in Dijon.  Phew!

Dijon is a beautiful city and just keeps getting better, except the port where no one can agree who is in charge so nothing gets done.  The weed is bad here too, there is not water and electricity except for the hotel boats and the dilapidated pontoons that are full of permanent, down at heel craft.  The one quay over this side is shaded and lovely with people sitting on the benches all day.  The kiosks they put in four years ago for water and electricity don’t work. Oh well.  It is still a lovely spot.

And someone gets their kicks by coming by late at night and casting boats off.  It has happened to two boats since I have been here.  Not a big deal as there is no where to go.  One woke up after a quiet nights sleep to have gone about 10m into a patch of weed.  Another was awakened at a reasonable hour by their new neighbor they had  drifted down next to. Tonight is Saturday just after the French have beaten Argentina in the world cup so we’ll see where I wake up tomorrow.

As there are no services here, rain is forecast for next week and I am more confident in my locking capabilities I will set off tomorrow into the Ouche valley heading for the summit of the canal.

Unthreading the Needle

Saint Jean de Losne


Lilou and I arrived in France safely, made the connection to the train from the Gare de Lyon to Dijon with no problem and arrived nicely rested, until I discovered the rental car office was closed.  It was Sunday and I realized that in the to and fro booking the flight and trying to avoid the French train strikes I had neglected to rent a car online which would have reminded me that the rental car offices were closed on Sundays.  No problem, I got a hotel and had a restful afternoon in Dijon, booked a car for Monday morning and arrived rested and fresh at the boatyard. A couple of days getting the covers off, the water on, some touch ups below and around the water line and we were in the water.
That is after they managed to extract Armida from her very tight berth.  Guy, the expert crane operator and expert in general lifted in a boat before us and left the apprentice to maneuver the dolly under the boat.  After about 40 minutes and a 50+ point turn Guy finally rescued the hapless operator, unhooked the dolly and lined it up manually.  And then we were out –  and in!
 
A day of getting the engine going (10 seconds, she started right up) the toilet tested and other systems organized and we motored down one lock and into the marina.
Which was full of weed and not the now legal (some places) kind. This year has been very bad and they have not figured out how to deal with it.  Some people think it is an invasive species that came in a boat’s water filter, others think it is climate change, it may well be both.  Apparently there is a herbicide that will kill it and is safe but is GMO so the French won’t use it.  Dredging the port below 2m would eliminate it but because of the old industry here the bottom is contaminated so the dredgings need to be carted away.  In the mean time we wait.  At least it doesn’t smell like it did last year.  But many people have problems with toilet inlets getting clogged, engines cooling and bow thrusters blocked and other issues. I snuck into a mooring where a  boat just left, taking the weed with him.  But soon  I will have to leave too.

So far no surprises and I have been proceeding with the normal boat projects and catching up with the boating community.  Lilou has been coping well without Rosie and getting her unfair share of attention.  She had her photo taken three times in Dijon – me? 0! She is catching up on the French news by getting her aromatic messages left by he French dogs which makes walks very slow with all the stops.  There are the usual rounds of drinks of the boats – “Will you bring the dog?” It’s a good thing she is here. 
Sunday was the annual Pardon of the Mariners ceremony on the Quay at Saint Jean de Losne.  It is the center of the French waterways so the ceremony was attended by mucky-mucks from the local government as well as a Senator and the Director of the VNF, the agency in charge of all the inland waterways.  The “ceremony” was in fact a full Catholic Mass and as I didn’t understand it and all the Hymns were sung by a musical group in a French folksy style it was a little like attending a musical show in a foreign language – on the river.  Overall quite entertaining.  At the end the Bishop went up and down the river blessing the boats.  So us mariners were both blessed and pardoned, not a bad deal.  Afterward there were rowing races, a boat parade, music and beer. And, of course, fireworks.
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In order not to offend the canal gods I will obey the 2 week rule and aim to leave Tuesday or Wednesday heading up the Canal de Bourgogne to Dijon.  I had originally thought to go up the Saone and into the Canal de Vosges but further investigation showed that access for my guests would be very hard.  So I have decided to revisit the Burgundy Canal that we loved in 2011.  There are 21 locks uphill to Dijon and this will tell me how well I can manage solo and help me plan where to meet my visitors/crew later in the trip. Wish me luck.  What could go wrong?

Solo Summer Cruising–with Friends

We had a wonderful southern Summer in Sydney this year and a grand time with the Grandchildren but Terry decided that she needed a break from three continents every year.  So she is going to nest at home in San Luis Obispo this summer while Lilou and I adventure on the canals on Armida.

To help me out I have invited/cajoled/convinced several friends to join us for a week at a time.  I have not really cruised solo before so extra hands in the locks (particularly going up) will be helpful.

My first thought was to head up the Petite Saone and the Canal des Vosges which we have not completed before but further investigation showed that access by train for my helpers would be very hard.  Now I am thinking of revisiting the Burgundy Canal which we enjoyed so much in 2011 and its 198 Locks will give my helpers plenty to do.

Of course  all plans are subject or destined to change and a survey of local conditions and opinions when I arrive in Mid June will help decide.  I will let you know then.

Ending up High and Dry

San Luis Obispo.

We reviewed our options in Dole and decided we did not have enough time left to go anywhere interesting in the boat so we headed back to Saint Jean de Losne, stopped at the quay to do all our laundry and ended up in the marina in Blanquarts to begin the end of season chores.

Engine Hours:                55
Kilometres Travelled:   272
Number of Locks:           85
Of course, the minute we stopped cruising the crisp, sunny Autumn weather we had hoped for returned at full force.  Not much to do in Saint Jean except visiting other boats and watching French fishing techniques.
We got the boat chores done, Armida lifted out and placed next to Il Largo who we first moored next to in 2011. With a few extra days we rented a car and took a few days to get to Paris.

Here are a few pictures, starting with the Valley of Baume les Messieurs.

The surprising town of Troyes were the center has more half-timbered houses than anywhere in France.

The spread of farmland near the Marne valley.

No more travelling for Armida this year.  More next year.

Beyond Besancon and Back

Dole.

Whoever flipped the switch last time to end summer only left it there for a few days before pushing hard over towards winter. I finished my bottle of Ricard which was the perfect 5 o’clock aperitif for the summer just after it got cooler.  No need to replace it.

We had a few nice days into Besancon and up the river beyond where the cliffs got steeper, the hills got greener and villages started looking more Swiss/German.  Besancon is still impressive with the massive Citadel dominating the town.  It has continued to improve over our visits and is now very clean and well organized – even the graffiti.

We cruised up as far as Baume les Dames, named because of the Abbey. There is a Baume les Messieurs for the men's abbey but it is 100km away, just to be safe.  This is where the weather turned and we decided there was not enough of interest with poor weather and the limited time we had so we turned around and headed back.  We came out of one lock to find a yacht stuck in the middle of the river. We did the good deed and helped pull them off.  Two days later we helped a cruiser stuck above the weir in Besancon.  Paying it forward we hope.

Back in Besancon we met up with friends, Martin and Wilma from Sydney who had come from Granada where they are spending a year.  We had lovely afternoon cruising down to the weir when the weather cooperated and a day more to Dole when it didn’t.  We think they had a good time as the weather was a lot cooler than Granada.

In case you forgot, we are in France.

Now we are in Dole, Martin and Wilma have gone and the weather is supposed to improve.  Only a couple of weeks left.

A French Shrug.

Armida uses propane for cooking and heating and we keep a spare tank on the swim platform. The main one ran out about 10 days into the season and because it is a short season I decided not to replace it.  A couple of days ago the pressure looked a little low and the bottle felt light so it seemed prudent to get a new one as running out of gas away from a marina in the cold weather would not have been fun.

Yesterday we walked the 1km to the Geant Casino supermarket for groceries and I checked the gas bottle stand by the fuel pumps and noted that the lady who collected payment from the non-automatic pumps sold the gas bottles.  So today I loaded the empty bottle on the trolley and trekked over there before the forecasted rain arrives. The little booth was closed up tight even though the sign said opening hours were from 9:00 and it was 9:40.  Into the supermarket services office where I was politely informed the Gas was “closed  Tuesdays”!.  But of course, who would buy Gas on a Tuesday?  Now i have today’s exercise done and tomorrow’s organized.

The Switch is Flipped

By the weir at Torpes.
Last year, in Lyon, the switch that turned on summer was flipped at 11:30 on June 21st.  Before then was a very wet spring and afterwards was a very hot summer.  This year it appears the switch for Autumn was flipped at 3:45 on Sept 1st and this years very hot summer was turned off..  In Dole, the heavens opened and wind blew for enough time to get me completely soaked on the way back to the boat. Now the very hot days are gone (to California it seems) and lovely mild days and cool nights seem  to have settled in, hopefully for a while.
Which makes it perfect weather for taking our time and cruising slowly up the Canal du Rhon au Rhin, even though we have cruised this route more than any other. It doesn’t have the history and charming villages of some other canals but its gentle meandering along the valley of the Doubs (pron. doo) in and out of the river is lovely.  We are now at the weir near Torpes which is one of our favorite spots, spending the day watching the birds feeding (looks like the French lunch time now – no-one there) and the fish surfing the current.  A walk is planned later. Tomorrow we will potter up to Besancon and decide what is next.
Here are a few photos and stories from the last week.

You have probably seen those “trompe  l’oeil” murals on blank building sides in Europe that, at first glance look like. inhabited buildings. There were  many fine examples in Lyon last year.  This one is being done in Dole.  it is no small exercise.

Meanwhile, across the canal from the mooring they were setting up for a weekend car rally with classics from the 60’s and 70’s including my youthfull folly, a 1970’s Alfa 1750 GTV. They set off one by one at about 9am  the the lot was reserved for the weekend so there must have been many activities planned

That Saturday we motored to a lovely mooring below the cliffs at Rochefort sur Nenon where, during a sunny spell, a wedding party showed up with horns blaring and lights flashing as they do in France. It was the photo shoot and everyone had their photo taken while champagne was sipped.  Towards the end the photographer and bride and groom approached and asked us if they could pose in front on the boat. “No problem, would you like to come on board”.  A Titanic moment followed

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The next night we stopped in Ranchot where, on the Monday morning, both the bakeries in the town were closed.  This must be a crime of negligence in this country and may have explained why people seemed so unfriendly that day.  We left quickly and stopped at Dampier, the next village, for an emergency bakery run.  On the way I chanced upon Elizabeth who we had chatted with in Dole three days earlier and was visiting her brother.  After we chatted, I completed my mission and got back the boat to find her and her brother Lucien asking if they could ride a little way on the boat.  “Pas de problem”.  A little local color – they were both born and raised in the village and he was the local priest, now retired.  He once walked, with a donkey, all the way to Bethlehem.  I asked how he got back?.  “By plane”.  No word of the donkey.  Lovely people and they enjoyed their ride.

Bugnados!  Those columns are bugs swirling above certain bushes.

We still love it at the weir.