Happy Mistakes

Some trivial information for you:  The town of Nogent is the center for where knives, surgical implants and cutlery are made.  We found an excellent museum there showing the history with samples of everything from ancient tools to the devices used for implants today.

Sometimes there are happy mistakes.  We had understood that there would be a concert on Sunday at La Pailly Castle.  We arrived a little early planning on seeing the castle and enjoying  a brass band.  It turned out the concert was Saturday so we only missed it by one day.  Instead we received a private 1 1/2 hour tour of this amazing castle and grounds which are slowly being restored.  It was built around 1563 and is in serious need of major renovations.  It appeared from the outside that parts of the roof were collapsing.  Seeing the shoring up of walls and ceilings on the inside made me more than a little nervous during the interior tour.

La Pailly Castle 15 km from Langres

More Trivia:  The reason tress were planted was to create shaded walkways so that the ladies could walk outdoors without spoiling their white skin.  White skin was a sign of aristocracy.

Back corner of the castle.

We went from canals to the river Saone.  We almost didn't know what to do with all this space.

We spent too many days in Auxonne, the capital of the Val de Saone.  We had some rather unfortunate and unpleasant experiences while there.  Since Wilco had taken a long weekend to spend time with his family we were stuck.

This is the Notre Dame Church in Auxonne.  The stained glass windows create pretty shadows against the ceiling and walls.

An excellent example of a picturesque timber frame house from the beginning of the 17th Century.

This was the view from our boat.  Auxonne was a fortified city at one time.  They used a beautiful pink stone which unfortunately doesn't show up in my photographs.

We were tied up to the town steps.  Someone either didn't like us, and/or this is a town of too many young people with nothing to do at night.  Hence, they drink and hang out on these steps.  One night someone CUT 3 of the four lines holding our boat!  Besides being very expensive, we were fortunate they left one line.  Otherwise we could have been caught in the current and swept into who knows what.  The last night I "slept" in the pilot house to keep an eye on things.  We were very happy to leave Auxonne.

It isn't all bad.  We went for a walk one day and I discovered wine for sale at a lock!  I can shop almost anywhere.  The Rose (at 6 Euro) turned out to be very drinkable. I wish I had bought more.

We were located in an area that rent live-aboard boats for a week at a time.  Standing at their first lock was more entertainment than anyone should have to experience.  They crashed, they swung around, they hit other boats, they hit the lock doors, they lost their lines...I hope they had good insurance.  Even with bumpers strategically placed all the way around the boats they still managed to hit areas that weren't protected.

This is Rabelo's home for the next 3 weeks while Wilco is on vacation.  I call it Mosquito Heaven.  Otherwise it is known as St Jean de Losne and you will find us at the Old Lock.

Ok, we don't quite fit!

We visited some of the other local marinas and found people we had met last year, and boats we recognized.  We were able to reconnect with a lovely Australian family we had spent time with in 2012.  Unfortunately, they are in Australia, not here.  Another couple is running a B and B  We had drinks with Steve and he introduced us to a group of barge owners from around the world.  St Jean de Losne is the barge capital of France.  There are many boats our size and quite a few of the owners live on them year round.  We feel so secure here that we put our name on the waiting list to get a permanent mooring when one comes up.  I'll just invest in DEET.

We went out to dinner one night.  This was my view.

I'm still finding time to read at night. The latest book is Sacre Bleu:  A Comedy d'Art by Christopher Moore.  In the beginning the book was charming but it finally became too far fetched.  I loved his depictions of Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, and other artists of that period.  Has anyone else read it?  Comments?

Follow the Baguette Trail

It is Sunday morning and I am in need of a freshly baked baguette and perhaps a little treat to go with our breakfast.  While Tom was still sleeping I walked into town.  The wonderful thing about France is everyone else has the same idea.  I simply followed the trail of people with baguettes tucked under their arm or clutched in their fist.  Voila!  Not only did I find a boulangerie but there was a line.  A good sign.  Carrying my treasures I began my walk back to Rabelo.  I laughed as an older couple stopped to ask in French where the "magasin" was.  I think their French was worse than mine.  I figured out that they meant boulangerie and pointed them in the right direction.

You would think the views as we cruise along the canals and rivers will be the same.  There are fields of hay, mustard, corn, and whatever else is grown in the countryside.  There are horses, cows, the occasional goat, dogs, cats, duck farms, (did I get your attention there?), people fishing, bike riding, walking, jogging...as well as large empty spaces and canals that seem to go on forever.  But never complete silence.  As I've mentioned before, even without the background noise of civilization are the sounds of the wilderness.  Yet, in spite of what seems to be the sameness, it isn't at all.  Each village is different, whether there are beautiful lovingly cared for flower and vegetable gardens, or buildings that seem to defy the laws of gravity by remaining upright.

Perhaps someone can answer a question for me?  Is there a building code in these old villages that require that the original stonework must remain?  We have peeked inside some of the very old homes and discovered the occasional beautiful, modern interior!  What a surprise!  Windows are fitted into old stone walls, very old timbers remain above new doorways, buildings are partially covered with plaster but some of the old stone is left uncovered.  Why?  Wouldn't it be less expensive and more efficient to tear down these tired, dilapidated extremely old structures and put up new ones?  Of course, where we have seen new homes springing up it hasn't been a pretty sight.  They have no character.  The old buildings have charm, history and interest.  So what is the deal?

Beautiful plane trees lining the canals

The light was so beautiful in Langres (a few days ago) that I need to insert one more picture of the fortified town. The stone buildings glowed.

Bales of hay

Magnificent skies above lush fields...

Charming villages, each with their own distinct personality.

Duck farming is big business.

                                   

Ever wonder where those delicious duck breasts come from?

We haven't seen many commercial barges in the area where we have been cruising.  A few did catch my eye for their uniqueness.  There were colorful barges...

And then there are some tired barges.

For your information, we are now in the Cote d'Or.

I am continually amazed by the light, color, sky, magnificent vistas, and understand why so many painters come here to paint.

Life Without Television

Do you know what life would be like today without television and only limited occasional internet?  How about not being able to run to the market when you run out of something?  For me, no television is a dream come true.  Peace and quiet!  No awful tv shows blaring while I'm fixing dinner!  If we are very fortunate we are completely away from all the sounds of man for a night or two.  Instead we listen to the birds, frogs, the rain occasionally beating on our roof, sometimes thunder in the distance, the gentle splash of a fish, the wind gently rustling the leaves of the trees...it's heavenly.  What happens when our day is done, the locks are closed, the dishes are washed?  We read.  I finished James Michener's The Source.  It was long but informative and I recommend it.  Next I read The Hare with the Amber eyes:  A Family's Century of Art and Loss by Edmund de Waal.  A historical book which I struggled with in the beginning.  I thought I had a decent vocabulary but found myself looking up; many words (the advantage of reading on an iPad).  Still, it was very well done.

In 1856 the Auberive Abbey was turned into a woman's prison where they were fed 60 grams of protein on Sunday with not much else during the week.  You can tell who the new prisoners are.  They are definitely too well fed.  The Abbey had an art gallery with some of the worst art we have ever seen.

Before Stan and Gail left we did a little sight seeing.  We went to the Auberive Abbey of the XII century founded by Cistercian monks in 1135 and rebuilt in the XVIII century.  Tom found some art in the garden.

We explored the fortified town of Langres.  The Cathedrale St-Mammes has a beautiful Burgundian Romanesque style.  These ceilings have always fascinated me with their gracefulness.

Langres is an ancient city which was one of the three capitals of Burgundy under the Gauls.  The ramparts evolved from the Hundred Years War to the 19C and the views were spectacular.  To this day it is a great fortified city.  I dragged Tom all the way around the ramparts.

Do you wonder what some of the villages look like that we visit?  We spent a night in Heuilley-Cotton which I found to be one of the more charming villages we have seen.  I think that it was a mix of new and old, there were some flowers (which took away some of the drabness), and the homes had lovely gardens which helped make it more inviting.  We also saw people outside working in their gardens and children playing in the park.  Oftentimes we don't see a soul.

Tom and I wear Nike Fuel Bands.  I purchased them as a Valentine's day present because I was concerned that being on the boat we wouldn't be active enough.  I was mistaken.  For those who don't know about the bands, we set a goal as to how active we want to be, and attempt to reach that goal each day.  At home we met our goal the days we hiked.  That meant maybe 3-4 days a week our goal was reached.  Working out at a gym didn't do it.  Here on Rabelo I am on a 40 day streak!  Of course now I don't want to fail.  Poor Tom.  We have had some days that didn't include enough activity for me.  One evening at 10 PM I dragged him out walking.  Last night we went before dinner.  The sky was looking menacing in the distance but I was determined not to break my winning streak.  This is a tiny village so we walked up and down every street, visited the cemetery, the church the cows...I just wasn't getting close to my goal.  Then we started hearing thunder.  The sky got darker.  We continued walking along the canal.  They have those nasty horse flies that take chunks out of you!  I decided it was time to turn around.  Just as I commented that maybe the storm would pass us by, the skies opened up.  I had my camera in my pocket.  Laughing I ran back to the boat.  Since Tom was already soaked from the walk he followed along at a more leisurely pace.

Ahhh Burgundy

Burgundy!  Need one say more?  Of course, who am I to pass up an opportunity.  Burgundy is such a magical name.  Think of Cote d'Or which is divided into two main areas:  Code de Nuits and the Cote de Beaune.

Our friends Stan and Gail Fridstein and Mary and Doug Danielak joined us in Chaumont.  We wanted them to experience the barging life before Doug introduced us to his old stomping grounds in Burgundy.

The famous white cows of France.

In case you were wondering, this is what happens when you have a wine maker (Doug) and wine agent (Stan) on board.

Stan wants to show us he can dance.  We need a little more leg there, Stan.

The colors around us were so intense as to almost hurt my eyes.  There are  more shades of green than you could ever imagine.  The bright blue sky plays peak-a-boo between clouds ranging from fluffy whites to dark stormy grays.

Our friend Doug Danielak is one of the best winemakers in Napa Valley, California.  He studied in Burgundy before bringing his amazing skills to the states.  Some of you may be familiar with his exceptional wines Juicy Rebound and Pontneuf.  We were fortunate to have Doug and his lovely wife Mary on board Rabelo for a few days.  He arranged a tour of Francois Freres Tonnellerie, one of the largest cooperages (wine barrel makers) in France.  Francois accompanied us on our tour showing us each step from the raw logs, their being cut into staves and cured 2-3 years in the sun.  We watched as wood planks were smoothed into the proper shape and size, the pieces put together to form the barrels, firing the inside of each barrel to get the proper "toast," the tops and bottoms put on, etc.  We even saw kosher wine barrels being made.  Clay rather than flour was used to seal the tops so that the barrels would qualify as kosher.  It was a noisy, exciting, and informative tour.  Thank you Doug, Mary and Francois!!!

The mustard factory was interesting.  After watching the barrel making which is a hands on operation, we saw the mustard factory which is almost completely automated.  In spite of being separated from the process by thick glass walls, our eyes couldn't stop tearing from the mustard "fumes."

Joseph Drouhin Winery for tasting.  The fourth generation of Drouhin family are running the company which was founded in 1880.  Yes, we are working on stocking our small wine refrigerator.

More wine tasting with Paul Garaudet who produces Grand Vins de Borgogne. We had to buy more wine for Rabelo.

I think even those who don't drink can appreciate the beauty of this area.

Here in the Montrechet fields we see the rows between the vines being plowed in the traditional manner.  These WHITE wines sell for $400.00 a bottle?  Only the East and South facing slopes are planted with vines.  The hilltops are trees, scrubs or thickets.