Gannay-sur-Loire

The Joli Roger is down to a crew of 1 plus ship’s dog this weekend as Chris has gone off on a bit of a busmans’ holiday, future son in law’s stag do on a boat south of Brittany. Captain has made sure I am moored up somewhere he is happy help is on hand if I need it, he of little faith! Gannay-sur-Loire has free mooring, free electric and water,  village with boulangerie, butcher, small supermarket and plenty of other boats around for company.

We have not cruised far since our visitors left a couple of weeks ago but have enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere at local festivals and exploring places round about.

We took the boat to the village of Champvert for the weekend where there was a huge market and vide grenier (literally means ‘empty attic’, ie. car boot, the French love them). Food, music and dancing in the square in the evenings, so very French.

We get a new back garden whenever we feel like it, this one was very pleasant for the weekend.

The Clac Boots, ladies of a certain age doing their stuff.

Only in France, a jazz band pops up amongst the stalls, note the washboard being played by the gentleman doffing his cap.

The twisted spire of Champvert church, one of only 5 wooden spires in France, now warped with age.

Chris had always wanted to watch a jousting tournament on the water since watching Rick Stein’s French Odyssey.

We wanted to get to Gannay-sur –Loire before Chris headed off to the stag weekend. We now finally had to say goodbye to the Nivernais canal and get ourselves onto the Canal Lateral a La Loire.  However this meant having to cross the mighty Loire river at Decize. Fortunately the conditions were perfect on the afternoon we set off. The river is huge but stunningly wild and beautiful. We passed some white storks gathered on the left bank. Sometimes we still find it hard to believe we are here doing this on our own boat and feel very priveleged.

Whilst we’ve been in Gannay we have been getting a few jobs done on the boat ready for winter but generally enjoying the lovely weather. We’ve been out and about in the car too and visited the pretty spa town of Bourbon-Lancy on the banks of the Loire with it’s medieval buildings and antique shops.

It's 14th century clock tower contains an automaton of the village idiot who strikes the hours and sticks his tongue out! Some of the wood carvings on the timber frames are amusing too. They obviously had a sense of humour back then.

Is that a bird in his mouth?

We need to move on again now though. The weeks are flying by and we hope to get the boat to our winter mooring at Saint Jean de Losne near Dijon by the end of the month. That’s 224 kilometers  away (and 74 locks!). Looking forward to casting off again now, we never know what we will come across round the next bend!