We had decided that we wanted to head for the Nivernais Canal next which is said to be the most beautiful canal in France. We had been told about a Fete Nautique being held on a stop along the way at Chatel Censoir the weekend of 26th to 28th July. A number of boats will head down for the event to help raise funds for Les Amis du Nivernais to maintain this beautiful canal so we decided we would also attend as we were going that way anyway. It sounded good fun and would be a chance to meet people. So it will no doubt feature in a post in a week or so.
We set off the next morning for the city of Auxerre, gateway to the Nivernais, and arrived there at lunchtime the following day after a night stopover at the pretty village of Gurgy. The city of Auxerre is very impressive especially when you enter it by boat. The cathedral of Saint Etienne towers above it. This was the biggest place we had come to so far so we were a bit anxious about mooring. Skipper tells me we are going over to the right bank where he starts heading but then sees a better spot on the left so proceeds to do a 180 degree turn mid river and gets us in behind the lovely old Dutch barge we had been locking through with all morning and the restaurant boat. He couldn't have done that a few weeks ago!
We were actually in a prime spot right outside the very smart Le Maxime Hotel, about 10 yards away from the diners eating outside on the terrace. Boating is a very good pastime if you like people watching. Glorious weather so everybody was out promenading along the quay. It made a nice change being in a bigger place although we weren't saying that when the cathedral bells were ringing out above us for about 5 minutes at 7 the next morning!
Saint Etienne cathedral
The Clock Tower in Auxerre
Skipper was anxious to leave as he knew he now had to do a complete u turn in the river following his nifty bit of mooring the day before which had left us facing in the wrong direction. He pulled it off without any drama and we glided into the first lock to take us onto the calm and peaceful waters of the Nivernais canal. Despite being called a canal it is actually part river and part canal which makes it very interesting. We were hooked on its charms from the start. It is 174 kilometres long and links the Loire valley to the Seine valley passing by the Morvan forest. The origins of the Nivernais canal are linked with the activity of timber floating carried out up to the end of the 19th century, logs being thrown into the smaller streams and then assembled into rafts further downstream which continued their slow journey into Paris.
Cruising the Nivernais
Les Rochers de Saucisses
We have had two overnight stops at Vincelles and Accolay before arriving here at Mailly-la-Ville. We are staying put for a few days before moving into Chatel Sensoir on Thursday where many boats are assembling for the Fete Nautique weekend. There are a few boats gathering here already and others passing through. But what a beautiful place it is to linger a while, it is like being moored up on the village pond, friendly locals, people swimming in the river, other boaters singing and playing guitars in the evenings. We feel so much more relaxed and confident than we did a few weeks ago. Every day is different, new places, new people, new experiences. The weather is glorious and looks set to continue so really looking forward to the weekend.
Mailly la Villeneuve, home for a few days
And finally the quintessential field of sunflowers...
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