Journeys end
Seascapes Travel Log
Michael Grew
Wed 21 Jul 2010 18:16
19/07/2010 46:26:07N 04:55:87E
10:30hrs slipped the moorings and left Cuisery together with a small hired penichette (like a small dutch barge, very pretty). It was manned by a family that included a boy and girl teenage twins. When we followed their boat into the locks the twins rushed about and did it all for us. At 12:15hrs. we arrived back on the River Soane and pottered down the last 8 kilometres to the Port du Vaux canal. This canal is the narrowest and shallowest that we have been in. The depth gauge was reading 0.00 under the keel which meant our keels were scraping along the bottom (good job it is a muddy bottom). We tiptoed along the 3.5 kilometres with the engine just on tick over and any minute I expected that we would come to a slow halt, but we didn’t and we made into the marina (phew!). The marina is very well organised and when we were allocated our berth ( Charonne 10) I was pleased to note that we right in front of one of the infra-red CCTV cameras. This is our final destination for this year and it only leaves us the next few days to do some jobs tidying up the boat, before our lift arrives to take us back to the UK. This therefore will be the last diary entry since you do not want to know about rubbing down and re-varnishing various bits of the boat.
To sum up the trip though I think it has been a fantastic learning curve. We have met some smashing people from all different parts of the world, including Holland, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Wales (Di and Blodwin, bless ‘em). Impressions of the French canals, much quieter than expected, a lot of the small villages are deserted, a lot of the canal-side factories and warehouses stand empty and I can see in a few years time a lot of the canals will fall into disrepair and silt up. A great shame. As for the French themselves, they have all seemed friendly and helpful, but I feel that they are in many ways behind with their communication; very few speak any English at all. (Yes I know its good manners to speak their language and we have, but English is the international business language and they should have at least a smattering). Very few places we came across have internet facilities and finally my very big moan. French loos, there are never enough of them, they are usually filthy, lack toilet paper, soap, towels sink plugs and WC brushes. Apart from that we have really enjoyed our time here and look forward to returning to the boat next year to resume our travels. Who knows we may even get to the Med.
Maureen has just pointed out that the whole time we have been away we have not seen any newspapers, television programmes (apart from the end of the Holland verses Paraguay game) or played any music ( and we do have quite a collection on board) I have probably read around thirty books and Maureen has knitted twenty hats, two pencil cases and six glove puppets for the Christmas shoe box charity. Both of us have become expert card players of Rummy.