A Quiet Night?

We are always in search of a peaceful spot to spend the night. The other day we were passing through a lock mid-afternoon and the lock-keeper asked us where we were going to stop for the night. We asked if he could recommend anywhere. He told us there was a nice place 2 bridges further on – a quiet place with little road traffic. We left the lock and saw what we thought looked like an excellent place, just 1 bridge further on, and so we stopped. There was a wide greensward separating the canal from the road with some attractive houses facing the water. There was also a windowless, factory-type building entitled ‘Millenium’ with a large car park. I wondered if it might be a ‘LaserQuest’ type place.

We had a quiet evening, a glass of wine watching the sunset, and went to bed. We were awoken a short while later to the sound of shouting and whooping and the steady beat of dance music. So, not a ‘LaserQuest’ type place but a very noisy nightclub. The sound of the beat wasn’t too loud and easy to tune out, but every so often revellers would come outside seemingly in order to shout and scream – not so easy to tune out. And then, when the music finally stopped, around 4am, there was a competition in the car park to see who had the loudest horn. Not a very quiet night! Perhaps we should have just got up and joined in.

Village Shops

We recently moored near a typical French village/small town which was yet another victim of the rise of out-of-town shopping – something we’re seeing throughout our travels. The village had 5 or 6 shops, but the only one still trading was the Boulangerie. Even the bar/restaurant had closed down and was up for sale. I understand that people want more choice and lower prices but, when every town offers the same chain stores, does that really equal choice?

As fossil fuels become more scarce and more expensive, I wonder if we will all be so willing to jump in the car and drive to an out-of-town shopping centre at the weekend. Perhaps there will be some sort of reversal? Or, perhaps the roads will just be full of delivery vans bringing our on-line purchases to our doors…

Cruising Again

After what seems like an age (about a month) in and around Toul, we’re both really enjoying being on the move again. We completed our journey on the Canal de la Marne au Rhin and are now heading South on the Canal entre Champagne et Bourgogne. The weather has been very mixed – some very hot, sunny days and others much cooler with lots of rain.

Our friends from Toul drove over to meet us along the way - 6 days cruising for us took them about 45 mins in their camper van! That was a sunny day and we spent a great afternoon/evening together.

We made it through the Mauvages Tunnel – our longest so far at nearly 5km – without too many scrapes along the side. It’s really difficult to steer in a straight line when you’re in a narrow channel.

Bar-le-Duc was an interesting stopover. The old town is full of renaissance architecture – very ornate building facades, seemingly unchanged since the 16^th century.

The church of Saint-Étienne has a skeletal statue of the Prince of Orange. Apparently, his widow wanted to see what he would look like 3 years after his death in 1544.

Orconte was our home for a couple of days - we met some interesting people there. A Swedish/Dutch couple on a sailing yacht moored behind us and we spent the evening together. They are on their way to the Mediterranean and then maybe further South and West. David told them all about crossing the Atlantic and his adventures in the Caribbean.

Winter work

I'm trying to find some work for the winter (November - March). So, if anyone out there hears of anything, let me know - it doesn't have to be teaching.

Liverdun

Nancy

As most of you know, we had a trip to the UK recently for Kev & Nic's wedding. The bride looked lovely, as did the groom of course, and a great time was had by all. We hired a car in France which allowed us to transfer a load of stuff between the boat and home.
David's daughter, Abigail, travelled back with us to join us for a week on board. We hadn't seen her for about 18 months so it was really nice to spend some time together. We cruised down to Nancy for a few days via Liverdun. The highlight of the trip was the sound and light show in Stanislas Square. This was a bit of an effort for us as it didn't start until 10:45 - way past our bedtime! The square is a large, open space surrounded by very grand buildings in typical European style. The sound and light show was amazing; an image of the Hotel de Ville and adjacent buildings was projected as an overlay. The show then proceeded to tell the history of the square, starting with construction. An electronic pen drew over the building, illuminating all the lines and windows. Another sequence covered the building with Art Nouveau images. We liked it so much, we went back a second night! Would love to have a go at making something like that.
We are now back in Toul ready to head East on the Canal de la Marne au Rhin and then South back to Nevers.