July 2013

1s t July. Today I moved out of “Jubilant” and onto “Lotta” a little boat that I would have to myself. Great to have the space to spreadout, prepare my own food and move about without fear of disturbing others. I had also hoped that I would have a good internet connection here but that is not the case. I am still having to go up and sit outside the office for that! I will really miss Helen and Steve’s great hospitality and kindness. This is what “Lotta” looks like inside.

7th July. Great excitement today as the Tour de Cote D’Or cycle race went through town. This is as a three stage, three day event for elite cyclists and today is the last day with three laps of the town as the culminating event. It is, as one of the marshals told me, a mini Tour de France! It was certainly well organised and well attended. The little town looked quite festive.

        

14th July. Bastile day. Not a major celebration in St Jean de Losne because at a time pre the revolution the town had its taxes suspended due to its support of the Monarchè in a particular dispute and when the revolution came that dispensation was taken away! However I celebrated with Steve and Helen by taking them for lunch at L’Amiral and a very pleasant experiance it was too.

17th July.Hannie arrived at 8pm I had only taken the boat round to the Marina from the workshop at about 5pm. Talk about 11th hour! She is not finnished but has been declared “functional” so I am looking forward to taking off down the Canal de Bourgoyne tomorrow.

This is how she is looking at the moment!

        

18th July. No such thing as an early start on the French canals as the locks do not open before 9am if they are opperated by lock keepers as they are on the Bourgoyne and you are not allowed to opperate them yourself. Most locks have very pretty cottages with gardens and one had a museum with the most amazing collection of assorted and totally unrelated bric-a-brac you have ever seen! We stopped for the night about half way on the 30klm/15 lock route.

        

Hannie did a great job manning the ropes in the locks and when we moored uip for the night we got thr French & South African flags sorted out on the boat.

   

19th July. Once moored up in Dijon we were off to Ikea for fixtures and fittings.

20th July. We spent the day exploring Dijon and a very fine little city it is too. Small enough to walk arround it boasts some very fine architecture and nice public spaces. The most outstanding feature is the coloured ceramic roof tiles that adorn some of the churches and public buildings. There were street markets and a large wroght iron and glass Victorian era closed market. The city was clean and flora and quite a delight. Back at the port we experienced a gentle sunset.

        

        

21st July. On our way back to St Jean de Losne we stopped at Longecourt for the night and walked into the village to have a look at the impressive moated Chateau which is now used for exclusive accomodation and functions.

22nd July. We went shopping for tomorrow’s lunch when we will host Helen and Steve for lunch and a cruise down the river.

23rd July. A lovely day on the river where we were all having such a good time I forgot to take any photos! Fortunately Hannie caught the moment.

24th July. Hannie left at lunch time and |I got stuck in to preparing the wheelhouse for the painting of the cieling and trying to set up an appointment with Phillippe to discuss the schedule for finnishing off the work.

25th July. Pleasant evening playing boulle in the village.

26th July. Drinks on board Joe & Jana’s boat with John.

27th July. Cycled to Ikea and Dijon and back today to return defunct table leg and get an Orange dongle. Did about 78k’s and was fine! The beginning of my training for Sri Lanka.