Ambling down the Loire

5th May, 2011 (Sally)

Two weeks of cruising and we covered 100kms, not a record for slow travelling on the canals of France but certainly a new record for us. The weather has been superb, day after day of cloudless skies with unseasonable warmth giving us plenty of excuses for lingering at pleasant canal-side stops and opportunities for bike rides along tow paths or more adventurous rides through the hills and villages on our motorbikes.

The final social function at Artaix with our port friends was well attended, about 60 people sat down to an extended lunch under the shade of the trees. French, English, American and of course Australian picnic and barbecue food was on offer, all washed down with various wines ranging from the four gallon fill-your-own cask to some delightful bottles produced from the cave of Thierry, our french friend who is renowned among the port people for the quality of his cellar and the hospitality with which he shares it. By a dent of manouvering I managed to find myself sitting next to him and was rewarded with several samples from his never ending supply. Next morning all the other boats had left and the spot was too peaceful to leave plus it was close to Marcigny which has a very lively Monday morning market. A whole aisle of live animals, chickens, day-old and fully grown, quail, ducks, pigeons and rabbits all competing for space and for attention from the dozens of kids wanting to pet them. We thought some of our grandchildren would have bought them just to set them free.

The vegetable stalls are always where we make our purchases, spring produce just coming into the markets now. Strawberries in huge quantities. The smell wafts in the air and draws one towards the stands; white asparagus, the first of the season; lettuce, three for a euro, every sort of tomato and huge bunches of green globe artichokes at a euro each. This year's goal: conquer artichokes. We came out with too much food,[whats new] and then stopped just for a look at the Emile Henri factory outlet. Oh Wow! Stand after stand of cookware. I counted twelve displays, each one laden with different colours and designs. Unfortunately, or fortunately, Sable is so well stocked that I really do not need or have room for another thing but with a little help via requests from some family members I was able to satisfy my craving to indulge in some retail therapy. The only stipulation to them is: I buy it, you get it home. The countryside behind Marcigny, the Brionnais,is an area known for the wealth of Romanesque churches all built in the 11th and 12th century. An inventory of more than 90 chapels or churches in this style in such a confined area tells of the religious history that blossomed from the mother church at Cluny. We took our motorbikes and did just some of the Romanesque Road through villages with names such as Semur en Brionnais, St Didier en B, Varenne, St Chrisotphe en B, and St Foy. Lovely rolling farmland with one product, Charolais cattle. Everywhere you look is a field of cows with small white calves at foot.

From the Roanne à Digoin Canal into the Loire Lateral Canal, all familiar ground to us as this is our fourth time over this particular stretch, but we usually have been in a hurry to leave port or else racing the winter home, so once again a chance to tarry and to explore further. Bourbon Lancy is a town that promises much but sadly failed to deliver. It is an old spa town with numerous Victorian-age hotels in which one resides to "take the waters." They sit firmly along the Aire de Therme like a group of disapproving dowager ladies sniffing their disdain at the modern world. We paused in town for a wander around the medieval heart but were not encouraged to stay. Vichy, the other Spa town in the vicinity, has clearly reinvented itself and stolen all the business as the waters are designated "medical treatment" only and one needs a doctor's prescription and a three month reservation to find a place,

At Gannay sur Loire we joined a small flotilla of British boats, and settled in for three nights giving us a chance to watch the "Wedding" live and in good company. The BBC did an excellent coverage. Why the rest of the world needed to send 8,500 press to do the same thing makes one wonder. We enjoyed it all but my one defining moment was a short clip, after it was all over, of a young verger doing cartwheels down the red carpet in the abbey. It was like "Thank goodness that went off without a hitch." Gannay brought back some memories for us, as it was here, almost four years ago we tried with our almost non-existent french to buy some herbs to grow on the boat. They tried to sell us currant bushes and grape vines if I remember rightly. Now of course with my lovely pots of persil, menthe, estragon and ciboulette I feel at least we are making some progress. Gannay also had another claim to fame, the tree of Sully, which is 500 years old and sat at the junction of three regions. When we last saw it more than three years ago it was a sad relic of its former glory, a shell of the trunk with a concrete core, capped with a conical slate roof. Today it is a collapsed heap of rubble, sadly the tree of Sully is no more.

We have now turned off the Loire, at Decize, and are climbing the Nivernais up to the summit at Baye where the sixteen lock ladder down the other side awaits. However that is still several days away and as long as this wonderful Spring weather continues we will slowly, ever so slowly, continue this wonderful journey.

Spring Fervour

16th March, 2011 (Tony)

Spring is in the air. The moment we arrived back in France we were amazed to find the trees in blossom and new leaves bursting from their buds. Everyone remarks that this year spring is two to three weeks ahead of normal. Most delightful is the chirpiness of the birds — they sound very happy — except the ducks. Each day we are treated to a spectacle on the water outside our boat of virile drakes behaving like Lakemba youths, sexually assaulting desperately fleeing ducks — who don't seem to be enjoying it one bit, or either bit, for there seems to be always two drakes for every duck. I guess in a few weeks the males will be mooching about in bothersome gangs while mum rears the ducklings on her own. Generally, the weather has been glorious. We were back into board shorts and short-sleeved tops last week, with several days topping 30C. For the first time ever, in Roanne, we erected the awning over the top deck and lunched outside. Here's hoping it augurs well for a long hot summer.

We have been busy during our two weeks in Roanne getting Sable ready for the summer ahead. Sally has been stocking up provisions, filling all the cupboards and even demanding more shelves. This week I turned my hand to sheet-metal work, cutting and bending new aluminium hatch covers to replace the fibre-glass coating which had deteriorated badly. We were supposed to be in the lock Friday morning at nine o'clock but we woke to a frost and found the boiler pump wasn't working. Thankfully, we have a spare new pump on board and an obliging young tradesman from Thermi Service across the road fitted it before lunchtime. We cast off at 1pm and cruised gently down to Briennon, about 15km and three locks, in brilliant sunshine and past countryside already lush with new growth. On Sunday there is a picnic at Artaix (about 15km further along the canal) for all the bargees still remaining in Roanne. Those not ready to cruise will come by car. They had another picnic in the port last weekend, everyone trying to outdo everyone else with barbecued delicacies. There is such an eclectic mix of nationalities — but all with a common interest. We couldn't pass up the chance to partake, especially as we may not see many of them for two years or more. Other years, we have been among the first to get away but this year about fifteen boats have beaten us. Adrian and Lorna, our Kiwi neighbours who kindly cared for Sable over winter while we were in Australia, were one of the first to depart, planning to head down the Rhone to the Midi.

We've already had two lots of visitors to stay. Mike and Lenore contacted us in Australia before Christmas after enquiring about a boat for sale in Roanne. One can easily walk around the port in less than half an hour but when we did it with Mike and Lenore it took more than three hours as we paused to greet friends and introduce them to the barging community. Everyone is so friendly and sociable. I think Mike's concerns that owning a boat in France might be a rather lonely existence were soon dispelled. They spent their second day in port inspecting several boats for sale. Eleanor, moored right next to Sable, seemed very appealing but they resolved to buy Elizabeth, a barge that had first attracted their attention when they saw it on the Midi about eighteen months ago. Elizabeth's happy owners immediately seized the opportunity to crack open the champagne. Then the four wandered down to break their good news to us and we immediately seized the opportunity to celebrate the occasion by cracking open more champagne. Mike and Lenore then took us out to dinner at L'Astrée a fabulous restaurant we've neen trying to get to for four years. It was a splendid repast washed down with some great wine. When we left the restaurant none of the taxis I called wanted to answer the phone so we staggered home and started on the cointreau, whereupon Mike proclained, "I can't live like this!" We think he will...

On Sunday, by a fluke of circumstance, an Aussie couple parked in the carpark near our mooring to lunch at the restaurant across the road and to have a look at the port as someone had told them what a great place Roanne was. They noticed the "For Sale" sign in the window of Whisper, just two boats from ours. They had a very favourable inspection, then continued on to Mossiac to undertake a boat handling course. A week later, Peter and Lynne from the Gold Coast arrived to experience first-hand living aboard a barge and to check out a couple of boats they had seen on the internet (including Whisper which, after inspection, they rejected). They also kindly shouted us out to dinner at Le Tournidon another excellent restaurant. Again, superb cuisine and luscious wine. They stayed with us for two nights and inspected several boats in the port before leaving for Toul and then Holland to look at other boats. I'm sure they too will soon be proud boat owners and revelling in this arduous life — well someone has to do it. Otherwise all the boats would rot... The sequel to this saga is: Eleanor has been sold to a Swiss couple; and just an hour before we left port we heard the Aussies have made an offer, from Mossiac, on Whisper. It could turn out that three sales of boats have been executed around us in the space of a week. And not a broker involved! They'll be spewing! I guess it says something for the strength of the AU$. All of a sudden Australian buyers are being welcomed with open arms. Adieu to three lovely couples whom we befriended via the barging life. And bon voyage to the newcomers. Thus, one's circle of friends grows.

Briennon is a pleasant port and is the base for a hire-boat company. There is not much to the town though. A hundred years ago it boasted an enormous roof tile factory. Most of the product was transported by barge to distant destinations. In its day Briennon would have been quite a thriving community. The kilns were shut down for good in 1964. Saturday, we dawdled about ten kilometres further down the canal. It's really nice to take lots of time to get to know the Canal Roanne à Digoin. On every other occasion we seem to have been anxious either to get going; or get home to Roanne, always covering the 60km in two days maximum. We've often been intrigued by Iguerande, a pretty village across the other side of the Loire. High above the village at the top of a hill an 11th century Romanesque church (it's almost 1,000 years old!) stands sentinel over the valley. A huge walled graveyard leans down the hill below the church and together they create a fascinating landmark visible for miles. So off we went on our bikes to explore, take in the magnificent view and exercise lungs and muscles that haven't done much for some time. Just a jolly 22km jaunt, but we are looking forward to repeating the exercise on Monday to go to Marcigny and visit the Emile Henri factory where ceramic cookware is made and dishes can be procured for a fraction of the price asked in retail stores.