Alone Again...

26th July, 2010 (Sally)

Monday morning and a grey day, our first for weeks, and a good chance to catch up on some long overdue writing. What a feast of visitors we have had, three of our children and six of our grandchildren, almost non-stop for the last five weeks. I am sure we can say that our lifestyle cruising the waterways of Europe has been given a big tick of approval by all. The message we got from everyone was, "We will be back" and Sable now sports new initials NTBS: ie Not to be Sold.

All the families achieved what they set out to do: Gray and Suellen to explore Paris and give the two youngest grandchildren a French experience; Miles and Louis wanted to see Nicole in Germany and also follow some of the Tour; and Deb and Mark with their two youngest sons were celebrating Mark's 50th with an energetic cycling stage of the Tour, some good fun-time with Edward and Mackenzie, and a nice relaxing week on Sable.

Our summer has been a delight, hot but not dramatically so. The three cousins, Louis, Ed and Mack spent a lot of time swimming in the Marne, and the lack of beds on Sable was no problem as they all slept on the deck under the awning. We looked a bit like a travelling gypsy caravan at times but it was all good fun. The markets and shops are a feast of summer fruits, peaches, apricots and nectarines all bursting with flavour. The problem is choice, so one ends up with some of each, and a race to eat them before they go past their best. We've had fun introducing the boys to different foods. Would you believe snails are a favourite. They were ordered in a restaurant just as an experiment then became a request when shopping. Mind you twenty croissants for 5€ was probably top of the pops for the three boys, Mack managing to eat seven in one day. There was also a feast of sport. No sooner had we recovered from the World Cup and all its ongoing dramas, the TV was broadcasting Le Tour at a very respectable hour. It has meant that we have spent more time than is desirable in front of the TV but the days are long enough that a couple of hours in the afternoon can be compensated for with daylight extending to 10pm.

The last three weeks have been a slow cruise back and forth on the Marne exploring the 58kms between Charly sur Marne and Epernay. It would be hard to find a prettier stretch of river, golden wheat fields in the foreground with harvest in full swing, vineyards gently rising behind, all trimmed and tidy as they wait for the final growth of the grapes and all the hills crowned with topknots of forest. The villages that extend a welcome stop for us are all dripping with flower baskets and provide one with the very best excuse to linger, as do the welcome signs outside almost every champagne grower's house. Yes we have tasted and bought. Sable has a distinct list to starboard, with the number of bottles on board and it would be fair to say that some days we were probably doing the same after sampling quite a few. As you do...

It is hard to believe that this delightful valley was the scene of such bitter fighting in WW1 but like most of France the reminders of battles past are never far away. Chateau Thierry has a carved post on the quay, one of ninety-seven that were erected in France to mark the front line of the German advance and it was here that they were turned back twice. In 1914 the French used aeroplanes for reconnaissance for the first time and on spotting a break in the German lines called up the reserve troops from Paris. This battle has gone down in history as the Taxi Cab battle as 6,000 troops were ferried to the front using every available taxi in Paris.

Again, in 1918 the Germans determined to take Paris and made another attempt to break through hoping to gain ground against inexperienced American troops. This bitter battle was fought at Belleau Wood and has the dubious honour of causing the most US casualities in one day until Guadalcanal in WW2. We visited the American cemetery where nearly 3,000 marble crosses stand in 45 acres of immaculate grounds with the actual battlefield of Belleau Wood rising behind it. It is all well preserved and even ninety years on one can still see the trenches and shell holes as well as several restored cannon and mortar pieces. A good history lesson for our boys, slightly more realistic one hopes than a computer or a video game.

Gray and Suellen left us at Chateau Thierry, but not before Miles had rejoined us after a trip to Germany to meet Nicole's host families and to bring her back for a few days with us. What a delightful young lady she is growing into, and what a host of experiences she is enjoying in her year as a Rotary exchange student. Her language skill improves every day, and every letter tells of a new experience, but she was also very pleased to have the chance to relax and enjoy family time with us all.

Epernay was our next stop, and from there we went to Reims by car to meet Deb, Mark and the two boys arriving from Paris by TGV. They had timed it well as it was also the finish of Stage 5 of the Tour de France so within hours of them stepping off a plane we were all lined up 1km from the finish line. What a spectacle, the usual caravan throwing mementos to the crowd, [we learnt later it comprises 150 vehicles and 15 million give-aways] press and media cars and bikes, then the flash of colour and movement as the riders dash past. It's an amazing spectacle and it's hard not to get caught up in the buzz. The next morning we lined up again in Epernay for the start of Stage 6, and for all those who were sure they saw us I'm sure you couldn't have. We had a prime spot at the foot of the Avenue de Champagne amongst the many many others.

My birthday the next day was celebrated over lunch, in Champagne, with a profusion of champagne, a tour of champagne cellars "Castellane" and a wander down the Avenue de Champagne at 10pm to watch a sound and light show honouring champagne and culminating with fireworks in front of the town hall. Hard to think where else one could do better. The following day, Deb, Mark and Miles left by car to follow several more stages of the Tour up in the French Alps climaxing with a bike ride up the Col de Madeline to join the thousands at the summit. Meanwhile we entertained the three boys with plenty of swimming, cruising and some motorbike riding when we could find a park that they could use. All good fun and a chance for us to do some of the Grandparent things we miss out on.

Last week it has been just the four of us, a chance for Deb and Mark to have the relaxing part of their holiday. Late starts, a bit of cruising, cycling through villages and vineyards, some tasting and a few purchases before an afternoon nap and a dinner which involves at least a glass or two of champagne to inspire the chefs. Does all this sound like a lot of champagne? Mmmm! Probably right. Today is day 3, AFD. (Alcohol Free Day.) We have retraced our steps from Reims where we put them on the train to Paris and are now settled for a few days at Sillery, a very small village with a nice quiet port. But nevertheless, within sight and easy reach of some delightful champagne houses yet to be tested. (Tony apologises for not having updated the website for some weeks. He gets bleary-eyed after a glass or two of champagne and we're way over quota with internet use. He promises to update in a couple of days.)