Four Canals Completed and Back on the Scary Seine (Or, The Rain Outside of Spain Falls Mainly on the Seine – or so it would appear today………..)

The summer weather called for the first Barbeque of the year at Montbouy

I’ve opened with a summery pic as it looks nothing like that today.  We’re moored on the River Seine at Valvins, having decided to stay put as we can hardly see the opposite bank for the rain and we’ve lit the stove!!  But before summer reverted back to winter, here’s what's happened……..

We’d told the lock-keeper at Montbouy that we would be staying two nights there and wouldn’t go through the next lock until Monday morning at 11am, so the next morning, Sunday, we got up, put the bikes together and headed off down the towpath for a couple of kilometres to the remains of a Roman Amphitheatre.  They’re fenced off as they’re on private land, but were discovered when the canal was being dug out.  It seated 3/4000 and you can still see the little doorway to where the animals were kept before being sent out to fight.  It was really quite impressive, just sat there at the side of the road and it would’ve been nice to get a bit closer.

The little doorway leads to the room the animals were kept in, so gives an idea of the scale.

Back at the boat we decided to shuffle on a bit with a couple of mooring options before the next lock.  We weren’t that enamoured with the mooring at Montcresson but pulled in for lunch and a walk around the town, which housed the smallest post office we’ve seen.

Is this the smallest post office in France?

The roof of the old Lavoir next to the canal at Montcresson

Just before the next lock, which was the first in a chain of four, we pulled onto a rural mooring, only spotting the overgrown bollards due to the picnic table that was visible and in the DBA description.  As we tied up the lock keeper appeared at the lock and walked down the towpath towards us.  He asked if we spoke English……….  We explained we were staying here tonight and had booked to go down tomorrow at 11am, but would probably be ready at 9.30am as we were closer, so he said he’d let his colleague know our change of plans.  We then set off for a walk down the short flight and to see if there was anything left of the old route which used to run alongside.

Back at the boat we settled down for the evening, after dinner on the front deck, and it was one of our most peaceful moorings.  The amount of bird song going on was incredible and actually continued long after the sun went down as the Nightingales made their presence known – beautiful.  I had read a few days before a ‘Tweet’ from Quaintrelle’s sister ‘Baleine’ saying spring must be on its way as she’d heard a cuckoo.  I remember the first time in my life I heard a cuckoo for real.  It was in 2009 in Slovenia on a biking holiday and I remember thinking how they actually sound exactly like the clocks!  Over the last week or so here in France, we’ve been hearing cuckoos all day/every day, so we’re a bit blasé about them now…..

The next day we headed off down the flight which was a chain of four and means you’re set off by a lock-keeper at the first, but thereafter the sensors at the entrances and exits of the locks put the next lock in motion for you coming.

We soon arrived at Montargis, known as the Venice of France as the town has lots of waterways running through it and the Tourist Office provides a Tour of the Town Bridges which we followed.  It’s a really nice town with lots of shops as well and a Leader Price supermarket, which is not our favourite, but provides the supplies.

Much hilarity at the name of this lock, "Lock of Suffers Pain" - which we didn't!

Hotel barge passing at Montargis

Montargis, the Venice of France

A lady from the local Mairie’s office came round in the evening to collect our mooring fees and we hooked up to the electric and filled with water.  After getting so low on water earlier on in the month, we now fill up whenever we get the chance, even if we’ve filled up the previous day – and of course, if we’re paying for it, we might as well use it!

Leaving Montargis the next morning we were met at the manned lock and handed a remote control – woooohooooo – end of the nanny state for a while.  The lock-keeper put us through that and the next lock and we were off.

At Montargis they have tried to retain and combine the old city walls and buildings with the new ones.

At the next lock the lights were out, meaning the lock is out of use…… I pressed the magic button on the remote, but nothing, and there was a lot of activity going on around the lock.  With the binoculars, I could see that there were guys in high-vis vests clearing around the lock, picking up rubbish, the weed/wood fished out from behind the gates, but there was also two men working on the downstream gates.  We hovered and eventually one of them headed back towards us and we established there was a problem with the lock but the lock-keeper was on his way.

It turned out that they are in the process of making this lock fully automatic.  It’s semi-automatique at the moment which means that the mechanism is automated, but it needs the eclusier there to push the buttons on his remote control.  He was a really nice guy the eclusier and chatted away as we locked down.  The next lock was also semi-automated, but he would operate that remotely for us, watching for us on the security cameras.  This was the last lock on the Canal du Briare and as we left it and passed a trip boat, we moved onto the Canal du Loing – our fourth canal of the season!

Welcome to the Canal du Loing

This bar is owned by a Scot, but it was closed, so no chance for a chinwag.

What has become our favourite mooring at Chateau-Landon

Another easy lock - as long as you wait for the lights!  We learned that earlier in the day when being blown about by wind, Mike misread the red+green light for green and went in before the gates were fully open.  The lock seized and we had to call VNF to come release it and move us on our way.  When the eclusier arrived he asked what had happened and I had to admit our mistake and apologised.  He accepted the apology with a grunt, gallic shrug and a slight raising of his top right lip.

The Loing is not very long at 49kms and we were still keenly watching the notifications coming in for the stoppage at the end of it.  The water levels seemed to be coming up and the status was now amber so they seemed to be letting some craft through if you had a shallow enough draft.

Our target for the evening was a rural mooring at Chateau-Landon and as we pulled up in the sunshine in the middle of bird-filled woods, despite the DBA rating of adequate, we felt we’d struck gold.  There was no one around apart from a few cyclists and walkers and no sound of traffic or anything, it was just gorgeous and we realised that the DBA rating isn’t necessarily the same as our rating of places.  (This was confirmed when at Nemours later the same week; rated as ‘good’ – because it had power and water – but we thought it wasn’t very nice at all, next to a carpark and a building supplies yard!).

Mike had a conference call for work to make so I busied myself with some chores and then decided as it was a nice evening to try a short run.  I did 1.09 miles, once round the port at Roanne!  And then did some leg raises in a desperate attempt to get some muscle tone back.  As I came out of my post-run shower, Mike had finally finished his phone call and was trying to make conversation with two little French girls who had arrived with their grandparents at one of the picnic tables for a picnic tea.  The little girls were very curious about the boat, so I asked if they’d like to see the inside.  They didn’t understand my French, so their grandmother, Corinne, came over and translated for them.  Well, having shown India (7 yrs) and Tia (5 Yrs), around, it was only polite to invite Grandma Corinne in for a look too.  She was so amazed by it all she asked if she could ask Grandpa, Pierre, to come on board too.  So we ended up having four French visitors on board for about an hour, telling them all about our travels and living on the boat.  They were absolutely delightful and despite not speaking any English, we managed to have a great chat with them and a bit of a laugh too when we got things wrong. 

The next morning we reluctantly moved off from our little haven of peace and joy knowing that having been spoiled no other mooring would ever compare.

Bagneaux was our next stop and it certainly didn’t compare.  We were moored next to a disused glass factory!  It was very quiet and the towpath clean and clear but the town seemed to exist only for the current glass factory, Corning and had a real feeling of being purpose built almost.  It was quite odd.  We found a post office to post a letter off and got a couple of the last remaining cakes of the day from the local bakers, but it was a very average stop-over really and we were happy to get underway to Nemours the next morning.

As I mentioned earlier, the port at Nemours wasn’t that attractive, but it had power, water, rubbish and recycling and was free.  The town of Nemours is nice though, and well supplied with shops and bakers.  We purchased our cakes for the next couple of days and some quiches from Maison LeBeau and the cakes were the nearest we’ve come to as those from our beloved Maison Roye in Auxerre.  The lady was really nice and said she was disappointed I spoke French as she likes a chance to practice her English.  I needed no further encouragement to revert to English and we had a nice chat with her – her English was really excellent.  It was nice to speak to someone French in English as my French is limited so can’t have a really good conversation, and I’d have loved to spend some time with her and ask her what she thinks of France, Macron, the strikes and all the other things I’m curious about the French to know, but don’t have the language to ask.

The next day our first lock took us for a brief soujourn on the River Loing as the canal and river merged for a short while.

The pretty chateau at Nemours

Looking back up the river at Nemours

Leaving the lock on to the River

2 kilometres later and we were back on canal again as the river went off on its own course and we followed the canal down to Moret-sur-Loing, our last stop before the Seine.  For the first time since we left Roanne we couldn’t get moored.  Mike had researched a free mooring just above the last lock, which we were keen to get on in case we had to wait extra days for the stoppage on the Seine to come off.  However, as we crawled past lines of moored boats it became clear that the little quay was full, as was the lock-landing with a liveaboard moored on it!!  We reversed back and pulled into the off-side and put pins in.  Not a disaster but the side was a fairly steep slope which made getting off and on tricky.  We then walked into the town and what a pretty town it is with the river making its way through as well.

The Samois Gate and at the far end the Bourgogne Gate

First ice cream of the season - yummmmm!!!!!

At the tourist information Mike asked how far we were from Fontainbleau as we were keen to visit the Chateau whilst in close-ish proximity.  It was a seven-minute train ride away and the trains ran fairly regularly.  It was a bit of a walk to the station but that didn’t bother of us, however, suddenly the girl’s face fell as she remember that the next day, Saturday, and Sunday were national strike days so she wasn’t sure if the trains would be running.  At around 12kms away, it was too far for us to cycle, especially as we had no idea of the terrain; if it was hilly, on main roads or side roads etc, so we decided that we would just stay the one night here after all and head somewhere closer to Fontainbleau the next morning. 

That meant and early start on Saturday and I was kicked out of bed and we were underway just before 9am and just beating another boat to the lock.  We handed back our remote control and were dropped down onto the River Loing.  It was a nice morning but much chillier than it has been of late, so as Mike steered us out towards the Seine, I got coffee and bacon and egg rolls underway in the kitchen.

An early start out onto the River Loing

And onto the Seine

They operated this huge lock just for little us!

Choppy waters as we leave the lock

The Seine was quiet and easy and we dropped down the first lock, which had had the stoppage on it, with no problem.  However, as we left the lock, we were buffeted about on unusual currents from the weir which still has one half-valve not working and is letting more water through than normal.  With the bit of extra water we reached our mooring at Valvins sooner than we thought and were glad to get onto the pontoon mooring and safe water.  Safe but quite fast flowing to the point that we are stuck on the pontoon at the moment like glue and it’s going to be interesting trying to spring off when we come to leave.  We caught the Capitain as he was coming and going and he said we were welcome to stay but at the moment there was no water or electricity.  We said that was fine and paid his suggested fee of 10 euros (I think it’s normally about 25 euros with water and power).  We asked about cycling the 4.5kms from here to Fontainbleau and he sucked air and said it was a bit of a hill, so Mike looked up the elevation and there was a 39 meter difference, which we reckoned would be fine.

It was the longest 4.5kms I’ve ever cycled………  I took it easy as it was a long slow hill for about half the way there and was fairly tired when we arrived.  But we’d picked a good weekend to come as there were enactments on for the bank holiday weekend and although busy, it wasn’t unbearably so.

Which one's Napoleon?

Soldiers marching off to war.

Marie Antoinette's  boudoir - pretty.

The throne room.

Napoleon's bed.

The very table where Napoleon signed his abdication

The town of Fountainbleau itself if really nice, like a really mini version of Paris really and had a nice feel to it too.  Once we’d satisfied ourselves that we’d thoroughly explored the palace and gardens, we set off for home, stopping off for a bank and then Mike managed to get himself a new watch strap in one of the jewellers.  On the outskirts of town, I started hearing a slightly flumpy sound from the bike – yes, puncture, and I shouted to Mike to stop.  Having tried and failed instant repairs over the years, we now carry a supply of spare inner tubes with us and just replace them if one goes, and we did so now fairly quickly, as it was on the front, easier wheel.  However, as I set off I could feel the tyre bumping and called to Mike again, so he went behind me and we continued on.  As we pulled into the train station to pick up some tickets for next month, there was a bang and a hiss and my tire went flat as the inner tube exploded – it must have been caught on the rim.

Fortunately Mike had another (last) spare tube and we switched it over, printed the rail tickets and headed off again.  We got home with no further excitement and enjoyed coming downhill for the last couple of kilometres.  Back at the port another boat had arrived on the visitor pontoon but no one was aboard so we got settled down for the night, had our tea, some wine and then watched some tv.  The forecast for Sunday was for rain all day, so we decided we’d probably not bother moving and here we still are.  Our neighbours are back on board but we’ve not spoken to them as our hatches are shut against the heavy rain.  We’re hoping to move tomorrow, Monday 30^th, as 1 May is a big holiday in France and the locks are all closed for the day on this stretch of the river.  We also now have another stoppage further on as there is a problem with the gate on Lock 4 Vives Eaux………….

Looking forward to getting back on the Marne……

Paris to Germigny-l’Eveque - The Calm of the Marne and the Lost Socket Set :(

The Marne masquerading as The Thames

Our Guide Fluvial for the Marne (the French Nicholson’s) had advised that we should give three hours’ notice of arrival at the first lock taking us from the Seine to the Marne.  As it’s an automatic lock and operated by a full-time eclusier we didn’t see why we had to and decided just to arrive at the lock and radio ahead as we approached.  The guide said VHF 20 was the channel we should use, so as we drew closer I called the lock.  Silence.  We weren’t worried though as the little cruiser that had overtaken us at great speed leaving us rolling in its wake was waiting – they must have been waiting a while – shame…..  There was no response on the radio so with the lock light turning green having brought another boat down, we headed in with the little cruiser and roped on.  It was another awkward lock with climbing bollards rather than rising, so we would have to manually move the front rope up as we rose from one bollard to the next.  As we were in gear and pushing against the front rope to keep into the side, this meant going into neutral for a moment to loosen the rope to get it off one bollard and onto the next, then quickly getting back in gear before the wash of the lock pushes us too much.  Thankfully the lock was gentle and we rose up easily with no trauma.  At the second lock, which wasn’t much further on, we realised why we’d had radio silence.  The book said VHF 20, but the signs at the lock said VHF 22……..  between locks for ship to ship coms was VHF 69.  Having successfully navigated up two locks without using the radio, we decided that we probably didn’t really need to as they would see us coming, but it’s useful to know if you have to wait for another boat coming down and stuff.  There was still a bit of commercial traffic on this section of the Marne, but as we came out of the second lock, we found ourselves magically transported to Henley on Thames – or at least, that’s what it looked and felt like!

Leaving the second lock on the Marne and all is quiet....

Sharing the river

Rowers and paddle boarders galore!

We continued on through another couple of locks and a tunnel, without using the radio except to listen, and moored up for the evening at Neuilly sur Marne where, with it being Sunday, the French were out in full force along the riverside and there seemed to be a great hullaballoo going on through the trees.  After mooring up, we went for a quick explore and found that Neuilly Plage was on, on the other side of the island we were moored on, and it was heaving.  Like in Paris, a ‘beach’ had been set up with sand, deckchairs, petanque, ice cream, inflatable swimming pool and the French were loving it.  We headed off for a quieter stroll through the park on the island.  There were a couple of groups of men remaining when we returned and they stayed late into the night drinking and talking, and whilst I (the light sleeper) nodded off easily, Mike ‘sleeps like a log through anything’ Queenan was kept awake by their chat. 

Nice little mooring at Neuilly sur Marne

The next day we pushed off late morning with our target being Lagny sur Marne, where we would spend a couple of nights as we had some time to kill.  We arrived at lunchtime and squeezed into a space on the pontoon and after some lunch and trying to stay cool on the boat, headed out into the late afternoon sun, which was still hot, and had a look around the town and did some shopping at the local Monoprix.  I was really keen to go for a run but it was really, really hot and muggy, so we lazed around some more, had some dinner and then got the Ninebot out to play for a while.  As we packed it away, just after 9pm, I decided it was cool enough to go for a 20 minute trot, so headed off up the riverbank.

 

Nice mooring at Lagny sur Marne

Always happy to see a Super Furry!

The next day we had a lie in, late breakfast and then caught up on chores.  There’s always something to be done on the boat and the shower pump had been playing up a bit so I decided to give it a thorough clean out – it was disgusting!  Mike was keen to touch up some of the paintwork, but it was too hot so he decided he's have to leave it til later in the day.  We went for a walk over the other side of the river to Thorigny sur Marne to see if the Fanprix supermarket there would have some of our missing items but we were out of luck.  It appears we’re in a section of France where they don’t drink Syrop de Pamplemousse Rose……  In the evening we went for a stroll along the river to look at some of the posh houses which prompted a discussion on what we are looking for in a house in France.  We have started the search in earnest as it’s been mooted that anyone who lives in France before Brexit in March 2019, will likely have certain rights reserved for health care and pension for example, so I have been scouring the Gironde for a suitable property and we have some lined up to view hopefully later this month.

Wednesday was just a short hop to the town of Meaux, where we have been before via the Canal de l’Ourcq and it was a pleasant cruise with a couple of locks and a tunnel.  The commercial traffic was few and far between now but we did pass one barge getting filled with grain.

Another well-lit, wide, straight French tunnel

A long straight cutting to Meaux

Grain barge getting filled up

This motorway bridge looked really familiar - we had passed under it on the Ourcq, as it spans the whole valley.

 We had contacted the Port de Plaisance at Meaux a while back to book a space for a week as we were heading back to the UK for the Deer Shed Festival, but it’s a strange arrangement there.  The port is managed by the Tourist Office and whilst they were happy to say yes that’s fine to come for the week, they were unable to actually reserve a space for us, so we were relieved to pull in and see there was plenty of space.  Our relief was shortlived however as we tried to hook up and found the electricity points weren’t working on our pontoon.  Another pontoon had the power and water point all wrapped up and not working so boats from there had hooked onto the one working power point meaning there was no space for our plug, but our two cables joined together wouldn’t have reached anyway……  We headed up to the tourist office to ask them about it and the very nice but slightly ditsy girls didn’t remember us, were very sorry that the power wasn’t working but it had been reported to ‘Services’ a few days back but they had no idea when it would be fixed.  We really needed to hook up while we were away in case the weather was bad and our solar didn’t have enough juice for the batteries, so we were relieved (again!) when one of the girls advised that one of the boats on pontoon 4 (which had working power and water) was leaving in the morning and we could take their spot.  We asked when we should pay and they said someone would come round and collect the fees, or we could come to the office and pay at the end of our stay – they didn’t seem that bothered about it to be honest, but the next day we did have a little slip on the boat saying how much we should pay, 4 euros 50, but only if you use electric or water, which we didn’t the first day, so it was free.  That sorted we picked up a few bits and pieces at the supermarket, then headed to the station to see if we could catch a taxi to the cheese museum, that the lovely lock keeper at Varreddes had told us about.  There were no taxis so we took the opportunity to check the bus to Charles de Gaulle airport for the next day and headed back to the boat.  There were buses to the cheese museum but it was too late by now, so it would have to wait. 

The next day, Thursday 20^th, we had a lovely lunch at L’Authentique restaurant for a second time then caught the bus to Charles de Gaulle airport, which was a revelation in that it’s an hourly service, takes 40 minutes direct and cost 2 euros!!  Bargain.  So, any boaters collecting friends and family from Charles de Gaulle airport – Meaux is a great place to do it from!

A smooth flight and car collect from Edinburgh Airport and we were eating curry at my mum’s by 8pm, also meeting her guest, Tania, from Belarus.  Tania is chaperon to six Belarusan children who were brought to Dalgety Bay for a month via the charity Chernobyl Children Lifeline.  My mum and dad got involved in this charity after dad retired in 1996, with dad taking the role of chairman for a few years for the local branch of the charity.  The charity was started after the Chernobyl disaster and would bring children to the UK to stay with families here for a month and they would get eye tests, dental checks, new shoes and clothes.  A month in our clean air eating uncontaminated food could extend their lifespan by four or five years.  The children were tiny little scraps, it was quite heartbreaking, but the work done by the charity was amazing and you could see the improvement in the kids in the few short weeks.  Mum’s role has always been ‘The Shop’, for which she collects and sorts new and good quality second hand clothes, jewellery, shoes and the children’s first stop when they arrive is to go ‘shopping’ down at the church hall.  Mum also hosts the leader for two weeks of the month, so hence Tania was with her.  Sadly they are the last chapter of the charity in Fife and I believe the Edinburgh one is now closed as well, and it looks like the Fife chapter will not last much longer.  The problem is getting families to host the children for two weeks or a month.  It’s a huge commitment and quite hard work and sadly not many people are volunteering.  Mum’s lot only had 6 children this year as that was all the families they could get to take children – they used to get 12-14.

It was a flying visit to my mum’s and on Friday we packed the camping gear and set of for the Deer Shed Festival in Yorkshire.

Relaxing with a wine before the evening's entertainment

A typically British-Summertime-Sky

Yes!  The reason we're here - The Fannies!!  Saw them at their first festival of this tour and now at the last.

Mike moshed-down to Arab Strap but they were too loud for me.....

...so I went off an had some chocolate orange brownie and ice cream instead :)

What had been grass turned to mud - with friends Stewart and Debbie

Sunday Headliners: The Divine Comedy, and they were divine.

I don’t think we’re cut out for camping.  The ten minute wait in a queue to go for a wee in the morning after I got up was unbearable, never mind the mud, cold and rain………  The music was fab though, really excellent line-up.

A night of drunkenness with Dave and Melissa at Pocklington where we were joined by Mike’s first love Fran, and his long-suffering wife Sally, followed and then on Monday it was back in the car and up to Fife, via Whitby where we called in on Mike’s Uncle Ron.  It was miserable, cold and wet when we set off but as we headed further north and into Scotland, the skies were blue and the temperature had soared from 12 to 20 degrees!!  Bizarre!

On Tuesday whilst I packed the dry camping stuff away, Mike went for his eye test and then it was back to the airport and homeward bound.

Unusually, we both bleeped at security and had to be x-rayed, but even more unusually Mike’s bag was pulled aside.  As frequent travellers we know the rules and are always well prepared, so wondered what it was. “You’ve got two roll-on deodorants in there,” the chap said.  “No I haven’t.  I’ve never used a roll-on in my life,” replied Mike.  The roll-on deodorants proved to be the two tubs of Smoked Paprika we were bringing back as we can’t find it in France.  So, you have to ask, how good is their equipment that shows up two tubs of powder as roll-on deodorants????  As the chap was looking for the offending items he pulled out a little plastic box and asked what it was, “It’s a mini-socket set,” one that we’d bought in the UK as it was £60 cheaper to do so than buy it France.  “Ah.  You can’t take that through, it’s on the banned list.”  Mike disagreed and explained that we’d taken small tools through before, the last time when we went through Leeds, we had a spanner in the bag!  They took Mike to a computer and showed him the list which mentioned, tools, which may be considered a risk……..  Mike pointed out he’d be more able to knock someone out with his laptop than the tiny sockets, but they weren’t having it.  He’d need to check his bag in if he wanted to take it.  This was at 12.40pm and our flight was 1.25pm, but the chap called the desk, they said they’d take the bag and they both headed off.

At 1.25pm a pale face appeared through the bus door just before it closed and pulled off to the waiting plane – Mike had made it, just, but the socket set hadn’t.  By the time he’d got back to check-in, navigated the broken self-service machines, found someone to speak to, they told him baggage check was shut.  He was fast-tracked back through security, decided to dump the three inch handle from the socket set, but was pulled aside and told he couldn’t take the little metal, ¼ inch (and smaller!) circular sockets on the plane.  So he dumped them out on their desk, kept the plastic case and then had to run to the gate which, typically, was the furthest away it could be – and all because of one person’s interpretation of what tools are a risk….  We weren’t happy.

Back at Meaux, it was warm and dry, although it had been raining which meant the plants were happy, and although it was Tuesday, we decided we needed a glass of wine.

The next morning we were up sharp and got the bus to the cheese museum.

 

Cheeeeeeeeese Gromit!!!  Brie de Meaux AOC

After tasting, you gotta buy!

We then went to pay our mooring fees, decided to stay another night and enjoyed a new drama on the BBC iPlayer after dinner.

This morning we set off under heavy skies on a lockless cruise along the tranquil river, and after only getting half on a pontoon at Poincy have settled on an unusual wall mooring a bit further on under a ruined bridge at the little town of Germingny-l’Eveque.  It’s nice to be back on board and underway again.

Lovely little treehouse - think we might need something bigger though.....

Moored under the ruined bridge at Germigny l'Eveque