Pont sur Yonne to Sens

12 kms, 2 locks, 2 hours 10 minutes

Yesterday it rained, and rained, and rained, most of the day. 

Towards the end of the afternoon a break appeared in the clouds, a weak ray of sunshine appeared, the big boule-o-drome - the place where one plays boules (otherwise known as petanque) according to Lynn - was right alongside our mooring so we hauled out our boules from the depths of the lockers (last used a year ago!) and the grudge match commenced.  The Cullens won the first game resoundingly, we won the second game even more convincingly, and rain stopped play soon after the third game commenced.  So we called it a draw. Hah, the grudge match will be resumed in the near future!

This morning we left the pontoon at 8.40, having booked the lock 5 kms away for 9.30.  

Leaving Pont-sur-Yonne

These locks are partially automated, in that a lock keeper needs to press buttons at one end to activate the gates then walk (or cycle) to the opposite end to activate the other gates, and after that it all runs like clockwork.   As we approached each lock the gates were already open so we just cruised in.  At the first lock there was a short (8m) floating pontoon and we tied up alongside each other.  At the second lock there was one inclined wall and one vertical wall so we could both make fast alongside that. No problems with sloping lock walls today thank goodness.

Elle

The aquaduct that takes water all the way to Paris  

The dock at Sens.  Lots of space for big barges, but not much for small cruisers.

Just over 2 hours after leaving Pont we arrived in Sens.  The Halte Nautique has been greatly improved since we were here last year but there is one glaring fault: most of the bollards are spaced to accommodate barges.  There is just a short section of perhaps 60m with bollards close together for small cruisers like us and those were already taken up by big barges(!).  So we have both fore, aft and spring lines all going to the same bollard. Not ideal.

Today, being Sunday, there was not a lot of commercial traffic (just one barge) which came past very slowly. 

I went into the town to gawp at the ancient buildings, again, and at the magnificent cathedral that so impressed me last year.  It was probably the first of the cathedrals that began life in the Romanesque style in the 12th century but was soon adapted to the new Gothic style with high pointed window arches and flying buttresses.

A really rather fabulous butchery

Looking across the large square from the cathedral to the covered market

This is the oldest part, dating from the mid 1100s

A 13th century window telling the story of Thomas Becket who lived in this town when in exile

13th century madona and child