Lazy cruising to Joinville

We have spent the last couple of weeks slowly making our way to Joinville on the Canal entre Champagne et Bourgogne. We have arranged to leave the JR there whilst we pop back to the UK for a week. 

The hot weather continued as we travelled along the Canal de Marne au Rhin, which as the name implies links the river Marne in France to the river Rhine in Germany and is still used by commercial barges, although we only met four or five. The 5 kilometre Mauvages Tunnel gave us some respite from the heat for an hour and posed no problems, plenty wide enough, well lit and accompanied by a VNF employee on his bicycle.

Although the water was the clearest we have seen it was also the weediest! 

The props of the big commercials had chopped up the weed and caused it to gather at the locks, interfering with the mechanisms. We got stuck in one lock after the doors started to open and then jammed.

We found some lovely country moorings along the way and spent lazy afternoons under the shade of the trees.

And wandering around unspoilt villages where time seems to have stood still

My favourites, the sunflowers, are back, although these are all facing the wrong way for the camera!

You would think that all of this bucolic French countryside would be enough to keep anyone chilled out, but not it seems some of the dutch boaters on the waterways. A large English owned barge La Tulipe was waiting patiently for us to come out of a lock when a little dutch cruiser suddenly appeared from round the bend and tried to overtake and beat them into the lock. After being yelled at by the lady of the barge he sheepishly pulled back. What a lunatic! 

We eventually found some shops again at the little town of Ligny-en-Barrois which has a very pleasant little port. We were able to stock up as supplies were getting low. Lidl and Carrefour were a bike ride down the towpath. It's amazing how much stuff you can get in a wicker basket on one bike and panniers on the other! 

Our next stop was the bigger town of Bar-le-Duc and we managed to find a space on the town mornings, not quite as peaceful as our recent rural moorings with a busy road one side of the canal and a railway line the other side. Not to mention the cantankerous wheelchair bound Belgian guy in a campervan next to us who had a shouting match with the port Capitaine on the quayside causing Chris to have to intervene. He certainly knew a few choice English words! Never a dull moment. 

Bar-le-Duc is a "town of art and history" and has some of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture in the whole of France. The town is cut in two, the down town section with shops and restaurants and the upper town with its beautifully restored old quarters.

The old clock tower dates back to the 13th century

Castle of the Dukes of Bar

Church of Saint Etienne on the Place Saint- Pierre. In the Middle Ages this square was the site of fairs, markets and celebrations.

Inside the Church of Saint Etienne is an astonishing statue dating from 1547, the "Transi" corpse by famous sculptor of the time Ligier Richier. Legend says that when her husband the Prince of Orange was killed his widow asked for her husband to be sculpted as he would be 3 years after his death. It is very realistic and shows a lot of knowledge and research of the anatomy in a time when autopsies were banned.

Modern day market, spot the handsome chap with his wicker shopping basket

After two days of culture and shopping (oh yes, the sales were still on so managed to replenish the wardrobe a little too whilst the skipper headed to Brico, fair's fair!) we set off into the peace and quiet of the countryside again. That evening we were moored near another English boat Poppy and "come for a beer at 6" turned into a few bottles of wine till 10. 

A lovely evening spent with James, Linda and the adorable Alice the Bedlington terrier

As strong winds were forecast for a couple of days we tied up in the nearly completed new quay at Saint Dizier and were down below having a little afternoon rest, as you do, when we heard someone yell " Joli Roger!". That is when we met Elaine and George on African Monarch who are on a whistle stop cruise on the canal before heading back to the UK and are then off to Greece sailing on a yacht for 6 weeks. George (81!) who has a long history of boating, and even sailed Cunard cruise liners, had a punishing itinerary lined up for his crew Elaine who has since emailed to say she is totally exhausted! 

Elaine waving goodbye to us next morning, no lazy cruising for her!

It is the people we meet who make this experience so enjoyable. Boaters are generally helpful, friendly people who will come and help you tie your boat up when you arrive, often invite you for drinks and nibbles on their boat or vice versa. There is none of the usual reserve in getting to know people, you find you are quickly swapping life stories and how you found yourselves to be cruising the waterways of France. We have met so many interesting people with stories to tell whom we would not have met in normal life. The canal network is indeed like a long village and you often find you meet up with people again. It is easy to keep in touch through blogs and email. That is just what we did to arrange a rendezvous-vous with Chris and Andy on Edwina Rose. 

Thèy arrived in Joinville the day after we did and we have had a lovely couple of evenings together catching up. Last time we saw border collie Martha she was an 8 week old puppy, she is now just one year old. If it looks as if we are in someone's back garden we actually are. It is a private mooring at La Vinaigerie hotel, a very safe home for the boat for a week. Yet a five minute walk away there is a supermarket, petrol station, garden centre and large DIY shop, a boaters dream.

Fishing opposite our boat, definitely bringing a fishing rod next year

 Joinville's beautiful Chateau du Grand Jardin built in the 16th century by Claude de Lorraine to obtain the forgiveness of his wife for his extramarital affairs.

Love the frilly feathers of this black swan on the moat surrounding the chateau

We waved goodbye to Andy and Chris this morning leaving Martha looking very puzzled on the stern deck.

Why aren't you two coming too?

We shall be setting off early tomorrow morning for the tunnel at Calais, not exactly good timing but fingers crossed we shall reach the shores of Blighty without too much hassle. Looking forward to enjoying the champagne lifestyle on our return as we turn around and head up to Epernay.