Monday 11 July 2011

St Jean to Auxonne

Monday 11 July
Friendly welcoming committee


We were subjected to violent thunderstorms and heavy rainfall in St Jean on Thursday and Friday, but it cleared briefly on Saturday morning so we took off.   Histoire d’Eau had a safety inspector visiting them that day and were going to have to leave the pontoon for a while so it seemed a good time for us to go. 
The lock on this stretch was our first automatic lock and we had been fully briefed by Peta and Steve on how to operate it, but our thunder was stolen somewhat by another boat in front of us with whom we shared the lock and who did all the automatic bits.  Anyhow, we could watch them and it all seemed easy enough.  Once in the lock, Mike stopped at the ladder on the left hand side and I climbed up carrying the rope (Mike and I had decided that, because of the fat fenders, we would in future only use one line at the centre of the boat) slipped it over the bollard and passed it back to Mike who held on to it.  I stayed up on the wall and watched the proceedings.  The other boat pushed the blue rod up to start the automatic process, the gates closed and the lock began to fill.   Despite being the smallest and shallowest lock yet (1.85m) the turbulence was terrific and Mike struggled to hold the boat onto the wall.  In future we will go back to using two lines and I will return to the boat, it’s safer.  I heard the lady on the neighbouring boat tell her friends that this was the ‘most exciting’ of the locks and we were pleased to hear it.
Shortly after the lock we reached the town of Auxonne where we found the usual long pontoon with electricity and water points.  After a brief, heart stopping moment of grounding on a shallow patch, we managed to find deeper water and tied up with the help of a friendly neighbour.  Shortly after, a dear young girl, Elodie, turned up and introduced herself as the welcoming committee from the tourist association of Auxonne, presented us with a map of the town and informed us of the facilities.  Berthing was free but we could pay for electricity and water at €1 for 2 hours, so we have taken a euro’s worth each day.  Elodie spoke some English and German as well as her native French and couldn’t have been more obliging, including telling off a ski motor boat for passing too close to the boats and creating an uncomfortable wake.  She sits in a little wooden building on the banks beside the pontoons, but leaps out to welcome each boat as it arrives.  It’s a summer job for her.


The town of Auxonne is old and historic with a very beautiful church ( all set out for a wedding later in the day).... 


Wierd shops  


... ancient houses....
and Napoleon...     




It has continued to rain heavily for two days, particularly Sunday so we spent practically the whole day sitting on the boat, reading and watching dvd’s.  I do hope some of this rain is falling in the north and filling up some of the rivers and canals.  Today it’s nice and sunny again.  Mike went out to buy gear box oil and we changed that, gave the boat a scrub and then we visited the Chateau and museum, Napoleon on the ground floor (he lived here for some time as a first Lieutenant at the garrison) and the history of Auxonne on the next two with this amazing Charpente at the top. 

For the first time on this trip we have made no new friends nor met up with old friends.  We are surrounded mostly by hire boats that charge in and out again very quickly.  Further up the river there is a H2O marina and we saw our German friends’ boat Carolin there, but they have gone back to Germany for a couple of weeks and were not in.
Opposite the church is the tourist office that allows unlimited wifi at €1 if you take your own computer.Good stuff.





Opposite the church is the tourist office that allows unlimited wifi at €1 if you take your own computer. Good stuff.

No comments:

Post a Comment