Sens to Briare

Week 7 – October 8th to 15th (Sally) 

Well what a week of contrasts. From the beautiful old cathedral cities of Auxerre, Joigny and Sens we travelled further down the Yonne where we found ourselves sharing the river with large sand barges. We are used to being one of the larger boats of the live-aboards and suddenly we were like a toy boat compared to these. In most cases they are a double so you have a fully laden 30m barge being pushed by another of the same size. But one beauty on the Seine was six barges, two wide and three deep all being propelled by another from behind. The mind boggles at trying to manoeuvre that one.

The scenery was still superb, tree lined river with more autumn colours and more bird life but nowhere to stop until we reached the confluence of the Seine and Yonne for the night before we tackled the Seine. Fortunately just a short reach before we turned upstream into the Loing and started our journey home. Only one lock on the Seine, but as we were approaching it we glanced behind and bearing down on us at about twice our speed was a fully laden double sand barge. Sable took very quick evasive action. Once past and safely in the lock we realised there was room for us too so we followed in behind.

St Mammes at the mouth of La Loing is an interesting port, lined with barges in all stages of repair (or disrepair). Some are obviously doomed for scrap, many operating as commercial barges but a great many have been converted to living homes. Can’t see them moving far as they are huge and cumbersome but certainly plenty of living space.

Our journey up the Loing was meeting a mix of barges and hotel barges. These are commercial vessels converted into luxurious hotel accommodation for 4 to 5 couples but they take up as much room and are as unmanouverable as the sand ones so it has been pleasant to continue to the quieter reaches where we are almost the only boat on the waterway. At every port we come to it is obvious that folks are battening down for winter and as a result it is more difficult to find moorings.

Montargis was a wonderful stop, the canal goes through the centre of the old town and several little canals run through the streets. Our guide book called it the Venice of France, but then admitted that was probably an exaggeration. Old cobbled streets and a huge collection of restaurants. We chose one, only to find it and 19 others had combined for GASTRNOMIE dans le Montargois. One was meant to enjoy five courses for a set-price 44euros. We managed 2 and rolled home leaving a room full of French folk all still going. Wonderful food and things you wouldn’t even attempt at home.

Myra has taken to riding the tow paths, so we set her off the next morning and met her for lunch at the next town. Market day, so in spite of having just shopped we had to do the market. Impossible to resist the fresh veg, cheese etc. Myra found a store selling rabbit, so it was rabbit in red wine for dinner. Yum…

Finally reached the top of the Loing at Rogny-Les Sept Ecluses. The seven locks from the 16 hundreds are preserved as a monument. Fascinating to think that was built all those years ago. Da Vinci is even credited with having something to do with the invention of the lock gates. We had trouble finding a mooring so the lock keeper let us into the first pound and we moored under the old staircase of locks. A little like being able to sleep in the Museum.

From Rogny to Briare is a beautiful quiet world, our sort of travelling. You are surrounded by water with all the ponds that have been dug to feed the canals, avenues of gold trees as autumn finally shows her colours, glimpses of chateaux here and there and hardly a soul in sight. Magic..

Our destination was Briare, where the canal crosses the Loire. Surely one of the highlights of the whole canal system.  We walked the aquaduct, cycled it, and finally took Sable across. It is incredibly beautiful as well as an amazing piece of engineering. 600m long, 5.5 wide and 2.2 deep with footpaths on either side and columns designed by Eiffel at either end. 

Before we left Briare we decided to take a day of relaxation (as if every day isn’t) and caught a taxi to La Bussière, a tiny village with a chateau we thought was worth a visit. When we got there the whole village was caught up in a country fête, so we watched the pit-sawing of timber, a blacksmith at work, apple pressing, bread baking in an old army oven, and most disgustingly the filling of yards of liver sausage with a funnel and buckets of chopped liver. There were two street full of stalls plus people in national costume playing strange instruments and crowds and crowds of people still arriving at 4oclock in the afternoon. Perhaps they were seeking solace for having lost the rugby the night before.