Dol

Seascapes Travel Log
Michael Grew
Sat 11 Jun 2011 16:24


Dole.  02.06.2011  47:05:51N  05:29:82E
Spent the morning tidying the boat up ready for our visitors, David and Tracy and a short excursion up to the town market, we were surprised by the number of shops that were shut. Then we found out they were closed for Ascension Day. (a public holiday for the French). I bought a purse for Maureen’s birthday from one of the stallholders. (Yes I know, last of the big spenders, but that’s all she said wanted, honest!) I will take her out for a nice restaurant meal on the day of course (do they have fish and chip shops here? (only kidding). After lunch aboard I finished off changing the ropes on the ball fenders and on the barge-board (that’s the plank that hangs over the side, outside the fenders, that protects them from rubbing against the lock walls.) Spend the remainder of the afternoon lazing around and reading. Dave and Tracy our friends from Italy turned up at 17:00hrs exactly at the time they predicted and parked their car in the car park on the opposite bank. They were both very tired having been travelling on and off for seven hours. Once they had got settled we gave them a short tour around the pretty bits of the town and then fed them on the boat. We all turned in early.
 
Dole 03.06.2011 47:05:51N  05:29:82E
Awoke to the sound of David coming back from an early morning walkabout, the weather was bright but the cold wind persists. After breakfast we did part of the town walk and finished up at the Hotel de Ville (town hall) where we had to show our passports and swear our lives away in order to be given written permission to go to a different place, office or person (we were unable to decide) where we could get the key that unlocks the door to the cathedral tower, so that we could get an aerial view of the city. What a performance! Authority gone made. We did manage to find the office with the key and just as difficult the door that led to the stairs up to the tower. After all that the two hundred and fifty steps up the spiral stair case nearly killed us but it was certainly worth it in the end. The views were stunning. After taking loads of photos we staggered back down the stairs, returned the key and collapsed outside a bar where we were revived with a well earned beer. (a very nice, but expensive beer) We then staggered back to the boat for lunch and a well earned siesta. (zzzz!). We then went visited Louis Pasteur’s house (Museum), A very talented man. I never realised how many things he invented (or discovered). Afterwards we completed the town (city) walk and finished up at Café Charles a lovely bar/restaurant by the old mill. Three of us went mad and had a Café Gourmand (a glass dish with five dimples in it, each filled with a ball of ice cream, a chocolate brownie, a cup of expresso coffee, a macaroon, and squirt of Chantilly cream. Dave, the sensible one, just had a beer. But crumbs, they were nice. (the diet starts tomorrow). We then waddled back to the boat, Dave very kindly drove me up to the local filling station so that I could fill up my fuel cans with spare diesel.  In the evening we had Crepes in our favourite creperie, called La Prelot. And yes, we had a dessert ( I did say the diet starts tomorrow). All four of us then crashed out for the evening. Visitors are a bad influence!!