The Kids are Back in Town!

The kids are back in town and it feels like it was just yesterday that they were here.  Yet, Zoe at 2 1/2 years is talking up a storm and now has a head of curls.  Talia (now 5) is a little lady wanting to help with everything.  Of course that's when they're not screaming for whatever it is they need to scream about at that particular moment.  It is wonderful being able to spend time with them here.

It is worth trying to get up to enjoy the early morning with its soft, caressing air before the heat and humidity hit full force.  We hear birds, geese, chickens and roosters.  The occasional fish splashing. The beautiful calm and gentle promise of what the day will bring.

A short bike ride from the marina where we were tied up in St Jean de Losne we could see grain being loaded into barges.  Those barges hold a LOT of grain.  That should take care of at least a few boulangerie's with their baguette and croissant making.

Once the kids were on board we wanted them to do a little sight seeing.  We drove to Beaune which is a lovely, busy, bustling town and popular tourist destination. We didn't get to spend much time there but had a nice lunch and caught up on wifi (always important).  We then did a quick tour of Hotel-Dieu (a hospital) built in 1443.  The colorful tile roof on one side of the courtyard and slate roof on the other side provide a nice contrast to each other.  Included in the price of admission is a private guided tour you can listen to at your own pace.

Each bed in the hospital was designed to hold two patients.  Cozy!

Back in St Jean de Losne it was hysterical watching the geese trying to climb up the bank to get out of the water.  Hardly what we could call graceful as they kept trying to jump up onto the slope and slide back into the water.  They were very polite about taking turns.

This is what the "marina" looks like where we are tied up.  We have put our name on the waiting list hoping to get a permanent slip in the next few years.  The location is central to so many wonderful barging areas.

Once Randy and Co arrived it was time to cruise on to Dijon.  We stopped along the way and found a little village slightly larger than what we normally see.  Tom, Randy and I went in search of a boulangerie and whatever else we might find.  (Randy was craving pizza)  We were very excited to find a boulangerie only to be disappointed when we discovered they were closed.  It's August and half of France is on vacation.  The mass exodus from France is so dramatic that the first Saturday in August is called Black Saturday.l  All the roads are jammed with the French heading away from the cities.

Randy wanted his turn at driving Rabelo.  Here are my two guys smiling with the roof down after going under a bridge.  That's quite an array of solar panels surrounding them.  It has made a huge difference in how we manage our power.

My little darlings sharing a stroller.

Rabelo tied up in the heart of Dijon.