Sancerre to Fragnes

 Our next mooring after leaving Sancerre was La Chapelle-Montlibard, just across the river from the town of La Charite sur Loire. La Charite owes it's name to the monks once attached to its rich abbey who distributed gifts to the poor. It is also one of only 6 book towns in France with regular book fairs and 16 book shops attracting people from all over Europe. We discovered it was the Blues Festival weekend and there were bands playing at different locations around town including in the abbey.

Listening to a band in the Cloisters of the abbey

It also had the prettiest butchers shop I have ever seen, unfortunately closed for their annual holidays.

Our friends Terry and Carol had texted us to find out where we would be in a couple of days so we thought this would be a good place for them to find us. They were returning from Italy and the Jura in their camper and there were several camper sites in town. We had a lovely couple of days with them including a meal in a very quirky restaurant, Babette Et Eva, run by mother and daughter. A pianist struck up and everyone except us seemed to know the words for the old french songs. Very 'Allo 'Allo!

Loved the wallpaper!

And dinner on the boat the next evening.

The jungle drums along the canals had reached us and we discovered that the Canal du Centre, on our route back to winter base, was closing early due to water shortages. Instead of having a long leisurely trip back we were going to have to speed up a bit to get passed the affected area before we got stuck there. I did the calculations and worked out a route and timetable (knew some of those skills from work would come in handy!). So off we set on a sunny Sunday morning with Carol and Terry waving us off from shore.

We put in a long day cruising and got to Le Guetin at about 5pm. I really wanted to visit the nearby village of Apremont so we got on the bikes and set off. It was well worth the vist. Apremont is another of the listed ' plus beaux villages de France'. As it was a Sunday there were still plenty of visitors around and we just made it into the Floral Gardens of the chateau before they closed. They were inspired by Vita Sackville West's garden in Sissinghurst, Kent.

The whole village was amazing, like time had stood still, or as Chris put it like a film set from a Harry Potter film.

The dolls in the window are a bit creepy though

The view of the river Allier that the villagers look out on from their cottages.

 We cycled back to the boat along the now disused Lorrains Branch Canal, at the end of which is an unusual round lock with two entrances, one from the river and one from the canal, which used to allow barges to pass from one to the other.

     A coypu having a good munch on the weeds in the canal.

A couple of days later we reached Gannay and were delighted to find friends Henry and Steph there. Although they were not quite so delighted at still being there six weeks later and many euros lighter than they had anticipated as their lovely old barge underwent essential unexpected repairs. We had a great fun evening with them. Hopefully they are now well on their way to Brugges for the winter.

Next day arriving at Pierrefitte we caught up with Pat and Jill on Topaz whom we had briefly met back in La Chapelle-Montlibard. They were going for dinner at the restaurant La Penichette and suggested we join them. Whilst chatting we mentioned that we hoped to visit New Zealand. They told us they had bought a share in a motorhome there and one of the other shareholders was looking to rent it out at very reasonable rates. Next day we contacted him on his boat in Northern France ( are there any kiwis left in NZ in their winter??) and have provisionally booked dates. Sometimes things happen and decisions get made just like that. A stroke of serendipity. The networking and camaraderie amongst boaters is one of the things we love about it.

Thanks Pat and Jill for all the info you have given us on NZ (over a glass of wine or two). We will keep in touch.

 Next morning these two were waiting to greet me as the boat floated up in the first lock. Cute!

I told Chris he could get one of these if I ever get fed up with boating.

We stayed two nights at Paray le Monial. It is a very popular pilgrimage town dominated by the Basilica du Sacre Coeur. It still attracts Christians from around the world. It certainly seemed to have attracted many boats and motor homes the weekend we were there. 

We were now on the Canal du Centre and it was obvious that boats were starting to gather as the news of early closure spread. We needed to get to St Leger sur Dheune by the 8th September, after that the remainder of the canal would stay open until the 15th. So after a restful weekend we took off again. All the locks on the Centre were automatic, some quite deep and quite fierce. I was up on the roof again with my specially adapted swimming pool pole to get a rope on the bollards. I couldn't be without it! 

 

Passing under the lift bridge at Montceaux les Mines

When we arrived at St Leger we knew we had passed the point where the canal would shut on the 8th so could slow up a bit now. We had planned to go to the restaurant Au Petit Kir but found it was shut for a few days. There was also a stiff breeze and the tree we were moored under was shedding its catkins all over us. So we decided to leave next day and get to Fragnes, the last port on the canal before heading out onto the river Saone.

 

Vine covered slopes where the canal now crosses the vineyards of Southern Burgundy

And what a day that was! There were strong gusts of wind from the off. But the real problems started when we got to the staircase of 8 locks after Chagny. A German family on a hire boat were already waiting at the first lock which apparently had a mechanical problem. Eventually we got a green light. We went through a couple of locks with them which became quite stressful as the wind picked up again and they struggled to hold their boat. The teenage daughter and mother started screaming at one another. Two boats were already waiting at the next lock and two more came up behind us. And there were boats queueing from the other direction too. Chaos. Two hire boats had been stuck in a lock for 3 hours in the middle of the chain. They didn't seem too bothered though and sat on deck playing cards and drinking wine! Of course the Dunkirk spirit kicked in and there was talk of a big party if we all got stuck between the locks all night.

Eventually the mess got sorted out but despite starting out at 8.30 am we still did not quite reach Fragnes by the time the last lock shut at 7 pm. So we wild moored with only a donkey for a neighbour and slept very soundly.

Thankfully days like that are rare. Next morning we were happily moored in Fragnes where we have had a lovely little holiday for the past week (no, we are not on holiday all the time!). During that last frustrating day of cruising we met Charles and Pamela on Zenia, another wide beam barge from the UK. They kindly invited us for dinner on their boat next day which was lovely and much appreciated. Hopefully our canals will cross again next spring.

Charles and Pamela's boat Zenia moored in front of us in Fragnes

Fragnes is just such a peaceful relaxing mooring. We are enjoying lovely warm September weather and there is a holiday atmosphere. An excellent restaurant and boulangerie are a few steps away and the port is run very efficiently by Celine. The national velo route runs through so we have done lots of cycling in different directions. There are two good supermarkets within easy cycling distance. It is surrounded by pretty countryside but close to the large town of Chalon sur Saone. We took the bus there on Monday and had lunch in the square.

We are leaving tomorrow, off the canal and out onto the river Saone. We expect to be back at base in St Jean de Losne in a couple of days. Sad because it will be the end of cruising for this year but there are jobs to do and people to see. Everyone starts coming back into the marina and there will no doubt be plenty of get togethers swapping cruising yarns.