Briare to Montargis - Van and Mark come to visit

Whilst Briare is a lovely port, it is a bit expensive for a long stay, so after dropping Bram at the station we headed off for the short trip to Ouzouere sur Trezee.  We arrived shortly after lunch and it was lovely to find Andrew and Jenny on Jef already moored there - so of course a good excuse for a drink that night!

The next day Randy and Debbie came up for coffee and took me back to Briare to collect the car.

As we have Van and Mark joining us in a week or so we decided to stay here until they arrived.  We then did a trip to Montargis booking stops at Rogny and Chattilon.

Randy and Debbie decided to join us at Ouzouere so we went down to Briare to see them come across the historic aquaduct.

The weather wasn't too good with lots of rain.  So a good excuse for drinks and dinners aboard each others boats.  We did a few side trips, fetching Randy's car, off to Gien for Lunch and to see the pottery factory, a vist to Emmaus (not a patch on Roanne).

On the 26th we picked up Van and Mark fom Briare station.  The weather had improved a bit, so we all got together for drinks and snacks at the picnic table under the trees - ah lovely!

The next day we took them to Sancerre, and had a wander round the village whilst they visited the museum, and after a nice lunch we returned home, for drinks under the trees again.

The next morning we set off for Rogny de Sept Ecluses, stopping at a silo quay for lunch along the way.  We were delighted when we arrived in port to find a notice on the quay -"Reserved for Affleur D'O - a rare occurence!  Rogny is famous for an original set of 7 locks built in the 17 century, replaced in the 19th century with 2 larger locks.

Van after the obligatory visit to the Patisserie

The next morning we headed up to Chattilon Coligny, to find yet another reserved sign!  We stayed for 2 nights, mainly enjoying the pretty little town, with a very ordinary meal out at a local restaurant.

They even nibbled at Vans toes!

On the Sunday - our departure day -  there was a huge Vide Grenier in town.  We spent a couple of hours wandering around before heading off for Montargis at 10.30.

Van in charge - excellent concentration!

Montargis is a very pretty town, called the Venice of France as it is criss crossed by little canals and 147 bridges all decorated with flowers.

The next day we went for a drive and had a look at the ports north of Montargis - Cepoy was closed for repair, and Souppes was a very scruffy port.  So we decided to book ourselves into Montargis for a month as it is an excellent base for visiting Paris, Fontainbleu and the surrounding areas.

On Mark and Vans last night they kindly took us to a lovely michelin star restaurant, La Glorie.  You can certainly tell the difference between this and our normal humble fare!  So after Champagne on deck we headed off for our sumptuous feast!

The next morning we dropped them off at the station, and came back on board and did 4 loads of washing!  We made the most of the weather hanging it in the sunshine as the forecast was for rain over the coming days.  It was quite right and we have been having a quiet time hiding from the weather, with the odd outing and exploring the town between downpours.