Saint Legere-les-Vignes to Cercy-le-Tour

From Decize town quay to Saint Legere-les-Vignes

Yesterday we moved from the town quay at Decize to Saint-Legère-les-Vignes, the mooring in the commercial district close to 3 supermarkets and a laundry.  After so many days of “wild cruising” we really needed a supermarket and laundry.  It is just a couple of kilometres and 1 lock, and takes a little over half an hour.  It was cool and drizzly. 

 14 kms, 3 locks, 2.5 hours

Saint Legere-les-Vignes to Cercy-le-Tour

For the last 3 days we have had dreadful internet: slow, slow, slow, but put it down to the remote rural area we were in.  We know that at the mooring in Saint Legere we have had lightning fast download speed before so when it was slow again we decided to look into it a bit further and discovered that we have screwed up!  We have a monthly package with limited (but generous) wi-fi and thought it ran from the 23^rd of the month.  Thinking we would be starting a new month 3 weeks after arriving we have not been careful and managed to use it all up.  We still can connect but it is dramatically slower.  I delved into our account on-line and discovered that our month runs from the 3^rd of the month so we will not get our new quota for a few more days.

And this is a F1 grand prix weekend.  Resigned to not being able to watch it, there was no point in staying in the commercial area and decided to move to the ancient town Cercy-leTour 14 kms away on the Nivernais Canal.

The weather was clearing when we left after lunch and turned into in lovely autumn day.

Lots and lots of lots of fodder for the winter.  He must have a lot of cows.

A park bench in the middle of nowhere

The lockie told Ian we have to take a photo: an unusual junction of a lock and aquaduct over a river. Didn't manage to get the river in the picture but it definitely was there!

I'd love to know what this impressive tower is.

When we were here in June there was some work being done on the towpath alongside the pontoon moorings.  Normally there is free water and electricity here but the electricity has been disconnected because the work is still in progress.

Ian got out the iBoost, which we haven’t used for a while, and we have managed to connect to a FON signal, courtesy of our internet provider at home which is part of the FON global network.   Hey presto, we were back in business!  So we do not have to miss out on the Grand Prix after all.  Big smiles.

I took a ramble around the village and was disappointed to find the old church locked, with a notice on the door explaining that this is due to vandalism.  How sad.  It was built about 1080, so it really is an ancient old Romanesque church.  Thank goodness I was able to get inside in June and took some photos.

The ancient church, now locked

Looking up Rue d'Aron, nick named "Casse Cou", Break Kneck, because it is so steep...

...and looking down Casse Cou, much steeper than it appears in the photo.  Must be interesting in the winter when it freezes!

23rd to 26th Sept Garnat to Gannay to Decize

Sept 23^rd 12 kms, 2 locks, 2 hours.

Internet too slow to upload photos

We moved from Garnat to Gannay (Les Vanneaux).  Having spent 4 days at Garnat with no services, it was time to fill the water tanks so we moved to the free stop at Les Vanneaux, although the little port is called Gannay, although the town of Gannay is 1 km away.  The weather has changed, the heat has gone and autumn has arrived along with some good soaking rain.  Hoorray!  I thoroughly enjoyed strolling to the boulangerie and epicerie, umbrella up, wearing jeans and a jacket.

Les Vanneaux (Gannay) to Decize

18 km 6 locks 5 hours including 1.25 hour stop at a supermarket

Another grey day.  It has rained on and off since Sunday and I have enjoyed every minute of it.  After the max 3 day stop at Les Vanneaux we headed for Decize.  We stopped at the quay on the Canal, upstream of the lock that leads into the Decize Marina and then the Loire River, where there is a big InterMarché supermarket and we needed some fresh vegetables.  It is Brussel spout and pumpkin season, my favourites!

After lunch we passed through the locks on each end of the marina and into the Loire River where we have tied up at the town quay.

Still in Garnat-sur-Engiévre

We moved from the pontoon to the bollards downstream of the bridge.  There are no services here (water/electricity), it is free, close to the town and there is no time limit.

Basically, we are just killing time.  With the water levels still falling more sections of the canal further down stream are being closed.  In fact, if we had continued going instead of turning back when we did, we would now be trapped.  This section of the canal between Digoin and Decize is fed by the Roanne-Digoin Canal which is still at normal levels and is fed by the huge Loire River.  The lock sluices are left open and although the level is a bit lower than usual (20 to 30 cm) the situation is not critical.
Ian has finished the sanding and varnishing

Newly varnished mast

and I have been doing some knitting.  It is cooler at last!
Today we went to investigate the little ProxiMarché supermarket on the outskirts of the town (5 minute bike ride).  What a surprise.  It is not little at all and is a veritable Aladdin's cave of the most unexpected things.  It has a huge DIY section.  All we needed was some cheese, paté, fresh veg, butter and wine.  No fresh paté, unfortunately, but I bought a comté cheese and another made at Sept Fons, a huge old monastery on the canal side not far from here. 

Les Vanneaux to Garnat sur Engievre

12 kms 2 locks 2 hours

Just a quick pootle because we had to move on from Les Vanneaux where the max permitted stay is 72 hours, but it seems the campervans (2 of them) don’t bother to read instructions, or follow them, one or the other.  They have been there since we passed through over a week ago.  I must admit it is tempting to stay longer; it is such a lovely spot and very well cared for.  Today there was a gentleman sanding and cleaning the wooden picnic tables and benches and another chap turned up minutes before his lunch hour to fix one of the electricity bornes which had a couple of faulty plugs.  Yesterday afternoon a boat arrived, tied up behind us and connected to the electricity borne (a working plug) leaving just 2 faulty ones unoccupied (because all the rest were already in use by the long staying campervans).  Later another boat arrived, tied up in front of us, plugged into one of the faulty outlets, so pulled out the first boat’s plug and replaced it with his own.  Well, that did not go down well!  Some people really have no manners.

This part of the Canal Lat. Loire is really quite attractive: lots of trees and quite wiggly.  

We were rather disappointed with the canal downstream of Decize which seems quite bleak in comparison.

We have tied up to a small pontoon at Garnat-sur-Engiévre, hoping to have it all to ourselves but a hire boat joined us late in the afternoon, and there is yet another hire boat tied to the bollards on the grass quay. 

All on our own, briefly

However, we noticed bollards at a grass quay on the downstream side of the bridge, which is much closer to the village (i.e. boulangerie).  We might move there tomorrow so Ian can continue sanding and painting without disturbing fellow boaters.

I took an amble around the village, not terribly exciting but has a rather interesting church: relatively modern (1880) yet rather charming inside with painted wall decorations (with real gold foil), murals around the apse and interesting statues.

The commercial centre on the village square: a bakery and a bar/news agency/snack bar

 

The church, uninteresting exterior....

....what a difference inside

That is real gold leaf, I touched it

Saint Martha - with an anchor

                                

Sept 17th and 18th Vanneaux

Just chilling.  

Not entirely true seeing Ian continued with his sanding and varnishing mission, and I made a heap of tomato sauce, which is now in the freezer, and did some cleaning of decks, fenders and windows.  Unfortunately, the deck is speckled with strange pinky/orange stains which just will not budge, not even with bleach.  It looks as if they have been caused by pollen or something similar falling onto the deck during the summer in Roanne.

We took a ride into the countryside along long straight roads between huge fields of 6 foot high corn.  We were surprised, and somewhat shocked, to notice that the water level in the canal downstream of the Vanneaux lock is now 50 cm lower than normal.  We had noticed that the sluices in the locks are left open at night running water through all the way from the Roanne canal to raise water levels further down.  Yesterday morning the Vanneaux lock was closed while a VNF team did some work on it, so no water was allowed to run through.  Could this possibly have caused such a dramatic drop in the water level downstream?

Ian has noticed some water in the bilge, not a great deal but you have to find out where it’s coming from, and the fresh water pump has been acting a bit strangely so that’s where he started.  Sure enough, a rubber o-ring on the inlet side was leaking and we don’t have the right size spare on board.  So off he went to the boatyard just 100m away, Entente Marine, which is run by an Englishman.  They chatted for ages!  Didn’t have the right size o-ring but he got a new plug in connector complete with o-ring for just €1.

I went for a ride into the village to visit the boulangerie (bought a baguette) and the epicerie/bar/restaurant where I bought a piece of cheese (Saint Nectaire, fermier).

And thank goodness it is cooler at last.

In the shade and sun screens in place, almost bare-able

Looking for a business opportunity? This VNF owned restaurant is up for tender to new management for just €2000 per year.  Excellent location, lots of passing traffic in boats, campervans and on bicycles

This was a pretty park in the spring, now the grass is non-existant

Les Vanneaux

It almost feels like autumn, and the leaves are falling thick and fast

Sept 15th and 16th

Sept 15th Fleury

Another burning hot, pitiless day – so we stayed put.

In the early morning before it got too hot (it peaked at 35C) I went for a walk and Ian did some maintenance: sanding various wooden bits and pieces on the deck that were beginning to look rather tatty.

Yesterday evening, after we had tied up, a hire boat with 3 South African couples on board tied up just ahead of us and, after dinner, we joined them for a drink at the bar/restaurant at the Halte.  All very chatty and jovial and no one seemed to drink too much.  However, after we had retired for the night a huge row broke out on their boat; voices raised in heated argument.

This morning, while I was walking, I heard raised voices and rounded a bend to see one of the couples involved in a furious argument.  I quickly backtracked, but heard enough to think this is a seriously unhappy marriage.  Oh dear, what an uncomfortable week it is going to be for them all!

The wild mooring from the bridge

Ian hard at work

The Hlate from the bridge, with al fresco bar/restaurant

At the Halte, a bicycle work shop: tools on chains

Parched cow pastures and sun-bleached cattle

A beautiful old Renault

Ahhh, I'm missing my cats

Sept 16^th

Fleury to Vanneaux

28 kms, 6 locks, 6.5 hours including a long stop at lunch hour

We left Fleury at 8.15, after a quick run to the boulangerie for a baguette, a croissant and a pain au chocolat (10 minutes there and back).

We arrived at the first lock spot on at 9.00 but there was no lockie in attendance and we had to phone. Less than 5 minutes later the lockie arrived.  We had the first 2 locks to ourselves but at the first lock after Decize (where there is a hire boat base) there was already a boat waiting in the lock.  After 2 locks we ran into the lock-keepers lunch hour and tied up in the deep shade of a huge oak tree, which dropped acorns through the open hatch.

We were at the next lock at 1.00, end of the lunch hour, but the other boat only turned up 20 minutes later – I guess they had a long lunch hour.  Meanwhile the lady lockie kept us entertained “fishing” for a long handled fork which had fallen into the lock (used to haul branches and other rubbish out of the lock).

We are back at the Halte at Vanneaux where there is free electricity and water, both necessary in the blistering heat to run the big household fan and have lots of showers.

Early mornings are beautiful

A bit of intricate topiary alongside the Acolin Lock

Crossing a river

Lunch hour

The lockie searching for her fork

The lockie had a glut of tomatoes. €2 for the whole lot, about 4 kgs.  What am I going to do with them all!

Decize to Fleury-sur-Loire

15 km, 4 locks, approx. 3 engine hours

Problem day!  We left the town quay at 9.20, no problem.  We entered the first lock just 2 kms away, no problem.  I activated the lock, Ian went into reverse to secure the boat at the pole (4m rise, pole set into the lock side instead of bollards), but when he tried to go forward to stop the backwards momentum – nothing.  No forward gear!  The boat was still going backwards, the edge of the swim platform hit the lock wall, Ian was using his hands against the wall to try to slow us down, then a ladder came within my grasp and I hung onto that for dear life and Ian managed to gently push us away from the lock gates before we hit them.  Meanwhile the lock had started filling.  I was still hanging onto the ladder but couldn’t reach any of our lines, and then Ian came forward and secured us.  My heart was going pitter-pat!  Fortunately it is a very gentle, slow lock so Ian had time to take a look in the engine room.  The cable from the gear lever to the gear box (forward gear) had broken.  But it was still possible to change gear manually at the gear box so I had a quick lesson and we continued on our way with me in the engine room and Ian outside shouting Forward/Reverse/Neutral as required and me pushing and pulling the lever.  We had to get through another lock just 400m or so away then turn sharp right onto the canal Lateral a la Loire where there is a quay we could tie up to while Ian searched for and replaced the cable. 2 hours later it was all done.  Whew, I didn’t fancy spending the rest of our cruise in the engine room.

The temperature was climbing and the thought of cruising on in the blistering heat didn’t appeal so we decided to stay put until tomorrow.  But a stream of hire boats passed us heading back into Decize Marina where there is a hire boat base.  And that could only mean a new lot of novice skippers would be heading out tomorrow morning and heading the same way as us.  The thought of being held up at every lock while they work out which way to turn the wheel and how to get in and out of a lock was painful.  Worse than cruising in the heat.  So we set off again in the 32C stifling heat and finally got to our destination at 4.45. 

And, no, I did not think of taking any photos!

As the sun set it got a bit cooler and I went for a walk.

Ian took this photo from the bridge at Decize.  We are there, the tiny white dot against the quay.

One of the returning hire boats.

Wild mooring at Fleury-sur-Loire.  Just the other side of the bridge there is a Halte which costs €9 per day, including water and electricity.  

Ancient Romanesque church, but it was locked and there was no info about it.

Fleury is a tiny village, but it does have bakery, a post office and a snack bar at the Halte.

September 7th to 13th. Roanne to Decize

It is a week since we left our new "home" port in Roanne and I have been very remiss about posting on the blog.  So, here it is, catch up time!

Sept 7

Roanne to Briennon

14 km 3 locks 3.3 hours

3 days after arriving on the boat (1 of which was spent settling in and winding down, and 2 were required for Ian to install the 2 new water tanks that were waiting for us in the port captain’s office. We can now carry 260 litres of fresh water), we set off from the port of Roanne at 9.20 on a cool but calm Saturday morning. 

We had been warned that there was a substantial amount of weed in the higher reaches of the canal and sure enough our propeller managed to find it.  We passed three weed eating vessels and mounds of drying weed deposited on the banks.  They are doing a good job, but they haven’t won the battle yet.

We tied up in the marina at Briennon where the first night is free if you stay 2 nights, so we stayed 2 nights.  Electricity is €4 per day and water is €3 per day. 

Briennon is a lovely village with an impressive Romanesque church, and on Saturday evening there was a parade through the town, no idea what it was in aid of but each float bore a number on the front, 80, 70, 60 etc. and was manned by people all the same age(ish) in those age groups. They were having great fun carrying pitchers of beer and plastic cups which they were sharing with the on-lookers.

Weed catcher, version 1

Weed catcher version 2 (and 3)

Weed, chomped off bits in the locks

But, weed or no weed, it sure is beautiful

The lovely painted church in Briennon

Even the floor is a delight

The marina in Briennon

At the head of the parade, the 80's.  Isn't it magnificent!

Part of the 80's, and no less magnificent.

Sept 9

Briennon to Bonnand

28 km 4 locks 5.45 hours (incl 1 hour for the lock keepers’ lunch stop)

We have decided to do longish days to Decize because we passed this way just 3 months ago, in the opposite direction.  Once again, we enjoyed the Roanne-Digoin Canal, also known as The Tranquil Canal.  It is narrow, winding, tree-lined, with glimpses of the wide and impressive Loire River across the valley.

In June we were delighted to notice the investment in the infra-structure with new quays and unfinished electricity and water points.  We hoped they would be in action by now, but no, not yet.  Maybe next year.

Sept 10

Bonnand to Pierrefitte

26km 5 locks 4.75 hours

Another lovely day.  The Roanne-Digoin Canal ends at a T-junction.  You can turn right for the Canal du Centre or left to the Canal Lateral a la Loire.  We were intending to spend our autumn cruise on the Canal du Centre but it has been closed for the last month because of low water levels. So we didn’t have an option and turned left.  No complaints, the canal Lateral is well worth many visits.

We have stopped at Pierrefitte-sur-Loire, a small village with an epicierie on the church square, which was closed when we stopped here in June because it was a public holiday, and closed today for their summer holidays. 

Sept 11

Pierrefitte to Gannay/Vanneaux

33.5km 8 locks 6.25 hours, incl 1 hour lockie lunch hour

Yet another superb early autumn day.  The leaves are beginning to turn and early mornings can be a little chilly but the days are warm, forecast to be much hotter in the next few days unfortunately and not a drop of rain insight.

We are shocked at how dry the pastures are.  This is Charolais cattle country and we have passed mile after mile of dry, brown, munched-to-the-roots fields with cows crowded around feeders full of silage.  They don’t look really satisfied with life, they want some lush green grass to chomp, like the happy cows back home on Faial :)

We have stopped at the  delightful halte at Gannay, just above the Vanneaux lock.  It is a municipal halte, which is free. Including water and electricity.

For some reason I cannot add captions to the photos.  Nuisance!

Sept 12^th

Vanneaux to Decize

19.5 km 7 locks 5 hours including 45 mins waiting for lockies lunch hour to end

Today we travelled in company with the British registered barge (about 16m, I’m guessing) Donjeux.  

We were together in Roanne and have been leap-frogging each other since we both left on the same day. At the turn off into Deceize we parted company, hopefully we will meet up again next year.

A shorter day today, less than 20km, but again we ran into the the lockie’s lunch break from 12.00 to 13.00.  We waited out the lock closure in the port de plaisance at Decize, where we were horrified to see copious amounts of the dreaded weed, that looks like asparagus fern, but is a whole lot more dangerous.  This is the one that wraps around propellers, gets into engine cooling systems and blocks up toilets! Nasty stuff.

Finally, after the lunch hour we got through the lock onto the Loire River to find even more of the lethal weed, but after we had gone through the lock into the Nivernais Canal it seems to have disappeared.  We have stopped just upstream of the first lock at a quay conveniently situated right next to the commercial area where we have stocked up on wine (the wine we like, not knowing if we will find it again in the near future), fresh veg, and sundry other necessities (or not as the case may be) and I pushed a few coins into the laundry machines outside the nearby DIY store laundry machines (open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but they don’t give change).

Sept 13

St Legere des Vignes to Decize 

About 3 kms, 1 lock, 40 minutes.

We moved from the commercial area with it’s supermarkets (Carrefour, LeClerc and Lidl) and BricoMarche with laundry in the carpark (1x8kg machine-€4, 1x18kg machine - €8, and 1 dryer 15 mins for €2), to the town quay at Decize, close to the old town.  It was market day and I bought a slice of “Boeuf Cuit”, rather large at nearly 400g but it will do for 2 lunches.  Not as tasty as it looked, though.

The town is old and quaint.  Julius Caeser mentioned it in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico. Narrow roads wind up down a small hill with the remnants of a castle at the top.  The church of St Aré (11^th and 12^th centuries) has a crypt dating from the 7^th century,

Hot, hot, hot. 30C outside and 33C inside. Sunscreens are up and there is a light cooling breeze.

The town quay 

Remnants of the fortified town walls 

Asterix? 

An emblem of the town - a catfish perhaps?

Last remaining entry gate through the old town walls (11th century, rebuilt in 15th century)

Market day in the town square.  The Marie....

...and the bell tower.

Saint Aré church, Romanesque, 11th century

Note barrel vault ceiling, no pointy arches, ribs, groins.

7th century crypt, pic taken through a grill, couldn't go in