7th June. Paul and I flew to London on separate air line and were met at Heathrow by Jon.
8th June. Jon had hired a van and all the stuff from my old boat, including my bike, was in the back. We took the Channel Tunnel to France in the Van. This was an interesting experience, starting with the styalised chalk horse on the Dover hillside, through to the modern terminal and the boarding experience.
Dear Jon did all the driving and we must have been on the road for the best part of ten hours. We were rewarded by a warm, sunny evening and alfresco dining in the pretty town of St Jean de Losne.
9th June. Our meeting with Phillippe did not go well. The boat was gutted but virtually no work had been done on it and it was difficult to get straight answers.
10th June. Jon and I drove into Dijon to shop at Ikea for stuff for the boat while Paul did some more job applications on line and harrased the boat yard.
12th June. After a fraught meeting with one of the directors we left for the tunnel with an agreement that the boat would be usable by the 15th July and that they would accomodate me in a self catering place between my return on the 25th June and the boats readiness. A long haul back to UK. We arrived at Jon’s about 10pm.
16th June. Big family gathering for lunch today. This is the first time in ten years that all three of my children have sat down together!
19th June. Today is my 70th birthday. Spent most of it on the train between Bath and Chertsey where I will be staying with Kevin, Nita and Connor.
22nd June. If you go to www.picasaweb.google.com and sign in you will be able to watch the slide show of the party via the link below. It was a really great party and those of you that were unable to be there were much missed.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108752299127290996786/ExportedVideos#5893076388585831762
https://picasaweb.google.com/108752299127290996786/20130624?authkey=Gv1sRgCJrI6MWDh_KSTg#5893097642665476178 and this one should show you the video of my welcome address.
25th June. Early start for the journey by trains (8 of them!) to St Jean de Losnse where 10 hours later Phillippe met me at the station. We stopped at the boat for a quick look and there had been quite a lot of progress. Next stop “Jubilant” a huge B&B barge that will be my home till Monday when I will move into a boat to myself in the harbour. It is very luxurious. After settling into my suite I met the only other guest and had dinner with the owners, English Rose, Helen and her South African husband.
26th June. Went to check up on the boat this morning and took some photos. Took a cycle ride down to the first lock on the burgandy canal. Very pretty with a delighful lock cottage. Had dinner on board with Max, an additional guest from NZ. We had a very jolly evening.
27th June. took a ride along the river Soane to the south today to visit “The Old Lock”. this is at a point where the course of the river has been straightened to avoid an ox bow and a lock. The resultant basin provides a lovely rural mooring site for long stay boats each with a little patch of garden. I caught a Heron on the bank.
On the way back there was a lovely view of the village.
30th June. The other guest on “Jubilant”, Ulricht, took his boat that had been moored alongside, up to the old lock with Helen, Steve and Stephany along for the ride and a picnic. I was going off on a cycle ride down the tow path towards Dole but stopped by the lock to see them through.
The tow path along the river was a nice easy ride. At St Symphorien-sur-Saone where I turned right along the Rhone & Rhine Canal. The total ride was about 32k, the longest I have done so far since the knee op.
capetocarpe 