30.08.11.

Well, Im sure that you must have wondered if we have sunk with no survivors but Im happy to report that the lack of blog is not down to our demise!!!!  We realised that we were in the canal de centre with only 15 days until my daughter visited, and that we had arranged to meet her in Auxerre!! So we commenced a mission of travelling 8 hours a day and not staying over anywhere so we could make our rendevous.We travelled the canal de centre to Digoin, the canal lateral et Loire to Decize and then the Canal de Nivernais back to Auxerre. I have to say it felt like we had come home when we arrived back on to the River frontage, although we are not paying for our stay here (at 17.90 euros per night!!!) so we are on the 'free' side but without water or electricity.... John has worked out a devious way to get water from the water fountain which involves ropes and a dead fender to keep the button pressed down!! We took photos and I was going to update the blog when we got some pick up on the dongle, but sadly the computer died with all the photos on it and so this is being written on my gas powered laptop....... We made it here in time and have had a lovely time over the last long weekend with them all here!! The girls loved the life and Darcey (4yrs) and Yvie (2yrs) settled into life afloat very well!

 Darcey driving the boat better than John!!!

 Darcey (left) and Yvie (right) sporting their snazzy life jackets!!

 The girls loved Patrice and wrapped him up in one of their 'blankie's'

 Ross wearing Yvie's sunglasses, Dominy and Yvie enjoying the sun...

and finally Patrice with his new friend 'horsey', he takes him everywhere with him.....

We are still in Auxerre and going to move on sometime this week, but we are at least back in contact with the world and the internet as long as the laptop keeps going!!!!

Sunday 07.08.11

Well we are now at a little place called Ciry le noble which is 3 hours away from Montceau les Mines. We spent 2 nights there, but the moorings were not good, one night we were 3 rafted away from the shore, the 2nd night 2 barges away, it didnt stop raining and our neighbours definitely not good!! The market however is even better than Chagny, it happens on saturday mornings and is HUGE. The food part was excellent too and we stocked up on really cheap fruit and vegetables. Getting out of the Port de Plaissance was not quick or easy, best to show you in pictures.....

 The first of the bridges blocking our way... took ages for them to realise we were there....

 Eventually it shot up in the air and we were through the first,

 Next a swing bridge.....

 Gosh so high, made us feel very important although it took them 10 minutes to notice us, probably eating again.....

 the 3rd lift bridge at last we were on open waterways again!!!

 Crazy caravan on a boat base........

Two really cute pictures of Patrice, sorry folks....That's all for now!!

04.08.11

We finally left Chagny on 2nd August, having made some lovely friends there, Sue and George and Ernest and Rosemary who have a fantastic barge called Imponderabilia and we had some lovely social times. The market was all we expected of it (and more ) at Chagny so if you are in the region it is well worth going. I got a new watch for 5 euros as mine packed up Sunday morning....(Timing was perfect!!)

 Ernest alongside his boat

 Rosemary and 'Luxe Mo'

 Scotsmen looking for halfpennies? No some weird sculptures someone had in their garden!!!

The view behind us when we moored at St Leger sur Dheune

There is a festival on 6th August at St Julien and all we can presume is that this is a float for it. They had a bath tub behind it and a princess carriage in front of it, being pulled by some skeletal plastic swans......

The most tremendous horns on these cattle sadly they havent come out all that well......

Our moorings just before Ecluse 1 on the other side of the canal de centre towards Decize