1st. Most of the day working but still walked Cassidy and this time headed downstream. The high surrouning cliffs would tend to suggest a much bigger river in a long ago more aluvial time.
Arrived at the spot where the boats would have to leave the river and enter the canal, and the reason for this, a wier and an old water mill.
After this the river opens up round a big bend.
2nd. Taking advantage of truckless Sundays we headed off to St Jean de Losne to visit Charles and Patricia at their wonderful wood built round house on the old stretch of the river known as “The Old Lock”.
This small stretch of lock was built to avoid an Ox Bow bend in the river and to house a lock to take account of the differing water levels. The need for this fell away when the levels were regularised some years ago. It has now become a haven for live aboard boaters.
Ther was a man who had a dream to build a wooden boat
But sadly for this dreamy man the boat just wouldn’t float
And so he took the boat ashore and made a cozy home
This in no way destroyed the dream, the seas one day to roam
Charles and Patricia have taken over their daughters dog Mojo so Cassidy had an instant new friend
3rd. Off along the Canal de Borgoyne today, views from the bridge at St Jean de Losne…
to Ferme L’Abbayotte to have lunch with Jane and Robert and a friend from Argentina
and back at the ranch in the evening dinner en famile chez Gérard
4th, Tuesday. Laundry, van cleaning and work. It’s quarter end so that will be the refrain for a while till it is all sorted. In the evening we are going down to the Canoe Club on the Saône to watch Jojo (Charles and Patricia’s daughter) and her team practice for the up comming Dragon Boat races
After practice we went to the restaraunt at the campsite for dinner
The girls (C & P’s grandaughters) took placeing their orders very seriously!
The Saône looked lovely in the fading light.
5th. Went into town afterbreakfast to meet up with Lison before she headed off to work.
Then took a strole around town to see what had changed. The quayside was hosting the usual Wednesday market but if anything there were even more places to eat than previously.
The pavements in the main street are being relayed with new pastel shades of cobbles in beige and rose. The church is getting a face lift and is going to look very grand when it is finished.
There is a smart, new tourist office on the river front which is a better place for than in the Town Hall.
I called by the Aster to see how Charles and his “work” team were getting on…..
and took a look around the boat which is coming on a treat.
From there I went to the Book Swap which Germaine used to run and is now in Jane’s capable hands.
Stuck my nose into the museum
After a last look at the river and the port it was time to head back for lunch. We are invited to Max and Aureli’s. Their home is what used to be the lock keepers cottage but it has a bold new extention on the side with and upstairs living room and terrace. Great vieas and very smart.
6th. Time to leave. I was treated by this perching Herron when I opened the van’s door. A good send-off.
On the otherside of Baune is Volnay and from its vantage point a bit up the hill you get a sense of the scope of the vineyards.
After a lovely drive through the vineyards of the burgundy area I stopped for the night at Imphy and settled down to work.
7th. Meandered via the back roads to take a look at a couple of Aires for vicarious Books and also because I wanted to do back roads again. First stop was Marseilles-les-Aubigny on the Canal Lateral de la Loire. As I really enjoy all things boating, loocks canals etc I found the ambirnce very pleasant. However it was not a potential stop as the approved parking has no shade. It is in the low to mid 30’s today!
Historically the canals were built for the sole purpose of hauling goods by barge. The Bargies were an independant, self employed lot for the most part and they would present themselves at a port where a cargo was to be had and bid for a cargo and a destination. Their details were recorded on a large board and probably relayed ahead. So at frequest points along the canal a declaration would have to be made and a toll pain. This is one such point.
On the canal side mooring there are live abord boats of various sizes.
From there I moved on to Dun-sur-Auron where I parked under trees by the river in the tolerated parking area for campers. There was awier adjascent and the town walls with their turrets opposite.
Up on the hill in the town itself there was not much left of its medieval heritage.
Finally on to St Amand-Montrond to a nice shady Aire by a river and a fishing lake to settle down for the evening.
8th & 9th. Apart from moving from St A – M to Chaillac on the 8th and Saint-Sauvant on the 9th, the days were a mixture of back road meandering and catching up with work.
The Aire at Chaillac was on a lakem so a late evening meander round it with Cassidy was a relief from work and the heat, 34 in the shade.
The big treat of the 9th was stumbling across Chateau-Larcher where the C12th church had a wonderfully impressive arched door.
And then there are the remnants of a very early castlem now in ruins, and a later one complete with portculis.
and in among all this the populous live happily attached to crumbling vestigies of the villages glorious past.
As I had not found anywhere to my liking to stop for the night I took a random turn – off to Saint-Sauvant which boasted an Aire on its sign post. Sure enough there is a new Campingcar Park Aire on the outskirts of the village between the swimming pool and the water tower.
After settling in I took a walk into the village to see what justified the placing of an Aire here and significant suprises followed.
The village is spread out and has both a catholic church and a protestant temple and quite a few nice open squares. The square in fron of the Town Hall is unusually large.
In front of the Town Hall is a large board telling the story of the important roll of the Free French in this regeon and their collaboration with the Allied Forces to try and slow down the German advance on Normandy in 1944.
So one of the reasons to visit St Sauvant is to follow the Freedom Trail and the second is that it is one one of the routes to St Jacques de Compostelle. As shown by advise to pilgrims as to where to overnight.
The second notice is in the Aire.
Then I made the mistake of going on line, after all, Heaven forfend that I should miss something! And lo and behond it also has ramparts and a tower, so no quick exit on the morrow, I do have to try out the showers and see if they have hot water and track down those city walls!
10th It turns out that the St Sauvant with the ramparts and tower is not this one! So arter a nice shower, the first since leaving St Jean de Losne we set off ever Westward towards Rochefort.
Parked up in a wuiet parking space in Aulnay for the night. Other than the Donjon there really isn’t anything of interest here.
So just as I was about to write it off, Cassidy and I went for an evening stroll and came across this little canal threading its way between the backs of the houses, complete with a little lavoir and sluice gate.
And a bit further on the dove cote that was once in the grounds of the no longer existing chateau. It seems they built a fire inside to keep them warm in winter.
11th. after sorting out all the services and giving the cassette a really good clean I headed for the consessionaire to get the cassette problem and the roof lowering situation sorted out. They sorted out the roof but did not have time to look at the cassette but That will be done when I come back on the 1st August to get the Awning fitted.
I have now installed myself in the Aire at the Port and had a jolly good lunch with a glass of my favourite Poully Fumé. Now to decide where to await the Stewarts arrival?
12th. As I have time to kill I decided to go bike shopping and visited three shops where I had good service in terms of going through what would best suit my needs. So far a Scott ERIDE EVO LADY coming in at about Euro 5000 is the lead choice but it is rather heavy so I will reserve judgement till I have seen the Specialized at the bike shop in Royan. Then a drive on to La Rochelle where I located the Aire closest to where family Stewart will berth, it was souless and in a grungy area so not somewhere I wanted to spend four days. I also failed in horrendous traffic to find the actual docks! So I headed back south to Angoulens-sur-Mer and installed myself in the new camper parking lot just outside the village and a few minutes walk to the beach, not much shade though.
13th. Did the cliff top walk out to the point and had a swim. In the evening I joined the couple from the van next to me Celine from La Reunion and her partener Christoph, we had a few glasses and a good chat. Interesting couple.
14th. Have relocated to one of the parking lots that used to be an Aire, last time I was here about 8 years ago. Managed to get under a mulbery tree which provided good shade. Swam again and treated myself to a prawn lunch at one of the two smart new places that has opened up since I was last here. Exchanged phone numbers with C & C.
15th. Much cooler today. running the engine to charge everything up and getting work etc up-to-date.
Some seascapes of the pretty beach.
16th. Drove tp La Rochelle early morning and managed to secure a parking not too far from the Old Port. I had driven aroung the New Port area beforehand and it is industrial and souless so we decided to meet at the Old Port instead.
Coffee on being re-united after 5 years!
The stewarts clowning about as usual!
Some scenes around the port area.
After a good lunch Nita left us to return to the ship. Her Mum had taken a fall earlier in the day and she was concerned about her. By chance we ran into the rest of their party seated at another restaraunt – I ask you, what are the chances.
Kevin and Conor came back to the van with me to look it over and then we said our goodbyes and promissed that we would not leave it for another five years before getting together again.
As it was still only early afternoon and I had only had one small glass of wine I decided to drive home.
Two months, 5000 kilometers, three countries, five re-unions with really good friends – can’t be bad!
20th. Following a scrumping foray into the fields and the stripping of my own plumb tree I bottled nine liters of plumbs and made 8lbs of chutney including green tomatoes from the garden.
27th. Picked up my new electric bike this afternoon and took Cassidy for some trial rides round the estate. All went well but it is evident that I will need some practice. In the evening I picked up Jon and Henry from the airport. The plane had been delayed so it was after 11pm before we arrived home.
28th. Took a ride out to Talmond. Jon on the electric bike which he finds the most comfortable, and Henry and I on my two others. We had a nice lunch and a wander around the village.
29th. Jon and Henry went to the market in Royan.
In the evening we walked throu to the cliff tips to have dinner at the Caves de Matata. The view was splendid but the crepes were indifferent. I would not choose to go there again.
30th Made an early start and drove through to Port d’Envaux where we had breakfast overlooking the river before heading for les Lapidiales sculpture park.
We moved on to Taillebourg for a picnic lunch by the river and then headed to St. Prochaire to visit the Chateau de la Courbon.
Home via Seujon and the ice cream parlor!
31st. Today we planned to get oysters one way or another. We started off at Fort Louvois. The first challenge was crossing the slippery causeway.
Once there the views from the top of the tower across to Ile D’Oléron and the esturys were superb
We enjoyed a good explore
From there we drove to Brouage, explored the fortified village and had lunch.
We bought oysters at Euro 7.50 per dozen on the way home and Henry and I Schucked them. As we had bought 18, and why not at that price, we had a real feast.
capetocarpe 