Los Angeles.

At LAX our luggage came through quickly and we passed immigration without any problems. I had heard that they were going to start taking prints from all fingers but they were still only taking both index finger prints. We caught the shuttle to the Marriott, same hotel as on the way over. Our room this time was on the lower or pool level and quite a long trek from reception but it was nice enough with the usual big comfortable beds (and really good bed linen – Judy). We purchased 24 hours of internet access for $12.50 (up from $10.00 last time) and checked the email. I also tidied up the blog, moving some photos around and adding some that we did not have time to upload in Paris.

Wednesday 18 July. We breakfasted in the hotel and set out to catch the bus to the Getty Center. This involved a change at Westwood but thanks to Judy’s research and previous experience we made it, arriving at about 11:30 after a 2 hour trip. From the bus stop at road level you take a free “tram”, actually a cable car, up the side of the hill. From the tram stop there is a wide and impressive flight of steps to the main entrance foyer. In the foyer there are information desks with maps, brochures about current exhibitions and audio guides are available. There was also an “installation” in the foyer, a fanciful “Uber Organ” made of ‘found materials’ which was controlled by an amusingly large scale photo-electric paper tape mechanism. This played for 5 minutes each hour, unrecognizable tunes of random notes.

We visited an exhibition of prints (including some works of Toulouse Lautrec) before we lined up for a guided tour of the gardens. The guide turned out to be a bit of an old wind-bag but he did highlight some interesting aspects of the design. We then had a light lunch at one of the cafes and continued our exploration of the gardens and galleries. The architecture is stunning and the location is superb with panoramic views from the Sierras in the east, the metropolis of LA to the south and the Pacific to the west. It was a brilliant day with a moderate sea breeze in the afternoon and hardly a trace of the notorious smog. We did not attempt to see everything but the experience was excellent. The works are displayed mostly in subdued and diffused natural light which is particularly effective for the impressionists. The bus trip home was even longer than the trip out but we eventually made it back to the hotel and ‘dined’ in the sports bar.

Thursday 19 July. In the morning we walked along the road from the hotel for brunch at a Dennys before returning to the hotel and packing our bags yet again. We had arranged for a late check-out at 3:00pm but checked out early and stored the bags with the bell-man. We then caught the bus to Santa Monica, which was another cheap but tedious trip. Santa Monica features an attractive pedestrian area a couple of blocks back from the beach. We were drawn to a toy shop called “The Puzzle Zoo” where we found a new range of “Action Figures”, for example Jane Austen, Sigmund Freud, Oscar Wild and Marie Antoinette (With pop off head action!). I’m sure Barbie and Ken are shaking in their bikinis!

We had a coffee and went walking down to the Santa Monica pier, which was interesting and pleasant in a tacky kind of way. There were plenty of people on the beach and in the water they were confined to roped-off areas by the “Life Guards”. The weather was sunny and warm with a light sea breeze forming condensation clouds around the hills to the north. Back at the promenade we had a drink and pizza while listening to a quite good guitarist busking, then

caught the bus back to the hotel – a trip yet more tedious again! – picked up our bags and caught the shuttle to the airport.

No upgrade available at check-in, but after negotiating security and some time after settling into the lounge we were pleased to hear ourselves paged – and readily accepted sitting apart for the sake of getting upgraded on this leg too. (It really makes very little difference as you’re not side by side anyway.) Enjoyed stretching right out again and the opportunity to get some good rest before arrival in Auckland.

Where, after longish wait at immigration (why don’t they do what everyone else does and have more people for the ‘locals’?) and virtually no wait for the luggage, we put everything through the x-rays for the last time and emerged to be greeted by Rob, Janet, Logan and three very excited grandsons: just great! After a lovely family morning (and a sort of ‘introductory catchup’ with all the children, who had indeed noticeably grown up so much) we gratefully accepted the offer of Heidi’s car to get ourselves back home. And so ended the trip of a lifetimeJ

London.

Monday 16 July. From our hotel in Paris we took a taxi to the Gare du Nord as did not fancy negotiating the metro with all our luggage. The Eurostar left on time and we had a smooth trip through the flat French country side so familiar from our canal trip, through the tunnel and finally to London Waterloo where we took a black cab to our hotel in Norfolk Place near Paddington Station. After checking in and delivering the bags to our small and rather dingy room we set out for a walk, first to Paddington to refresh our memory of the Heathrow Express and buy tickets for the next day. We then found our way down to Hyde Park where we followed the road over the Serpentine to Kensington. The weather was fine and warm and we were actually looking for a café when we spotted a banner on the Royal Albert Hall advertising the BBC Proms. Since we had not visited this famous venue before we went along for a look and ended up booking for the concert that evening!

We eventually found a café in the South Kensington area and had a late lunch then went to take the tube back to Paddington…what a shock: £4.00 for a one way, one-zone ticket! We decided to take the all-day tickets for £5.10 each as we intended to use the tube to get to and from the concert. (Compare this to a carnet of 10 tickets on the Paris metro for €11.10 and very long rides on the LA buses for $0.25 each for seniors.) The trains were still packed with passengers and yet the London papers were full of news that MetroNet, one of the “privatized” underground contractors, had gone broke. It does make you wonder where the money was going.

The visit to the Proms was a great success as unplanned events often are. The hall was over 50% full which was not bad for a Monday night with a fairly esoteric program. The line-up included a symphony orchestra and full choir from Rome with the Swingle Singers and 4 top operatic soloists. The first offering was a modern composition by B….. which involved the Swingle Singers murmuring into microphones to the accompaniment of the orchestra blasting away in a disjointed fashion with lots of percussion! After the interval was Stabat Mater, a sacred work by Rossini in 12 parts, describing the crucifixion and the reactions of various biblical characters to the tragedy. The choir and the soloists were excellent even though the soprano was a last minute replacement due to sickness. There was a long ovation at the end but you could not stage an encore with this kind of music. Eventually we made our way back to South Kensington, took the tube to Paddington where we had a light supper at Garfunkles, and so to bed.

Tuesday 17 July. In the morning we breakfasted on some fruit in the room while we doing some ironing and repacking our bags. After checkout at 11:00 we dragged our luggage to Paddington station and boarded the first Heathrow Express, early, but we figured we would be better off in the airline lounge than hanging about in town. This was just as well because for no properly explained reason the train stopped for 30 minutes in the middle of nowhere and was actually passed by the next Heathrow train! Some of the passengers were getting quite hot under the collar. Then when we arrived the 10 minute walk to the Air New Zealand counter at Terminal 3 turned into a marathon as we were directed back out of the building, through a maze of construction works and back in at the other side. Signs explained that “We are Building a World Class Airport”, Yeah Right. The weather was threatening and we were lucky to get through without being rained on.

Our temper was restored however when we got to the counter and found our upgrade request had been successful and we would have the new lie flat sleeping pods. Facilities at the United lounge were minimal, with no food available but we were soon settled in on the aircraft. It felt a bit strange not sitting next to each other but the comfort and service were great. There was a long take off delay due to an aircraft which had broken down and had to be towed out of the way, however this gave us an opportunity to make the most of the extra glass(es) of free champagne.

During the flight I watched 2 movies: “Black Sheep”, a Kiwi splatter saga in the early Peter Jackson genre and “Chinatown”, a noir classic directed by Roman Polonski (before he got into trouble with the US authorities) staring Jack Nicholson, Fay Dunnaway and some great old cars and LA locations. We touched down at LAX pretty much on schedule, after an excellent flight.

Paris.

Thursday 12 July. Smooth train trip from Vermenton to Gare Paris Bercy, which is the station for “auto-cars” (diesel-powered rail-car units) while the electric trains go to Gare de Lyon. We wheeled our luggage straight out to the street where taxis were waiting, bid goodbye to Terry and Ann and directed the cab to our hotel, the Louvre Rivoli close to the Chatelet Metro. The room overlooked a quiet street from the 5^th floor and had been renovated but was rather small and dominated by an enormous black wardrobe close to one side of the bed, no door handles and very hard to open. A triumph of style over practicality – as was the bathroom to a lesser extent. The lobby was still being renovated and the charges for internet access were outrageous: €10 for an hour. The central location was great however.

We went walking in the afternoon, checked out a couple of possible restaurants in the Rue St Marc for dinner and returned to the hotel via an indirect route. There were intermittent showers and it seemed to rain every time we stepped outside. We had dinner at Clementine, which had been recommended by some friends and which we also enjoyed.

Friday 13 July. The morning was fine and the forecast was for a hot day. After breakfast at a nearby café Judy went shopping and Denis stayed in to work off-line on photo annotations and blog updates. We walked over the Pont Neuf to the Left Bank, stopping on the Ile de la Cite for lunch, during which a guy parked a cute vintage Simca Cinq nearby in a motorbike park. This attracted a lot of attention from passing pedestrians and tourists. On the Left Bank we shopped for some family presents and eventually returned to the hotel to freshen up and relax.

We went for dinner at a small restaurant we had spotted down near the Forum des Halles called Chez Max. This was up some narrow and grubby stairs and was almost empty when we arrived so we were not sure what we were in for. However some more customers soon arrived, in particular a noisy group including a guy in an All Black shirt who looked like he could have been a rugby player. They were celebrating a birthday so there were lots of kisses all round, photos and a birthday cake with a sparkler while everyone in the restaurant sang “Bon Anniversaire”. The food was actually quite good and we would recommend it if you like old family style places.

After dinner we took the Metro to the Place de la Bastille where a “bal populaire” was in progress. This consisted of a large stage with the usual video screens, lots of noise and about 100,000 people jammed into the square. There were a large proportion of non-whites and the best of the music was African-rock. There were groups of cops stationed around the square but the crowd seemed peaceful enough and enjoying the warm night. After midnight the show ended and we walked back to the hotel through the crowded streets. As we passed a fire station in the Marais district we saw a huge queue of people trying to get into one of the Sapeurs Pompiers balls which we had heard were very popular. We eventually got to bed about 1:00am.

Saturday 14 July, Bastille Day. We got up fairly early and headed down to the Metro to get out to the Champs Elysees for the big parade. When we emerged from the Metro about 1km down from the Arc de Triomphe there was already a large crowd lining the street and platoons of soldiers lined up down the far side. We bought some bread rolls and coffee and went through the security checks to get to the roadside - then had to wait for over an hour before things started to happen, and we were glad of the shade of the big plane trees. First there was a series of inspections of the troops by the military top brass, then the new president Sarkozy was driven slowly past surrounded by the Republican Guard and band in traditional Napoleonic uniforms with silver helmets, red plumes and gold braid, mounted on chestnut horses.

The troops then formed up into columns with the regimental banners in front and marched off down in the direction the Place de la Concorde where the

reviewing stand with all the VIPs was located. (Of course, we could not see this part. You probably needed to have been waiting all night for a spot there.) Then there was a parade of military hardware with the officers standing at attention in their armored cars and tanks, followed by all kinds of equipment such as armored bulldozers, water tankers, generator trucks, radar trucks etc. The biggest cheer however was for the Sapeurs Pompiers in their fire engines and silver helmets at the tail end of the parade. Another high point was the fly-past: an aerobatic team trailing red, white and blue smoke, Mirage fighters flying in close formation with flight refueling planes, reconnaissance aircraft, freighters and helicopters. At one stage we spotted a guy in uniform on what appeared to be a military (or maybe the new Mk 2) version of a Segway, with large alloy wheels and tyres zipping down the road with a video camera attached to it.

The photos of the parade have some interesting juxtapositions with the movie posters: Sarkozy/Simpsons, Police contingent/Hot Fuzz.

After the parade we walked down the Champs Elysees hoping to get as far as Concorde, but the security barriers prevented this so we headed east and wound up at the Printemps store where we first went to the roof-top café for some refreshment and then did a little shopping for presents. We took the Metro to the hotel for a rest before dining at an Italian restaurant and catching the Metro back to Concorde to see the fireworks. Again we had a wait of over an hour but it was a beautiful night and we had a good vantage point by the bridge. The start of the display was signaled by the flashing lights on the Eiffel Tower; soon after the fireworks began, running for about 30 minutes. The Eiffel Tower lights were turned off after the first few minutes and then a few minutes before the end they were turned on again. It was a very good display but as we were some distance away we couldn’t hear the music which was supposed to accompany it. We walked back to the hotel along the banks of the Seine and got to bed about midnight.

Sunday 15 July. In the morning we took our laundry to the place in the Marais district near the Bretonnerie we had used before and had breakfast at a nearby café while it was washing. Everything very quiet around there after two nights of partying! We returned to the hotel and found, as we expected, that the nearby streets had been cordoned off in preparation for the official launch of the “Velib” free (less than 30 mins) /cheap (for short periods) bicycle project in Paris. We found a good viewing spot next to the stage where the speeches would be made and close to the row of bikes in their high-tech stands. The place was crawling with security guards, police and news media. Eventually the Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë, arrived, walking over from the nearby Hotel de Ville. He was admitted through the security fence quite near us and started to greet and shake hands with members of the public as politicians are wont to do. He was a rather short, dapper fellow in a white sports coat and dark slacks. When he got near us Judy put out her hand and it was duly shaken – pity she missed most of what he said to her, and unfortunately I was not quick enough to capture the moment on camera! Soon the speeches started and eventually, after they’d gone on for some time, the Mayor threw a switch and activated the 750 bike stations with their 10,600 bikes. There will be a further 10,000 bikes by the end of the year. The first “members of the public” then attempted to use the system which seemed to take a long time even with expert assistance although we couldn’t see what was going on due to the media mob. Eventually a couple of people cycled away although we were disappointed the Mayor was not one of them. By the evening the bike racks were empty and the streets were full of happy cyclists.

In the meantime, we took a Metro out to Chateau Vincennes, to get to a large park on the eastern outskirts of Paris: le Parc Floral de Paris, where a jazz concert was to be held. This was very pleasant on a hot sunny afternoon and after a light lunch at one of the cafes we lay on the grass along with hundreds of Parisians and their families enjoying some lively music. In the late afternoon we took the Metro back to the hotel and then walked out for dinner at “Au Pied du Cochon”, a restaurant near the Forum des Halles, which was quite good and has some unusual dishes on the menu, including all parts of the cochon (pig) served in different ways. On the way we called into a WorldCom shop to access the Internet, check our email and update the blog. The place was full of people shouting into telephones in unrecognizable languages and to get to the computers we had to climb a set of stairs steep and narrow even by Paris standards!

Joigny to Auxerre and Vermenton.
Saturday 7 July. Morning calm with light overcast burning off. Under way about 10:00and arrived at lock Pechoir at 10:30 to find one boat waiting and the lock keepers peering inside the control box. Denis went to have a look and established that there was power supply to the box but the Programmable Logic Controller had no status display and looked dead. The engineer had been called and was on his way. Eventually after an hour or so the gates opened and the 4 waiting boats entered, locked up and passed through the next lock before lunch. The other 3 boats were turning off to the Canal de Bourgogne at Migennes and had to wait at the lock there. We intended to stop for lunch at Migennes but the port consisted of a repair yard cluttered with boats and rusty barges so we continued to the next lock, La Graviere, where we tied up to the big peniche mooring posts.

The lock opened at 14:00 and we entered in company with another boat passing through to the canal section Derivation de Gurgy and subsequently moored for the night at the quay in the village of Gurgy. There were many camper vans parked nearby and eventually 5 other cruising boats. A pillar-box nearby dispensed power and water at €3 each for 1 hour of power and 10 minutes (about 100 litres) of water, and you had to buy tokens from the supermarket (which had run out) or the restaurant (which initially was shut). Not the way to attract tourists I’m afraid. However we had a pleasant evening with a BBQ dinner eaten on deck, feeling that summer was coming at last.

Location for Gurgy. N47º51.843’ E003º33.285’ Altitude 96 metres.
Run for the day, 26km and 6 (big) locks.

Sunday 8 July. Morning fine and calm. Took on water (3 tokens, unknown quantity) and under way at 8:35. Passed up the first lock, Moneteau, on our own and at the next lock were joined by a boat with 2 English couples. Conditions were perfect and Ann decided to bike the tow path to the next lock. However the next lock was on the opposite side of the river (the Left Bank) and she could not get across the barrage, so she had to bike back to Moneteau and cross the bridge to catch us at the lock after that, Dumonts, after riding 11km. The lock keeper here advised that at the next lock only one gate was operating, wide enough for pleasure boats but too small for peniches. To make things more difficult there was a strong current from the weir or barrage, however Terry manoeuvred in with only a couple of light bumps. The other boat was lighter and got caught in the current and had to make several approaches before getting in. The lock keeper said that the lock gate had been broken for 2 months and would not be repaired until the end of July, which will make for some exciting times when the busy holiday season gets under way.

We arrived in Auxerre at 11:15 and found a good berth at the north end of the pleasure boat quay with power and water. The 2 English couples moored alongside us to take on water and go shopping. We had a good chat to them and Terry and Ann had drinks with them later. In the meantime Judy and Denis went to the railway station and purchased tickets for the return to Paris then had lunch at a café where a band of aging rockers was tuning up just across the river from where Madame Ashley was moored. During the afternoon the weather deteriorated again with a sudden heavy shower in the late afternoon. Denis and Judy went for dinner with Francois and Sylvie while Ann and Terry dined at a nearby bistrot. Rain set in later in the evening.

Location for Auxerre. N47º47.940’ E003º34.550’ Altitude 100 metres.
Run for the day, 10km and 5 (big) locks.

Monday 9 July. Lay day in Auxerre. Morning overcast and calm with occasional drizzle. Regular thunderstorms and squalls throughout the day. Terry got caught in one when he went to get bread and got back to the boat soaked. Did shopping and laundry. The rain cleared in the evening sufficiently to get the BBQ going and cook some very nice lamb chops. Played cards after dinner.

Tuesday 10 July. Morning overcast and cool. Watered up and under way at 8:45, through the first lock on our own at 9:00. The river and canal sections opened up to crop lands, wheat and corn with grape vines on the hills to the east near Bailly where the wine cooperative uses old underground quarries as their cellars or caves. Moored for lunch at lock Vincelottes at 11:50 having covered 12km and 7 locks, mostly in drizzling rain, and with a second boat in the later locks. Very good crew work and the locks now the usual small size which will normally take only 2 pleasure boats. During lunch a third boat moored ahead of us and made to get into the lock first, which provoked a reaction from us and the next boat in line.

We continued on, mostly in rain, through 5.5km and 3 locks, and turned right for the Vermenton branch, 4km and 2 locks, mooring at the hire boat base at 16:00 alongside Biggles, whose skipper was now away. The ‘boucle’ (loop) completed!

Location for Vermenton. N47º39.801’ E003º43.642’ Altitude 118 metres.
Run for the day, 23km and 13 locks.

Wednesday 11 July. Morning overcast and cool. Did laundry, cleaned boat and started packing bags. Signed off engine hours and finalized costs with hire company. In the late afternoon we had champagne on the after deck and the ceremonial lowering of the New Zealand colours.

In the evening we took a taxi to a very good restaurant in the nearby village of Accolay for our final dinner and were delivered back to the boat by the Maitre’d all very merry.

Thursday 12 July. Morning cloudy but a little warmer. All packed up and off the boat soon after 10:00. Ferried to the Vermenton train station by the hire company staff and caught the rail-car at 11:12, direct to Paris Bercy.

Thus ended the second part of our canal cruise, the loop including the Canal du Nivernais, Canal Lateral a la Loire, Canal de Briare, Canal de Loing, the Seine and the Yonne:
Total distance traveled, 542.25km.
Engine running time, 130.6 hours.
Average speed including idling at locks, 4.15km/hr.
Total number of locks negotiated, 219.

For the first part of the cruise on the Canal du Midi and Canal de Garonne:
Total distance traveled, 366km.
Engine running time, 86.3 hours.
Average speed including idling at locks, 4.24km/hr.
Total number of locks negotiated, 148.

Grand totals:
Total distance traveled 908.25km.
Total engine running time, 216 hours.
Total locks negotiated, 367.

St Mammes to Joigny, the Seine and Yonne rivers.
Saturday 30 June, fete day at St Mammes. The fete activities were a little disappointing: the “fashion parade” on the jetty by the boat was just some of the local girls dressing up and the aquatic display was the local kayak club and a couple of guys hooning about on jetskis. We got the laundry done and watched the locals at play. The highlight of the fete was a marching band of African drummers with players ranging from 10 year old kids to grey-haired old ladies, very entertaining with an infectious rhythm. In the evening we dined on board and then took in the entertainment. Judy and Denis danced at a traditional “Guinguette” to the tune of an accordion and guitar (with a backing track from a laptop computer, after all it is 2007!). At the other end of the quay was a quite reasonable rock band playing classics from the Chuck Berry era.

Sunday 1 July, Woke to rain. The regular market day at St Mammes in addition to the fete. Very good fruit and veges on sale so we stocked up the boat. Then the four of us shared a taxi to Fontainbleau, about 10km from St Mammes. Entry was free as it was the first Sunday of the month and we took an audio-guided tour of the royal apartments more or less as they were in the time of Napoleon. Very interesting, but not as impressive as we recalled Versailles. During lunch at a local café there was a short heavy rain storm then after lunch we walked in the gardens until it was time to meet the taxi to return to St Mammes. Dinner on board. We watched with interest as the guests arrived for the next week’s cruise on the Bonne Humeur and were given the introductory champagne and lecture.

Monday 2 July. Topped up the water tank and got under way at 9:30. The Bonne Humeur had already cast off and was refueling on the other side of the Seine. An interesting run up the Seine past moored barges, industrial sites and river-side residential properties. Arriving at the first barrage and lock at Varennes we had to wait for flotilla of 3 peniches, a pusher tug and a pleasure cruiser to emerge as this lock is immense, about the size of a football field. Eventually we entered and ascended all by ourselves, feeling rather dwarfed. We turned from the Seine into the Yonne at 11:50 and moored for lunch on a quay near Monterau-fault-Yonne, just behind a wrecked peniche. Soon after, a working peniche arrived and moored outside the wreck. Then a double peniche rig arrived and moored outside him. These double rigs consist of 2 standard 38 metre, 400 tonne peniches lashed rigidly together, bow to stern and a worked by a man-and-wife team the same as for a single peniche, so saving on running costs. They use a single engine when cruising but use both engines and rudders to great effect when maneuvering, with the man driving one boat and the wife driving the other. They must have a very close working relationship!

Just as we were finishing lunch the first peniche departed and the double rig wanted to pull in alongside the wreck, so we had to get under way too to avoid getting boxed in or crushed. We caught up with the peniche again at the first lock on the Yonne, called Cannes. This was our first “sloping sided” lock and we moored alongside the peniche, which we found is actually the best way of handling these. You enter the lock after the peniche is moored up, the battelier will help you tie up alongside and then you exit the lock first to give the peniche plenty of room. You then pull to the side to let the peniche past as they do the full 12km/hr allowed in the river sections while the best we can do is 9km/hr. without the engine over-heating.

At the next locks, Labrosse and Barbey, we moored alongside the double rig we had seen at lunchtime and had a chat with the battelier. Eventually at 16:00 we moored up at a little concrete jetty at the village of Misy-sur-Yonne. This afforded some shelter from the fresh westerly wind which had persisted all day, which had been mostly cloudy with threatening rain, not too cold. There was very little at this village but the church was very old and we found a large run-down and unoccupied chateau which could have been a setting for a novel or film.

Location for Misy-sur-Yonne. N48º21.461’ E003º05.310’ Altitude 62 metres.
Run for the day, 28km and 4 (big) locks.

Tuesday 3 July. Morning very wet and depressing. Everyone slept in late. Under way about 10:20 in misty rain. First lock, Reynard, vertical sided, and we tied up as normal. The second lock was at the start of a canal section and was sloping sided with a floating pontoon. These run on rails up the side of the lock but are rather rickety and difficult to see from the Madame Ashley helm position when manoeuvring alongside. After this lock the rain was so bad we switched to using the inside helm position for the first time. The canal rejoined the river at about 12:00 and we stopped for lunch at 12:30 at Bordeau on a concrete jetty with mooring but no water. We continued after lunch through locks and small villages looking out for a mooring with water until we came to Sens where there was no room at the recommended quay. However we passed under the bridge and found an old jetty at the very end of the island which divides the river, berthing at 17:00 and were pleased to find water was available.

Location for Sens. N48º11.723’ E003º16.463’ Altitude 66 metres.
Run for the day, 27.5km and 4 (big) locks.

Wednesday 4 July. This was a lay-day in Sens. The weather was cold and squally with fresh SW wind and showers. We did sight seeing, laundry and shopping. Dinner at an excellent local Italian restaurant, La Giardino.

Thursday 5 July. Morning cold with fresh SW but not raining. Watered up and under way at 9:00. Smooth run to the first lock where while we were waiting a very nice boat called “Biggles”, flying RAF colours, caught up with us. We locked through with him and at the next lock there was a tricky moment when a laden peniche leaving the lock signaled that we were to pass on the starboard side, while at the same time a peniche which had been discharging on the left bank did a 180º turn and came up behind us to go into the lock first and we had to get out of the way. Madame Ashley and Biggles moored up to the peniche which is the best way with these sloping-sided locks and we followed the peniche through the following lock as well before he stopped to reload with gravel. We continued in company with Biggles until at 12:15 we moored for the day (and night) at Villeneuve sur Yonne. Had coffee and chat with Irish couple on Aquarelle. Dinner on board.

Location for Villeneuve sur Yonne. N48º05.028’ E003º17.592’ Altitude 72 metres.
Run for the day, 16.5km and 4 (big) locks.

Friday 6 July. Rain and strong winds overnight but rain eased by 7:00. Under way at 9:20 for smooth run on the river with little other traffic apart from a double peniche until we reached the lock at Villevallier where we were joined by 2 other pleasure boats. At 12:30 we arrived at Joigny and found a vacant berth at the jetty of the Cote St Jacques restaurant, where we had made a reservation for the evening to celebrate Terry’s birthday. The other boat on the jetty belonged to the hotel of the same name. Better still there was water and power available. In the afternoon we explored the town which has many ancient buildings and was the home of St Vincent de Paul. In the centre of the town there was an area of new buildings where there had been a gas explosion in 1981. I was interested to find an “artisan” printing shop where they still set type by hand and had many old trays of type in a wide range of fonts.

We dressed up for dinner as the Cote St Jacques is a very classy restaurant and we enjoyed an outstanding meal.

Location for Joigny. N47º58.980’ E003º23.134’ Altitude 77 metres.
Run for the day, 18km and 3 (big) locks.

Notes on navigation on the Yonne.
The river is mostly broad and deep and the maximum speed is 12km/hr although Madame Ashley only makes about 9km/hr continuous running at 1950rpm without overheating. Steering however is much easier than in the narrow and shallow canals where only 6km/hr is possible.

The banks of the river are mostly over-hanging trees with numerous fishing huts and jetties with license numbers. There are also creeks and wetlands and the river winds gently through the landscape. There is much wild life, including swans, ducks, swallows, terns, cormorants, cranes and apparently plenty of fish.

Every few kilometers there is a “barrage” with a lock on one side. These were constructed in the 1860s to allow barges to navigate up and down the Yonne and to control flooding. The barrages consist of fixed spillways and adjustable sections with wooden “needles” which can be inserted or removed to control the flow. Some barrages have been equipped with electrically operated gates and there are several sites where work is in progress to install these. There are also some stretches of the river which must have been too difficult to tame and these have been bypassed by canal sections of a few kilometers with a lock at the down-stream end.

Briare to St Mammes, Canal de Briare et Canal du Loing.
Tuesday 26 June. Very strong SW wind gusts and rain squalls over night. Watered up and did laundry and sight-seeing in the morning. Under way at 10:45, entered the main canal at 11:45 and stopped for lunch at lock 5 Vernon. From this point it is known as the Canal de Briare and a chain of 8 rising locks and 6 descending locks took us to Rogny-les-Sept-Ecluses (Rogny of the 7 locks because the old Briare canal had a staircase of 7 locks which are preserved as a national monument.) Our speed through this section was extremely limited because we were following a hotel barge, the “Bon Vivant” which could only just fit through the locks and motored very slowly between them. We took care to moor down steam of this barge and planned to leave ahead of it the next morning. We dinned out at the Auberge des 7 Ecluses which was very enjoyable after a hard day of pushing the boat in the rain through 18 km and 17 locks.
Location for Rogny-les-Sept-Ecluses. N47º44.825’ E002º52.832’ Altitude 148 metres.
Wednesday 27 June. Morning cloudy, calm and cool. Under way at 8:00 to make sure we were ahead of the Bon Vivant which we had been advised was planning to get to the first lock at 9:30. We waited at the first lock and passed through at 9:00 with a small local boat. Smooth cruising under cloudy skies with a lunch stop at lock 29, Montbouy. After lunch there were some sunny spells and also rain threatened but did not eventuate. The canal ran alongside the Loing river and there were many ponds, streams and old mills to be seen on the starboard side with thick woods or fields of grain on the port side. We moored at Montargis for the night at 17:00, first stopping near some grain silos before we found the last berth before the lock with some friendly boaters nearby: Dutch and South African. As the night was fine we decided to have a BBQ, which was not without incident. First a French guy tried to cadge a glass of wine off us, then someone called the Pompiers (Fire Brigade) - presumably they did not like our BBQ smoke - but we acted innocent and they went away.
Run for the day, 33 km and 14 locks.
Location for Montargis. N47º59.583’ E002º44.078’ Altitude 96 metres.
Thursday 28 June. Spent the morning in Montargis sight seeing and shopping. Found a Cyber Café but it was closed due to a flood in the shop. We were watered up and ready to start after lunch at 13:00, but the young lady lock keeper (probably a student) held us up for 30 minutes while 2 boats came up through the 2 locks in the town. Finally we cleared the locks and passed through the town which has a lot of small branch canals, then through an industrial area and out into the country again. At lock 36, Buges, the Canal de Briare ended and became the Canal de Loing. We continued through a wide canal and forest until mooring for the night at Nargis. This is a small, still alive village with a general store and bakery and a very old church with a strangely shaped dome mounted on top of a square Norman tower.
Run for the afternoon, 15 km and 9 locks.
Location for Nargis. N48º06.780’ E002º45.454’ Altitude 48 metres.
Friday 29 June. Morning fine but cool with moderate southerly wind. Under way at 8:45 and moored at Nemours lock at 12:30 for lunch. Our restart was delayed until 13:45 while the lock keeper attended to boats at the locks up-stream. We intended to moor at the port shown in the guide in an old branch of the river just below the lock, but as we emerged from the lock there was some confusion about which side of a bridge pylon we were supposed to go and then we found that the serviced mooring site did not actually exist. One side of the river was all private landings and the other side was just grassy banks under the trees of a park. All most stressful and frustrating, so we returned to the main canal determined to find a decent serviced mooring as we were going to need water at least: the next chance is at Moret-sur-Loing.
At Moret-sur-Loing we were told by the lockkeeper, when in the lock, that there was no space at the Moret port and that we would have to continue to St Mammes. During subsequent discussions a rope jammed on the bollard and had to be cut off. Eventually we passed on down toward the Seine looking for a suitable spot amongst the rusting barges and other boats moored long-term. At last we spotted a power and water box on the right bank near an old disused lock, did a U-turn and moored up only to find no water and no power available. So after a long, frustrating and stressful day we all had a drink and settled in with the hope of a better day tomorrow. While dinner was cooking Denis decided to go for a walk down to the junction with the Seine and found that there was a vacant berth at the St Mammes port for €10 per night. After his sprint back to the boat we decided to take advantage of this berth and by 19:15 we were safely moored with power and water connected. A luxury hotel boat, the “Bonne Humeur”, was moored along side, protecting us from the worst of the wash from the river traffic. Even better, when Judy went to talk to the Capitaine she discovered that there was to be a “Fete de l’Eau” to be held over the weekend, with stalls, music, dancing and displays of various aquatic activities including scuba diving, jet-skis, kayaks, rowing, water jousting and peniches, so it looked like we had struck it lucky at last.
Run for the day, 40km and 12 locks.
Location for St Mammes. N48º23.312’ E002º48.357’ Altitude 46 metres.
(There’s definitely something funny with the GPS altitude readings!)

Canal Lateral a La Loire, Nevers to Briare.
Friday 22 June. Lay day in Nevers. Shopping, haircuts and sight seeing. Too bad the canal port is so far from the down-town area. Found a radio and TV repair shop with an interesting display of old radios and test equipment.
Saturday 23 June. Heavy rain and strong wind over night. Tried to fill water tanks but water had been turned off. Tried to phone Capitaine but no answer. Ho-hum. Under way at 9:00 and through 2 locks and right turn to Canal Lateral a la Loire at 10:00. Cold fresh westerly wind but rain holding off. Crossed “Pont Canal” and descended double staircase locks at Guetin with strange sloping walls and lots of onlookers. Stopped for lunch at lock 24, Laubray. Under way again at 13:00. Stopped for water at Cours-les –Barres, a small village which had gone to a lot of trouble to make a port for canal boaters. Our intended over night stop at Marseilles-les-Aubigny was clogged up with old peniches so we carried on and moored for the night at La-Chapelle-Montlinard. This was listed as a port with power and water but we found that the boat yard had gone bust in 2004 and we had to join the local club “Les Amis du Port” (€3.00) to get power. No water however. The scene was dominated by huge wheat silos with a peniche waiting to load up. Run for the day, 39.5 km and 10 locks.
After dinner Ann organized a diversion in the form of a yacht race. We each had to make a yacht from a walnut shell with mast and sails made from materials found on the boat. The yachts were then launched on the canal to sail a down-stream, down wind course of about 5 metres. Two contestants sank, one finished the course and the other is still sailing; good fun.
Location for La-Chapalle-Montlinard. N47º10.185’ E002º59.439’ Altitude 161 metres.
Sunday 24 June. Morning calm, cool and overcast. Under way at 8:50 and with Terry on the helm kept a good pace to lock 32, La Grange, for lunch. Conditions warm and sunny(!) so lunched on the after deck. Under way again at 13:00 for the short run to St Thibault, close to the hill town of Sancerre, famous for its wine. Good mooring with a very helpful Capitaine who also provided taxi services, so we took a taxi trip up the hill to Sancerre. Very interesting old town with panoramic views from the tower which is the only one left standing after the religious wars of 1573 when the town was besieged by the Catholic forces of the King. The St Thibault port is on a short branch canal and has a lock connecting it to the Loire, 4 metres below, which is seldom used. It was a calm, clear and warm evening(!) so we had a BBQ dinner on the after deck. Run for the day, 23 km and 4 locks.
Location for St Thibalt. N47º20.414’ E002º51.919’ Altitude 147 metres.
Monday 25 June. Morning rain with fresh NW wind. Under way ay 8:45 and tuned to starboard at end of branch canal to continue northward on the Canal Lateral a la Loire. Stopped for lunch at Belleville-sur-Loire with its huge nuclear power station and cooling towers (but where they’re making effort to attract boats to moor). Under way again at 13:00 in rain as we approached Beaulieu, past the old canal which descended to the Loire for the crossing to Briare and past Chatillon-sur-Loire to the famous Pont Canal at Briare which crosses the Loire at a high level. This was constructed by Gustave Eiffel in 1886 and consists of a steel tank supported by stone piers and is something of a work of art. We needed to go down the branch Canal Henri IV to the old port of Briare to meet the France Fluviale agents and refuel. However we tangled with a tour boat loaded with school children which insisted on passing us and then went down the first lock of the branch canal and back up again, forcing us to wait about 30 minutes. We eventually moored at the old port at 17:15, fuelled up and Pascal did some checks and brought us extra bedding and towels.
Briare was a maze of small canals where the small Loire river boats used to transfer their loads to the larger boats for the trip to Paris. This is now a strange area of overgrown islands and water lilies. The town features a church with mosaic decorations and many relics related to the canals. Run for the day, 42 km and 8 locks.
Location for Briare. N47º38.413’ E002º44.293’ Altitude 130 metres.