Our first day was to Marigny Le Cahouet and 13 locks. This is a pleasant little country stop where we caught up with a delightful English couple, Mike and Gill on Carolyn. When we arrived they served us coffee and home made cake on a lovely picnic table under the tree - ah - just what you need after 13 locks - after dinner this of course was followed by a few glasses of wine and a quick game of Mexican Train. Then we collapsed into bed.
The next day 19 locks all very close together. This was handled by a team of 5 lock keepers on the little motorbikes, with them leapfrogging the locks so that all were open as we approached...a very busy day for lock keepers and crew as often then locks were just 100 metres apart...we think the boys were as glad to see the end of us as we were them! We pulled into Pouillenay once a very busy hire boat centre but these days almost deserted...no one came to collect our fees, a very quiet rural stop now.
Then onto Venarey les Laumes and only 9 locks - at a small village.Here we saw the hotel barge Colibri, run by a young Aussie couple...we first saw them down on the midi last year, and since we have been on the Bourgogne Canal we keep passing them...which means that the keep passing up. Fortunately they prefer to moor outside the towns as they would fill most of the small quays along this canal.
Finally a quiet day with just 7 locks. And just to keep things interesting as we pulled into a lock we saw the young male lock keeper take off his T-shirt and wring it out, with his 2 girl lockkeepers falling about with laughter. Apparently whilst waiting for us to arrive he was walking along the side of the lock sending a text message...and yes you guessed it....he fell in.So we stopped in the lock for an early lunch whilst he went home to get dry clothes and another cell phone. Lunch finished, the freshly clothed lockeeper came back on duty and into Montbard. This is the central town for this large farming community, all very prosperous, many huge farms along the canal. We have a nice mooring alongside the quay with electricity. We were quite tired after all our locks so decided to spend three nights recovering. Although the locks are all going down, and are quite easy, it is non stop action with so many so close together. We caught up with our washing and restocked the barge from the supermarkets....it had been days since we were able to get fresh bread.
The famous Abbey de Fontennay is only a few km's away so we caught a taxi and spent a couple of hours wandering around the Abbey and its grounds. It is a lovely 12th century series of buildings set in beautiful countryside. It has been magnificently restored, and the Abbey and grounds are immaculate. It has a very old forge with the first water powered hammer to break up the iron. ...this has been recreated by a group of students from many schools throughout Europe....they have done a terrific job, complete with a minature electric model so one can understand just how it all worked....amazing that the monks had this technology so long ago. Then back into town with a simple dinner out at the Hotel de Gare...and we watched with amusement as dozens of cars rushed up to the station at 9pm to meet passengers off the incoming trains from Paris and Dijon...both arrived at about the same time, so it was all action...then nothing....just freight trains through the night.
Lyn and Steve arrive in early September, so we decided to pick them up at Tonnere and take them to Briennon, near the end of the Canal du Burgogne. So we have some time up our sleeves so can have a few stop overs on the way.
Our first port was Ravieres a nice mooring in a tiny village where we had a super, but very rich meal at a restaurant near the port. Then on to Ancy Le Franc for a couple of nights, where we visited the famous chateau.
Our next Port was Tanlay, where we also had a nice mooring and spent a few days there. A tiny village with a 16th century chateau in the centre of the village - this was one of the nicest we have seen and was lived in until the 70's.
Then finally onto Tonnere where again we have a lovely mooring and will take the opportunity to restock the boat not having seen a supermarket since Montbard which was quite some time ago. We will pick up Steve and Lyn from the station here on Tuesday.
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