Friday 24.05.13

Well we have reached the Pouilly end of the Burgundy tunnel, travelling through some wonderful countryside if only it would stop raining!!

 Our moorings at the port of Ravieres, with good company from two other barges, Meander and Tesserae.

 We went for a good exploration of Ravieres, we thought we knew it well but we were amazed to find this ancient castle, now in ruins, up one of the back streets.

 This house reminded us of our beloved Auxerre!!

 

 John admiring another World War One memorial.

 

Relaxing in a rare period of sunshine at Buffon.

Our idyllic moorings just before Lock No 60 'Benoisy' where we spent the night. We were having to travel through the locks with a bumper boat (holiday hire boat) and it was a tight squeeze so we opted to spend the night here so that we would be alone in the locks again! when we locked through the next day the young lockkeeper gave us a fine bottle of wine, which was a surprise! I think it was because John gave him a tin of strong lager the night before!

 

We moved on to Montbard where we spent two nights (one of which we got charged for?!?!) but it rained consistently so there are not any pictures!

 

We then travelled on to Venerey for two nights where we rough moored alongside a Boat Hire Base which we were amused to see was being guarded by a goose in a kennel!

Our space in Venerey.  We charged up our anatomical batteries and set off on Monday morning (20th) to commence the dreaded staircase of locks up to the tunnel.  We have never seen such rain, and whilst John was tucked up nice and dry in the wheelhouse I was out in the pouring rain to do the ropes for the locks.....!!! We spent that night at 'Marigny-le-Cahouet' having done 30 locks in the day, and three changes of dry clothes for me, I was soaked to the skin literally!!!

The next day was wet again, but after 14 locks we decided we would stay at St Thibault which advertised a 'Halte Nautique'. When we got there it consisted of a sign with the name and nothing else, we couldn't even moor there as it was too shallow so we perched the other side of the canal. It was certainly a peaceful and very dark night!

The next day (22nd) we finished the staircase of locks and after another 12 locks found ourselves at Pouilly-en-Auxois, where we will have stayed 3 nights. It was really needed after all those locks, to ease my aching arms!

Patrice has discovered the joy of climbing trees but isn't so good at getting down again, so John to the rescue....!!

 

So tomorrow we enter the 3 Kilometre tunnel to commence our descent towards our destination, Dijon for the Dutch Barge Association rally, although quite a few boats wont be getting there as the rivers are still in full flood, the Yonne is closed again and there is a huge hole at Montceau les Mines in the Canal de Centre which has stopped other barges getting through.

However the humans might be getting stressed but Patrice is perfectly content and relaxed.......