West of the Town

Sunday 30 September 2012

Sunday picnic

This Sunday we picniced at the lake. The sun was hot although the air temperature was only 17 degrees, in the sun it became too hot to sit out without shade.
The picture is an old one but it serves the purpose as the lake was glassy clear, even reflecting the fluffy small clouds quite clearly.
We sat for a while and watched the butterflies and dragonflies dance in the sun.
Even the icecream parlour was open in the afternoon.

Nice to relax!

Sunday 23 September 2012

Sunday lunch

Gâteau Française
Natalie joined us for lunch today. We provided the home cooking (ok June provided the home cooking), plus a bottle of Châteauneuf du Pape (which was lovely). And Natalie provided this lovely "gâteau" of fresh strawberries. The white bits are chocolate, and the rose is marzipan.

Then to the brocante at St Amand, a nearby village. Parking in a village when the whole world has gone to visit can be tricky. Certainly there was a long walk before we reached the first stalls. Still it was mainly to take a walk in a pretty village that prompted us to go. Since very few people had purchases, perhaps we were not alone!

There was however, a large version of one of June's favourite pictures, of the lavender fields. It was unpriced at the back and we had only 5 euros. We asked the price. The man appeared to know how much we had and since it matched, we bought it.

We came home to the sound of thunder but so far it has been a very dry storm. Nice to be home anyway.


Terry

Saturday 22 September 2012

Motoring

We were late!
Departing Vitry le François
We popped out to see the Marianne get away. We were sure they had just waited until this morning before setting off and we guessed the lock would be open to them about 9am. But we did not reach the canal until 9:30 and there they were, already through the lock and rounding the bend to leave Vitry.
We called and waved but we were not seen - except by the couple walking their dog in front of us.
So we watched them away and did some shopping and then decided that they could not be too far and wondered if we could catch them further down. We knew where they were heading, that it took 4 days, and involved 100 locks. They can't be far!
So I plotted a route along the D995 that roughly follows the canal. After Vitry en Perthois, we turned right and along the long straight road that parallels the long straight canal. The GPS in map mode showed us our position, the canal, and more helpfully the bridges that cross it. We selected a bridge that was crossed by a small country road and drove to the canal. There they were, about 1km further on just approaching the next bridge.
Bridge and Lock at Brusson
Doubling back we continued along our road. The next bridge would be too late, so we went for the next crossing after that.
Now as it happened the next crossing was the "main" road as it came into Brusson. The road went over the canal as the canal turned sharp left, and there was a lock right next to the road. Helpfully there was a small road along the canal on which we could park. We did so and walked round the bend to see how far away they were. Plenty of time!
Coffee in the warm September sun.
Skilful rope work avoids legwork
Then suddenly the lock gates sounded and started to empty. Most of the locks (not at Vitry) are fully automatic. Marianne had announced her approach and the lock was opening to be ready. Well before the boat rounded the corner, the lock was empty and open to receive them.

Marianne, as we were told, is a very heavy girl. She turned the corner reluctantly and chugged toward the gates. This time we were seen. I even had my photo taken. We watched and photographed the boat enter, tie up, and then the lock fill and open and permit them on their way. Slow, stately and majestic, - if a little smoky whilst  low in the lock with both gates shut.
Departing on a higher way
It felt good to see them going again, fun to watch the lock operate, and a little sad to see them disappear.
More photos on the photo album page.

Friday 21 September 2012

Calling in

Marianne should have gone by now. (You will have to read Holiday Afloat if the name means nothing). Even more parts were arriving Friday to make it go.
We did call back to see if they had gone, and since they had not we hailed them and asked if they needed a phone or internet connection to help out? They didn't but instead invited us in.
I have not been in a barge home before. It was spacious, warm and cosy. It housed Alan, Anne, and Linda. Anne had arrived by train for a canal trip the day after the boat should have been fixed.
Broken starter motor. But then they found a broken fuel pump too. The latter was under repair at a garage that appeared to work on the job only when Alan called to oversee it. Nearly done, finished Friday morning was Thursdays report. If Alan picked him up he would fit it Friday.
We sat with our large glasses of wine and listened to the tale.
They had broken down 4km outside St Dizier and the garage right by them was geared for fixing the motor type they had. But not on a boat! So when they heard about a boat yard in Vitry le François, they decided to tow the boat down- that's right, by pulling it.
It's 90 tonnes. Once it is moving it takes 100 meters to stop. Alan pulled but Linda could not steer and bumped between opposite banks until they swapped over. Linda is an ex-gym teacher and although slight, Aussie built and tough. She pulled it for 3 days during temperatures over 30C.
Marianne
With help from a passing boat or two they arrived at their birth and wondered how they would cope for water and electricity. No problem, the factory manager gave them both; and a free internet link in range provided contact to the world. Perhaps it was not such a bad place to stop after all!
Still the repairs have been long and protracted. They have been broken down for 5 weeks. Hopefully today they have set off for their winter birth and Anne can experience her first lock.
And we had a lovely evening finding out too. Thanks guys, and bonne voyage!

Wednesday 19 September 2012

Still there

Still afloat.

But the boat, "Marianne", has not moved despite the day of repair having passed.

This means either
+ the boat is fixed but they stayed because they like the location - unlikely!
+ the boat is not fixed!

We did not have the time to stop and ask. Perhaps the parts never
arrived? Perhaps they were the wrong ones? Or perhaps they did did not
work.

Whatever the reason, they are spending more of their holiday beside a
factory. If next time they have gone, then good (for their sakes), and
if not we may have opportunity to discover why.

More soon?

--
Envoyé avec mon mobile

Cordialement
Terry and June Westoby
Fixé +33(0)9 81 81 07 85 (à Vitry)
Mobile +33(0)6 75 91 87 71 (Terry)
Business email twestoby@acthom.fr
Roaming email terrywestoby@gmail.com
Skype: terry.westoby
Website www.westobyweb.com web design service
Cottage: http://holidaycottage.westobyweb.com 1 bed cottage for rent, 4
people max.
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Monday 17 September 2012

Holiday Afloat

Nice boat. Dreadful view.
But this boat stayed mored here for over a week.

As it happened we were passing the boat on the other side of the canal with 2 small French children (quite another story) and the eldest said "they're English". The flag at the front was French but the car parked near by had a GB sticker on the back.

Well there was a lady on deck doing the washing so we hailed her in English. She replied in the same language and we quickly found out that they had broken down. "The parts arrive on Tuesday" she said. We will pop back and make sure they have gone tomorrow evening.

Hopefully they enjoyed their boat, because I can think of better places to stop for a week, even though this is a working canal and there are lots of places like this too. For your information, the view the other way is of a housing estate.

Terry & June Westoby
photos   photo.westobyweb.com us in pictures
Cottage holidaycottage.westobyweb.com take a break in France


















Sunday 9 September 2012

Wassy

So after the church meeting this morning- allowing of course for time to eat, we, the church, set off for Wassy. I put my GPS on just in case, but the lead car took all the "wrong" routes. We went the country way and found ourselves at last at Wassy.
The museum is made to look like the church it once was.
June and I had been to Wassy before. There is a grenier (barn) where 250 protestants were massacred.
The details were sketchy for us, but it was clear from the commemorative plaque that it sparked years of religious wars.
Today we had a guide.
A French guide.
So we had the full history related to us in the museum next door that they opened up for us especially this Sunday. €1 each. We were still a bit sketchy afterwards but as our guide said, the details are complex, and it depends which account you read.
Xavier (right) all smiles
After the tour, the talk, and our own inspection of the exhibits we took a moment to celebrate Xavier's birthday with some cake that Nicola had made. Actually it was a German spicy apple tart, but everyone called it 'gateau'.
And then we set off, this time using the GPS. It took us, of course, to the fast dual carriageway and not by the country route way that we came by. When we reached the main road there was a diversion sign. The main road was closed and we were detoured via the large town near by. If our leader on the way out had known this he didn't mention it before he set off before us and left us to find out the hard way!
With it at 30 Centigrade outside and the sun beating in through the car windows, we were glad to get home in the cool of our house.
More photos in the photo album.

Saturday 8 September 2012

Bouzy Rouge

A visit to check on the grape harvest. You may be aware that some parts of France are suffering from a poor harvest so we thought we would check on how our 'neighbours' are doing.
Black grapes - but not quite yet
We drove out towards Épernay but turned off as soon as it said "champagne trail". The vines are still unharvested, perhaps because the grapes are still so small. The black ones we looked closely at, are still not quite fully ripe. We suspect that the exceptionally hot weather this weekend may help (the thermometer at Bouzy boasted 34C).
Some local names



So what is Bouzy? Well it is the appropriately named village we ended up at with tens of 'Champagne Houses' to its name. So we took a walk round before driving up to the viewpoint.
Something nice to do on a very hot Saturday.
As always, click on the pictures for a bigger view.

P.Louis Martin, a Champagne House.
Viewpoint. Bouzy is on the left.

A barrel garden in the village

Ch-update

I promised to update you on the hugh bottle of champagne at Chalons en Champagne. So we popped along this weekend.
The bottle
The town was having a week of celebrations and the road past the bottle was blocked. Still we had intended to go to the market first so we worked our way round the closed roads and ended up in the town centre. It was a nice walk, but the veg was poor quality and we bought nothing. We navigated back to the bottle choosing another road to enter the supermarket car park next door.
Or we would have. But there were long traffic queues to get in and it had become a pay car park - unheard of! Although the first 2 hours were free, the traffic queue was so long we found a space in the smaller parks round about. All these were full with people parking on the grass, but we happened on someone coming out so we had the space. The large pay park was, by contrast, more than half empty.
A gun
Bottle cafe
We shopped and then walked to the expo next door. We did not have time for a full visit so we did not pay to go in. The champagne bottle was serving meals, with a pig roast just outside. The "land army"* was out giving tours, and there were exhibits all round. I understand that the ticket includes an evening concert, but like I said we did not have that sort of time (or inclination).
So now we know. Food and drink - of course!
More pictures below:
Tank visits

Pig roast

The bottle advert
* In France there is the "land Army", the "Sea Army", and the "Air Army". This one here was the "mechanised devision" which has a large local presence.