Back to Vandenesse with Friends

View from Chateauneuf of the basin where Rabelo is tied up 

When bad things happen, do they always happen in three’s?  I’m afraid to find out.  After our whirlwind tour of Provence with Louise and Neil, we boarded the train for Burgundy.  Then an easy drive to Vandenesse.  It was time to do some local sight seeing before heading back in the direction of Dijon.  There was the lovely “hike” up to Chateauneuf for a delicious crepe lunch.  We then strolled leisurely back to Rabelo searching out the last of the blackberries along the road.  Before continuing our walk we stopped by the boat for a minute.  What I found was distasteful, disturbing and disgusting.  It was totally gross!  The guest toilet and holding tank had backed up through half the boat!  Our friends were not only good sports but Louise was by my side helping clean up all the sh-t that had spread throughout much of the boat.  There was a lot of teenage toilet humor as we ladies cleaned, mopped, and the men emptied the holding tank, (which should have been empty considering the quantity that had flowed out) while struggling to find and fix the problem.

Having fixed the toilet problem (at least for the remainder of the season) we were ready for more sightseeing and then the cruse from Vandenesse back to Dijon.  Little did we know what was in store for us next!

Tuesday was so beautiful we ate lunch outside while waiting for the lock (VNF) lady to finish her meal.  We had barely left the next lock when we heard a sharp noise.  Our pilothouse was now crooked!  Fortunately no one but Rabelo was hurt but we wasn’t going anywhere for a while.  Our pilothouse goes up and down hydraulically.  A weld gave out and a cable broke.  With the pilothouse lowered we almost crawl to get around up there.  Continuing with a broken pilothouse was not an option.  Where in France are we to find a qualified welder to fix our wheelhouse?  The company that built and installed the pilothouse is in Holland.  Even if we were under warranty Holland is a long ways away.

So there we were…stuck in the middle of nowhere with an inoperative pilothouse and Dijon maybe 3 sailing days away.  Fortunately we have a car to get supplies (food) and certainly there is no shortage of wine on board.

It was a miracle but we found a welder who could fix our pilothouse.  While he was on board doing his job we took Louise and Neil to Guédelon to see what progress they had made since last year.  Watching a chateau being build in the manner and style going back to the 13^th century is a great experience and one we recommend to anyone anywhere near the area. 

Stonework over a doorway in Chateauneuf

A patchwork quilt of farmland

Guédelon:  Finished interior of a tower

One example of how arches are made

Dinner tomorrow?

We met this beautiful blond on a walk

We also met this green eyed beauty on a walk.

Tom and Neil viewing our broken weld and trying to figure out what to do.  Those were not happy faces.

I've been doing a lot of cooking so it was time for a break.  We went with Louise and Neil to my favorite restaurant in Dijon Chapeau Rouge.

Delicious mushroom course at Chapeau Rouge.  A Michelin 2 starred restaurant in Dijon.  Amazing food!

The seafood course was even better

The duck wasn't so bad either.  The vegetable presentation was beautiful.  The sauce for each course was delicate and flavorful.

We don't get tired of the scenery.

While Tom and Julian moved the boat Neil, Louise and I went for a long walk.  This is an ancient bridge with the river flowing under it.

View thru an arch of the ancient bridge.

When navigating on the canals and rivers the barges need a means of communicating with each other.  Cars have blinkers.  Barges use Blue Boards to tell other barges if we are "moving to the other side of the canal" (so to speak).  I was worried about things happening in three's!  Our blue board wasn't working.  Here is Neil hard at work trying to get it fixed before departing Rabelo for his journey home.

Neil attempting to fix our broken blue board

In case there is doubt in anybody's mind I LOVE THIS LIFE!  Tom and I keep pinching ourselves thinking we will wake up any moment and this will have been a dream.  We are loving the experiences, food, pace of life, people and everything involved with barging.