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Aboard the AMAROK
September 2012 - Page 5
North on the Saône
Vendredi 21 Septembre -
Awoke in Neuville-sur-Saône, to find huge
outdoor market setting up on the square in front
of our boat - complete with mattresses! Fun...
11:00 AM - Dep Neuville--sur-Saône
12 noon - Arr Trévoux - lunch stop, v. cute town
3:30 PM - Arr: Montmerle-sur-Saône
Today: 19.3 mi - 0 locks - 3.1 eng hrs
Awoke in Neuville-sur-Saône, to find huge
outdoor market setting up on the square in front
of our boat - complete with mattresses! Fun...
11:00 AM - Dep Neuville--sur-Saône
12 noon - Arr Trévoux - lunch stop, v. cute town
3:30 PM - Arr: Montmerle-sur-Saône
Today: 19.3 mi - 0 locks - 3.1 eng hrs
________________________________________________
Dusk in Neuville-sur-Saône. The bridges accoss the Saône (and Rhône) are unique - most are quite beautiful.
Samedi 22 Septembre -
10:30 AM - Dep
Montmerle-sur-Saône, drizzle
11:30 AM - Ecluse de Dracé
12:45 PM - Crêches-sur-Saône,
lunch stop
2:45 PM - Arr: Mâcon, floating
dock RB, downtown
Today: 17.3 mi - 1 lock -
3.0 eng hrs
10:30 AM - Dep
Montmerle-sur-Saône, drizzle
11:30 AM - Ecluse de Dracé
12:45 PM - Crêches-sur-Saône,
lunch stop
2:45 PM - Arr: Mâcon, floating
dock RB, downtown
Today: 17.3 mi - 1 lock -
3.0 eng hrs
.
In Neuville-sur-Saône - where a huge outdoor market appeared on Friday morning.
(The little barge behind us, very cleverly, had a car on board - see photo above right.)
(The little barge behind us, very cleverly, had a car on board - see photo above right.)
The boat behind us is a custom-built
barge designed to carry a car. To unload,
he pulls up to a boat ramp and drops the
front gate - landing barge style.
(Mouse-over for a close-up.)
barge designed to carry a car. To unload,
he pulls up to a boat ramp and drops the
front gate - landing barge style.
(Mouse-over for a close-up.)
Lunch stop in the town of Trevoux. Another pretty bridge. Amarok visible underneath.
Fog on the Saône - at the new downtown floating dock in Mâcon.
(There was a seagull on every post!)
(There was a seagull on every post!)
If you click on this photo, you'll see the signpost says
"Macon USA - 7341 km". I'm guessing it might be
Macon, Georgia? (Other sign says the temp is 12° C)
"Macon USA - 7341 km". I'm guessing it might be
Macon, Georgia? (Other sign says the temp is 12° C)
Mouse-over...
Heading north toward the Pont St. Laurent in Mâcon. Instead of
tearing down this old 18th-century bridge, they built a by-pass
canal for the large boats which now traverse the Saône.
tearing down this old 18th-century bridge, they built a by-pass
canal for the large boats which now traverse the Saône.
Dimanche 23 Septembre - Le Soixante-troisième
Anniversaire de Nancy!
11:00 AM - Dep Mâcon, fog early, but clearing
12:45 PM - Arr Fleurville, turn-off Saône to the
Canal - and Ecluse - de Pont-de-Vaux
.1:30 PM - Arr: Pont-de-Vaux, large boat harbor
Today: 13.3 mi - 1 lock - 2.6 eng hrs
Found only restaurant open Sunday, the Michelin
2-star rated "Les Platanes", for Nancy's birthday
dinner. Turned out to be excellent! (See below.)
Anniversaire de Nancy!
11:00 AM - Dep Mâcon, fog early, but clearing
12:45 PM - Arr Fleurville, turn-off Saône to the
Canal - and Ecluse - de Pont-de-Vaux
.1:30 PM - Arr: Pont-de-Vaux, large boat harbor
Today: 13.3 mi - 1 lock - 2.6 eng hrs
Found only restaurant open Sunday, the Michelin
2-star rated "Les Platanes", for Nancy's birthday
dinner. Turned out to be excellent! (See below.)
Pont-de-Vaux, a pretty little town - but very quiet on Sunday.
On our way in to dinner at Les Platanes, I mentioned it was my
wife's birthday (c'est aujourd'hui l'anniversaire de ma femme),
but they just smiled. (I wasn't sure if they understood my
French.) But when it came time for our (very fancy)
strawberry dessert, this is what showed up!
Not only was there a candle, but they had written (in
chocolate) on the plate "Joyeux Anniversaire" - quite amazing!
Incidentally, the dessert consisted of croustillante pastry over
strawberries and whipped cream (Chantilly) along with sides of
strawberry sorbet, a chocolate-covered pastry leaf and a little
pot of strawberry coulis. These guys don't fool around!
wife's birthday (c'est aujourd'hui l'anniversaire de ma femme),
but they just smiled. (I wasn't sure if they understood my
French.) But when it came time for our (very fancy)
strawberry dessert, this is what showed up!
Not only was there a candle, but they had written (in
chocolate) on the plate "Joyeux Anniversaire" - quite amazing!
Incidentally, the dessert consisted of croustillante pastry over
strawberries and whipped cream (Chantilly) along with sides of
strawberry sorbet, a chocolate-covered pastry leaf and a little
pot of strawberry coulis. These guys don't fool around!
The stained glass in the Pont-de-Vaux church was striking.
Nancy feeding the ducks in Pont-de-Vaux. When
you buy fresh bread every morning, there's often
plenty of left over "duck bread" the next day!
you buy fresh bread every morning, there's often
plenty of left over "duck bread" the next day!
Lundi 24 Septembre -
11:30 AM - Dep Scite Plaisance dock, Pont-de-Vaux
12:30 PM - Locked back into Saône, headed north
.1:30 PM - Turned off Saône into the River Seille, through lock
.2:00 PM - Arr: La Truchère, floating dock w elect & H2O
Today: 8.3 mi - 1 lock - 2.1 eng hrs
11:30 AM - Dep Scite Plaisance dock, Pont-de-Vaux
12:30 PM - Locked back into Saône, headed north
.1:30 PM - Turned off Saône into the River Seille, through lock
.2:00 PM - Arr: La Truchère, floating dock w elect & H2O
Today: 8.3 mi - 1 lock - 2.1 eng hrs
Since we have plenty of time before we need to get to our
wintering-over destination of St-Jean-de-Losne, we decided to
take a little side trip up the Seille. It appears to be a popular
cruising area, we're now back in the company of multiple
charter ("bumper") boats!
wintering-over destination of St-Jean-de-Losne, we decided to
take a little side trip up the Seille. It appears to be a popular
cruising area, we're now back in the company of multiple
charter ("bumper") boats!
Pont-de-Vaux appears to have
everything - if you believe this sign!
everything - if you believe this sign!
Mardi 25 Septembre -
10:30 AM - Dep La Truchère - cloudy 55°F
12:00 noon - Cuisery Lock - manually operated, by us!
12:30 PM - Arr: Cuisery, Halte Nautique on the Seille
Today: 8.0 mi - 1 lock (manual) - 1.8 hrs
Walked into town, loots of book stores - v. quiet
10:30 AM - Dep La Truchère - cloudy 55°F
12:00 noon - Cuisery Lock - manually operated, by us!
12:30 PM - Arr: Cuisery, Halte Nautique on the Seille
Today: 8.0 mi - 1 lock (manual) - 1.8 hrs
Walked into town, loots of book stores - v. quiet
Mercredi 26 Septembre -
Pouring Rain! Stayed in Cuisery. Defrosted fridge, etc.
Pouring Rain! Stayed in Cuisery. Defrosted fridge, etc.
Jeudi 27 Septembre - fair, 58°F, wind W-10
After 24 hrs of steady rain, the Seille was beginning to flood.
Current had picked up to 4 knots, stern-to boats had to be tied
with extra lines to keep them from drifting downstream. We
had planned to continue up-river to Louhans, but the man at the
Capitainerie in Cuisery said it would be a 6-hr trip under the
present conditions. So we decided to "go with the flow" and
head downstream.
10:30 AM - Dep Cuisery, 11:00 AM through Cuisery lock
12:00 noon - back to La Truchère (on the Seille)
12:30 PM - out of La Truchère lock and back onto the Saône,
headed north against strong current, making 5 mph at 1600 rpm
.1:30 PM - Arr: Tournus - nice floating dock next to town -
see: Sept 2012 - Page 6
Today: 12.7 mi - 2 locks - 2.6 eng hrs
After 24 hrs of steady rain, the Seille was beginning to flood.
Current had picked up to 4 knots, stern-to boats had to be tied
with extra lines to keep them from drifting downstream. We
had planned to continue up-river to Louhans, but the man at the
Capitainerie in Cuisery said it would be a 6-hr trip under the
present conditions. So we decided to "go with the flow" and
head downstream.
10:30 AM - Dep Cuisery, 11:00 AM through Cuisery lock
12:00 noon - back to La Truchère (on the Seille)
12:30 PM - out of La Truchère lock and back onto the Saône,
headed north against strong current, making 5 mph at 1600 rpm
.1:30 PM - Arr: Tournus - nice floating dock next to town -
see: Sept 2012 - Page 6
Today: 12.7 mi - 2 locks - 2.6 eng hrs
The boat harbor in Pont-de-Vaux had hundreds of boats!
The River Seille is considered to be one of the three prettiest rivers in France.
Sunset on the Seille in La Truchère. Last we'd see of the sun for the next 36 hrs!
A long straight canal leads into Pont-de-Vaux from the Saône.
The lock from the Saône into the Seille at La Truchère.
Interesting plane tree in La Truchère.
Nancy closing the gate on the manual lock at La Truchère.
Cat on a cold stone wall - in La Truchère.
Cuisery, a cute small town with many book stores.
Rainy day on the Seille - Nancy knitting.
Seille in flood after the rain - looking downstream from Cuisery.
Headed downstream on the swollen Seille. We were
doing 16 km/hr (8 knots) at 1200 rpm - exciting!
doing 16 km/hr (8 knots) at 1200 rpm - exciting!