We finally arrived in Paris on Monday afternoon after a very interesting few days of following the very wiggly Seine and we are now safely ensconced in the Port de Plaisance de Paris-Arsenal.

Having read many reports about the trip from Honfleur to Rouen, the risks of getting the tide wrong, the inadvisability of stopping en route and the dangers of the large commercial shipping, we were slightly apprehensive when we slipped our lines from the pontoon at Honfleur and made ready to enter the lock to take us back onto the Seine.  The tension wasn't helped when Elizabeth noticed we hadn't got our fender plank (Ron had taken it off the boat and left it on the pontoon the day before and had forgotten to retrieve it in all the excitement of getting ready to leave).  Fortunately, Elizabeth managed to charm the French lock-keeper ("pas de probleme") who kept the lock in our favour while we nipped back and collected the plank.  We exited the lock to discover a small convoy of three six-man rowing boats - each with their escort motor-boat - making their way up the Seine.  They were crews of RNLI volunteers from the southcoast of England generating publicity (or funds) by rowing from UK to Paris.

We slowly overtook the rowers and were surprised and impressed by their speed.  We were travelling through the water at just over 6 knots and, with the rising tide, this effectively gave us a speed over the ground of between 8 and 9 knots.  The rowers were managing just under that speed and, we were amazed when the first crew passed us about an hour after we had tied up in Rouen (about 110 kilometres after encountering them).  The sea-going cargo boats were OK and didn't present too much problem as long as you kept out of their way but they were moving much faster than us and created quite a turbulance with their bow wave and engine wash.  Certainly, it would have been very uncomfortable - at a minimum - to have tried to moor along this stretch of river. However, the river is very wide and it is possible to keep out of their way.  After Rouen, the height of the bridges restrict commercial traffic to peniches (large barges) which do not move quite as fast and create a little less disturbance.

There is no doubt that if we hadn't taken the advice to leave at low water and go with the rising tide, the trip to Rouen would have been much longer.  It was a clear bright morning but it was cold.  We were relieved when we arrived at the Halte de Plaisance, Rouen about half-past three (and half and hour before the tide turned!). 

We spent Thursday exploring the busy city of Rouen.  They have a very old cathedral with a very elaborate spire but inside it was very dark and totally devoid of local influence or memorials (except reference to the bomb damage of April 1944).  The old town has some very old, stripey (as in our Tudor beams and plasterwork) houses and a new church and garden commemorating the time and place of Jean D'Arc burning at the stake in 1431.

Since we still had another 40 km before the first lock, we were advised to catch the low tide to continue our journey at about mid-day on the Friday.  Just after leaving Rouen we took the opportunity to fill up at a refuelling barge and discovered we still had problems with very slow filling - even though we had checked that the vent pipe and filling pipe to the fueltank were free the day before.  There was a small tidal flow in our favour up to the first lock at Amfreville.  This lock was a little daunting since you have to hang onto the ropes to keep you steady against the vigorous swirling of water in the locks and also move up your ropes to the next higher 'hook' as you rise.  We got better, and braver, as we got more experienced.  Once through the lock, there is no favourable tide and the normal flow of the river took about 1 knot off our boat speed.  However, there is some very beautiful countryside to admire - in between the sand and gravel works - the greenery of the willow trees, the may blossom of the trees and the candles of the horse-chestnut trees were very pretty.

Our target was to reach Les Anderlys and take advantage of the small port de plaisance.  It is a very pretty village with an overlooking castle, Chateau Gaillard - now ruins, built by Richard the Lionheart who used this as his base for fighting the king of France.  We found the small port between two parked peniches and turned in only to come to come to a gentle halt about two metres from the pontoon - the port had been allowed to silt up.  As we backed out, the capitain of one of the peniches took pity on us and invited us to moor alongside his LPG carrier "Clovis".  They helped us to tie up and warned us that he would be leaving at 7am next morning "but we did not need to be disturbed since he could take us along with him".  Elizabeth quite liked this idea - making the early start almost worthwhile.  Next morning we were up early only to discover morning mists were covering the river and reducing visibilty to about 50 metres.  Clovis still made their early start but regretted that he couldn't take us with him because it would not be safe.  We had to tie up to another barge and wait until mid-morning when the sun had burned off the mist. 

The next night we spent at Port de L'Ilon which is about 120 km fom Paris and is a fully serviced and very friendly little port created in a disused large gravel pit off the main river.  A larger version of Burghfield - but with a minimum depth of 2 metres.

As we progressed up the Seine on Sunday we passed some very pretty weekend residences - varying from largish garden sheds to very elegantly designed holiday cottages on the sunny side of the river.  These reminded us that, although it would be another day before we reached Paris, we were within about an hour's drive from the city.  We then passed through the centre of the barge industry - specialised shipyards, specialised boat for pompiers and gendarmerie, hundreds of peniches (awaiting something?) and a barge converted into a chapel for bargemen.  Shortly afterwards we went through another lock and then found a friendly yacht club pontoon, at Bougival, which allowed us to moor there for the night.

Although we expected the scenery to become less attractive and more industrial, it was not so, with the exception of an occasional cement factory or power station.  In fact, Elizabeth was so taken with the sights, she forgot to steer out far enough and we finished going through a large overhanging willow tree which rewarded us with twigs and dust covering the deck.  No damage - except to dinted pride and a clean-up.

Monday had started with a cold, miserable drizzle but gradually the sun came out and we were able to approach Paris in warm sunshine.  The closeness to Paris was confirmed shortly afterwards when we passed some very expensive and elegant riverside properties (think of Henley and Marlow) - undoubtedly occupied by the wealthy Paris industrialists and commercial leaders. 

As we passed under the various autoroutes, Paris became more of a reality and when we went under the Peripherique we knew we were now in the real centre of Paris and the next corner confirmed that with our first sight of the Eiffel Tower (see above).  From there it was just a case of dodging the bateaux mouches, making sure we went under the correct arch and locating the entrance to the marina.  It is on the north side, just up river from the Notre Dame cathedral with the lock separating us from the Seine.  Next to the lock is the Metro station 'Quai de la Rapee'.  At the north end of the basin there is the Place de la Bastille and there is a tunnel under the Bastille which connects to the Canal de Saint Martin.

We have arrived in Paris, are enjoying the croissantes and bagettes for breakfast and look forward to being joined by friends and family during the next few weeks.

Ron & Elizabeth,

Eliza B