Summer has kicked in

As I write we are moored in Montagis and one of our favourite stops. The forecast is for highs of 35C or even higher this week. We are not complaining but a mooring under a tree takes on a new meaning. Our cruising plan for this season remains fluid with no adventurous destination in mind. we are moving more slowly allowing time to re-visit and explore towns and villages we had previously passed by.

Cruising more slowly this year

   

A shady backwater mooring in St Moret sur Loing.

An added complication is the lack of rainfall over winter in the Southern areas of France. which may restrict or close navigation on some waterways, as the reservoirs are at record lows and weed growth on the canals is thick this year. A chat group of other boaters keeps us informed of what is ahead.

Local young folk cool off at Moret sur Loing

Commercial Traffic on the Seine seems light this year, these barges moored up in St Mammes are waiting for freight. 

Barges rafted up in St Mammes on the Seine

                                          A few more pretty pictures along the way.

Wild poppies alongside the lock at Nemours

What, no bread?

   

I couldn't resist adding this pic



 
 

This waterway once 74 kms long ran to Orleans. We take a walk along the towpath.

   

Launch day and other diversions

It is late in May and while Antiope was still on dry land we take a couple of weeks away to England. It was a mix of social visits and attending the funeral of an old sailing crew mate. That occasion was a celebration of a life well lived and a reminder to all of us not to waste our own.

Gloucester docks, a stormy day and a tall ships festival

We included a visit to good friends in the midlands and had an invitation to the Tall Ships festival in Gloucester docks, many miles from the open sea and a place we had visited in our narrowboat days. 

Vilma, the topsail schooner restored by Scott Metcalfe

Scott Metcalfe made us welcome aboard Vilma, his topsail schooner having sailed her down from North Wales for the festival. 

The sail training ship Royalist alongside the converted dock warehouses.

The largest tall ship was the Royalist which only just to made the trip along the now shallow canal from the Severn river.

 Back in France once more we find John and Rosemary have arrived at Simon Evans yard for their 7 year out of water survey and a bit of maintenance, and another excuse for a bit of socialising. We really should get going so after a good hull polish we are finally ready to launch Antiope.

John and Rosemary Stoppard high and dry aboard Petronella

                                         Simon can we go boating please? we ask politely

After we fix the crane!!

Always a nervous moment, will she lift?

We take a short trial run up the river to the sound of a 'singing' propeller, it was one that had been repaired over the winter and rather too well balanced, the high pitched tune was just a bit too annoying to tolerate at cruising revs, so it was back into the slings for adjustment and let Simon gets to work with his grinder.

The offending prop

Precision work 

Job done, and singing cured. Thanks Simon

 As I write we are on our way to Auxerre, amid sunshine and showers. We need the rain, the reservoirs are low across France.

May 2019. A new Season begins

Back aboard Antiope 

Migennes, France, We arrived in early May to find Antiope had survived the winter well, On a cool morning we set about taking the covers off and dismantling the temporary frame. The plan was to spend a week getting ready for launching however a change of plan has us flying up to England, to see family and attend a funeral. Launch date has been set for May 31st. 

This sums up the mood in England right now. What a mess!!!

Cheers Charles and Annie

Time to head home

The time has come to put Antiope to bed for the winter. This season has been 'one out of the book'.
The sun has shone down on us all summer, often dictating our choice of mooring spots preferably in the shade of trees. A season of slow cruising, spending more time in towns and villages that we liked the feel of, meeting other boaters, putting the world to rights over a wine or two, sharing Antiope with guests, and family.

Antiope is hauled out at Simon Evans boatyard.

 We have returned Antiope to Migennes for the winter, and she is blocked up back in her old spot.

Covers on, Antiope is snug for the winter.

Plans for next seasons' cruise? Nope. Another summer like this one would be great!

Cheers Charles and Annie.

In Paris

It is always a delight to arrive in Paris by boat, however we are late in the season this year and our favourite mooring place 'The Arsenal' is filling up with boats booked in for the Winter, we take our chances and get lucky with a very short term berth.

 'Pont Neuf' ,we have arrived

 

My Son Toby and Grand daughters, Holly and Charlotte.

   

It was great to be able to cruise through Paris with the family aboard, up from NZ in the School hols.

The view from the very top of Notre Dame looking up the Seine

A must see in Paris, The Opera 

Another must, is the Atrium in Gallerie Lafeyette

Two girls in a candy store

Sunday Market at the Arsenal

We take a cruise through the St Martin canal, the back door to Paris

Playing dodgems in the Basin de Villette, St Martin Canal 

The Stade de France, alongside the Canal st Martin

Marking time for a couple of days waiting for our slot in the Arsenal, we cruised downstream a few Kms to moor at Isle des impressionnistes. This was where Monet, Degas, Renoir and the like came to paint, drink wine and entertain their ladies. A magic tranquil place.

A wooden boat workshop at Chatou 

One of many restored craft in the boatshed.

Leaving Toby and the girls to visit Disneyland we head off on the last leg of our season's cruise back upstream to Migennes on the Yonne river. 

Moret-sur-Loing, home to the Impressionist artist Alfred Sisley

Moret-sur Loing, an artists paradise

Moret-sur- Loing

 

Briare to Paris

The great summer weather continues despite the days getting shorter. We head north along the Briare canal, last traveled by us in 2007 on our first French exploratory cruise. The Briare waterway linking the Loire and Seine rivers was commenced in 1604 and completed in 1640 and has been navigable ever since. Over the centuries the original waterway has been enlarged often leaving the the old stone lock chambers intact alongside the current canal. 

In Briare the the blooms thrive with daily watering

 The towns along the waterways compete with massive floral displays hung wherever possible.

Rogny les Sept Ecluses

The town owes its name and existence to the canal, an inland port and the site of a remarkable staircase of seven locks built in 1640 

Les Sept Ecluses. (The seven locks)

There seems to be a village in my beer!

Parts of the old canal abandoned but very scenic

Annie gets her daily workout

 While the locks are all manned along the Briare canal, boaters are welcome to help.

Near Montbouy, a Roman Amphitheatre. 

 This Roman 'stadium sized' Amphitheatre was uncovered in remote countryside when digging the canal, They dug round it.

The bar in Montargis where we watched Americas cup racing back in 2007

 We found the bar in Montargis where we watched the Kiwis racing Alingi in Valencia back in 2007.

The fortified town of Montargis

In Nemours 'Water Jousting' a French thing. 

In Namours we came across a festival weekend, and watched the sport of water jousting. Health and Safety, risk assessment???

The magic of the Loire

We hold our breath as this long summer continues. September has heralded autumn and a welcome drop in temperatures to the very comfortable high 20s. The Loire valley adds to the magic as we cruise slowly northwards.

A few of these shallow draft traditional Loire river boats have been preserved  

During our stay in Nevers we were exited to watch the World Boules championships being played out in front of a live audience of several hundred people.

A tense moment during the final match televised across France

Complete with cheerleaders

The round lock at Lorrains

Not far downstream from Nevers we find this curious round lock. It is no longer in use, but originally it permitted full length barges to swing round and drop down from the canal level to the Loire river, and slip into the flowing river, bow forward.

It is that time of year, when we scour the hedgerows for blackberries.

Add sugar, boil and bottle

 Ending up with this lot.

  Walnut trees line the canal, ripening just now and free for the taking. Crew Alan and Nicky help the harvest.

  

Antiope makes an ideal platform for the harvest

On a rare dull day we crossed high above the Loire on the aqueduct designed with the help of Gustave Eiffel and completed in 1896 to reach Briare. This aqueduct replaced a perilous river crossing involving locking down to the river level winching the barges across and locking back up on the other side.

We approach the kilometer long aqueduct

                                     

Safely across, without touching the sides!

These old locks once let barges out onto the Loire for the crossing to Briare  

 The river today is 1.5m below its normal level, but in times of flood (Crue) the waters have even submerged these locks.

Flood level markings on the bridge, high above the lock itself

Briare and the final lock into the old town basin 

The old town basin at Briare and part of the old canal system

We spend a few days in Briare before heading up along the Briare canal towards Paris.