( ... While we were debating the mooring situation a
gentleman approached and with a combination of English, French and
sign language we ended up breasting along side his peniche" Liberte".
)
As we continue ... The next morning Luther and I walked to
the Gare and picked up our hirecar for our trip to Mulhouse and
Besancon. We were down graded to an Opel :-{ ! Judy and Candy were
going to Besancon while we drove to Mulhouse to visit the Schlumpf
collection of vintage cars.
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/France/Alsace/Mulhouse
A most interesting collection of Bugatti's and other beautiful cars.
The weather was off and on cloud and rain in the morning but turned
bright and sunny when we emerged in the early afternoon. Drove back
to Besancon to get the girls and then back to Dijon and out to
dinner. Since we had to return the Opel in the morning, after eating
and doing a complete 360 around the underground garage to find the
pay machine, we began a 20 minute search for a gas station. Found one
on the edge of the city, put 48 Euros of gold in the tank and
returned to Dorney.
The next day (Sat.) was market day Soooo guess what we did in
the morning. After the market we returned to Dorney and the captain
decided that we really did need to find some water. If you ever go
to Dijon by boat and need water just walk over to the lock, face the
top gate with the Captaintinaire's office behind you and then look to
the right. In the Petanque pitch and under the wooden box are two
water spigots. Don't bother to ask the New Zealander on the big ugly
boat that looks like a trailer(caravan), her husband looks after
those kinds of things. After taking on water we again walked into the
city center and followed the OWL walk. Do it if you have the time
especially on market day. Great people watching and very historical.
While having wine( Luther ) beer (me) ice tea (Judy and Candy) Judy
spotted the odd shopping bag full of groceries and so she and
daughter were off to find our picnic dinner food. Luther and I sat
and watched a display of foreign cars go by just feet away from our
feet. Great fun because we did not see any models that are sold in
the good old us of a. ;-{ .
Back to the boat, sun umbrella up on the deck, table out, chairs out
and the meal began with wine, cheese, pate, foie gras, bread (french
of course), water and a beautiful evening. The next morning as Luther
and I walked off the boat to get our baguette we found the line from
the peniche next to the land had been unwrapped during the night by
the over zealous drinkers that kept Luther awake half the night ;-}.
The bows of the three boats were about fifteen feet into the basin.
It's very surprising how 350 pounds leaning backwards while holding
on to a line can move over 300,000 pounds of steel as long as it is
floating on the water. After securing the boats and getting our bread
and eating breakfast we said good bye to "Liberte" and began on
journey up the Canal de Bourgogne.
After 3 locks and 2 km you leave the city behind and enter a
stretch of canal that runs along lac Kir. This is a joggers, bikers,
horse riders paradise for there are trails for each. Then comes the
countryside. For the next 6 locks and 7 km there are no villages or
homes, just trees, grass, off and on rain, lighting, thunder (only
between locks thank you very much). Climbing up from the river Saone
the Bourgogne Vally is not wine vineyards but cereal grain fields.
Not a grape vine in sight. Lunch from 12 to 1 and then four more
locks and 5 km to the village of Fleurey sur Ouche for the night.
The next morning it's time for walkies so off we go to find a
chateau that Judy has seen a sign for ... 3 km that way. After 1.5 km
up and 1.5 km down we find the village and the chateau which is only
open on the fifth monday of the thirteenth month of every leap year
for 2 minutes, reservations only !!! O.K. we need bread anyway and
this is the only village with bread for 5 km in any direction so I
carry two baguettes tucked into the backpack and home we go. Just
before lunch a hotel boat came by. This is only the second boat we
have seen on the move for two days. Leaving at 12:30 we continue up
the valley. The canal is slowly being closed in by the hills and is
quite dramatic even in the rain. We moored that night in La Bussiere
sur Ouche where we are told by the lock keeper there is an Abbey
which serves a wonderful and dinner. Off to the Abbey... wait for it
... ... It's closed on Mondays , Tuesdays, etc. etc. etc. Week
ends only by reservation of groups over one million bah, bah, bah.
O.K. walk throught the village (10th C.), back to Dorney. dinner and
bed.
We have now done an additional
27 locks
32 km
Sub total = 152 KM and 62 locks and 6 days of boating and
+/- 330 litres of bilge water
Stan and Judy
P.S The fresh water leak from the aft toilet is still there if I
failed to mention that fact in my previous postings.
--
Judy & Stan Voets, POB 103, San Geronimo, CA 94963
Tel: 415.488.0985
You may never know what results come from your action,
But if you do nothing, there will be no results - Gandhi
