May 2014

4th May. Bob and Jacquie had a BBQ in the garden of the house they are using while waiting for their boat to sell. It was a blustery but sunny day and the garden was wonderfully sheltered from the wind. It was a fun event as I am sure Daisy & Tjash  (sp), the two dogs present, would agree!

         

 

 

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

********************************************************************************8th May As also honored by the street name in my address|(Allèe du 8em Mai 1945) today was a public holiday celebrating victory in Europe day. A parade went through the gardens of my apartment, otherwise I was able to ignore this display of militarism & Nationalism!

        

 

11th May. I picked Lyn up from Dijon station yesterday and this morning we did a walk round St Jean de Losne to look at the shop windows that VillCo has dressed. We got caught in a heavy shower, first real rain for sometime. In the afternoon we drove through to Auxonne and after tea with Sue on board “Chocolat” we walked round to the Castle where a Boulle game was in progress in the courtyard.

Since Auxonne has already been well documented in these pages I thought I would just include some of the more intimate details.

          

   

12th May, Today Lyn and I went into Beaune to visit the famous Hospital built in 1443. The “Hôtel-Dieu” as it is known, was built by Nicolas Rolin, Chancellor to Philippe-le-Bon, he was anxious to secure his place in Paradise and since he undertook this work alongside his third wife, Guignone de Salins (whose family had made their fortune in salt) he may have had good reason to make some atonement! The building is a wonder and a fine example of medieval architecture.

 

One of the main features being the typical glazed, coloured roof tiles.

       

 

The hall where the poor sick people were cared for free of charge was extremely comfortable. The rooms where the paying patients were housed were not substantially better.

         

The hospital was ahead of its time in terms of hygiene and proper diet for patients. They were fed from the hospital own farm and wind produced in its vineyards helped to fund the enterprise as indeed it still does to this day. Nursing continued into the 1950’s and some elderly patients were still in residence as late as 1984.

         

The kitchens were also modern and well equipped.

         

The hospital was also equipped with a laboratory and a pharmacy.

         

 

All the halls were lavishly appointed and furnished with painted ceilings, Statutes, tapestries, large fireplaces and pewter ware.

            

 

The visit was enhanced by audio tapes which gave a very satisfactory commentary on the social, historic, financial and scientific issues of the day.

On our way back to the car we passed this rather splendid “Laroir”

 

 

13th. Today we went into Dijon and I had a haircut while Lyn had a walk around. Unfortunately the Palace de Ducs was closed but we had a good wander round the market before a good lunch and return to St Jean in the afternoon.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

         

15th May Today we drove out to Nuits St George, in the wine growing area. The drive took us through forests and passed fields full of buttercups and cows. We had a picnic on a bench in the town centre next to a charming fountain and much to the amusement of the passing French who all smiled and wished us “Bon Appertite”. The French do not have a word for “picnic” but use the English and I expect this is because the whole idea of not sitting down to table for a proper meal is slightly abhorant to them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The vinyards come right down to the edge of town and we took a walk out to see them. We looked into the many caves in town and went into one where Lyn tasted some local wine. All the reds are Pignon Noir based and the whites Chardonay.

           

 

In the evening we had dinner on Jubilant with Steve, Helen,  Pete and Glen. Cycling back in the dark was a bit like flying with no vis and no instruments, impossible to know which way up you are, the wine might have had something to do with it of course!

16th May was “change over day”. It should have gone very smoothly with Lyn catching the 17.00 train and Robyn arriving on the 17.33. However for one reason and another Rob’s train was two hours late! I managed to buy two English newspapers to keep me occupied during the wait.

17th May. Robyn and I cycled into Auxonne. It whould have been just over 40k round trip but we ended up doing just under 60k due to a panic necessitating a return to St Jean when Robs realised that she did not have her purse with her and did not know where it was. We stopped at the great Crêpperie for a really good lunch which we felt we had deserved! Cycling round town after lunch we found that the barracks (where Napolian trained and was said to have “shown promiss”!) were having an open day so we went in and watched some dog training for a while.

           

 

In the evening we met up with Helen and Germaine at Jan for dinner overlooking the river and were rewarded with a pretty sky over the river on our walk home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25th May Mother’s Day moves around the world so that the makers of Mother’s Day tat can pass on what doesn’t sell in one country to the next!!! Cynic – Moi! Well I would be except for the fact that my totally delightful 91 year old neighbor, who I have helped to pick his 90 year old wife of over 70 years up off the floor after two falls, presented me with a beautiful African Violet today saying “you are a mother aren’t you?” He caught me in the lobby as I was about to set off on a cycle ride and recommended that I go to Dole. So I did and what a beautiful city it is. It is bisected by waterways. The Canal du Rhone et Rhin, the tanner’s canal and the river Doubes. It was a really pleasant day and a nice ride mostly along canal-side cycle paths.  The old part of the town is on a hill above the river and crowned by a rather grand church. It certainly deserves a more in depth visit and there are good moorings so perhaps this is somewhere to come in the boat?

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a section of turbulent water, where the run off from the lock is channeled, a slalom course for canoes has been set up.  Historical places of interest are marked with story boards in several languages and flower boxes proliferate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were a couple of lavories around the town and I am beginning to see these communal lauderey facilities everywhere now that I know what I am looking for and in doing so to realise their importance in the society of the era.

 

Dole is also the birth place of Louis Pateur.

 

 

It was an altogether very satisfactory days outing and good exercise at about 50k. On my return I met up with Phillip and Bergusha on the quay just back from Aussie to start their summer cruise.

As an aside, St Jean de Losne is a staging point on the pilgrameage of Saintiago de Composetlla as proclaimed by signs as you drive into town, I over look the route from my kitchen window and often see pilgrims walking or cycling along the way.

 

Which is just one of the many good reasons to be here on any given day!

 

29th May. Another public holiday, this time due      

to Assention Day. There was a Vide Grenier ( or

empty actic) at the Gare D’eau so I took my

surplus paint and some tools down. Shifted

quite a lot of stuff but not the paint!

31st May Today I went down to the ASTER at Decize to see her off on her journey to St Jean de Losne. I traveled down with Danielle from the Museum, Guy, the President of Aqua, the association that runs the museum and the ASTER project and Janine who is 85 but in her day was the only single woman Bargie who ran her boat and bought her three children at the same time. We cruised with ASTER and the crew for a few hours before heading back home. The boat ran well and the crew seemed to have her handling down to a fine art including the peculiar forward rudder that hangs under the bow and incontroled from the rear steering deck by long ropes running the length of the boat.

We were all issued with bright yellow!!! ASTER T/shirts which we were also welling along with caps and postcards at the locks as we went along. The press and TV were there to record the event. The pics below show Charles, Janine and Danielle being interviewed and Janine at the tiller.

            

 

 

 

 

Some of the other crew were Joe and Pete, Charles wife Patricia,  Steve & Helen and Peter and Glen.

            

 

I was really sorry not to be among them but know that if I don’t stay in town and continue to nag Phillippe work on my boat will not proceed as I would like it to.