A Quick Visit to Paris

After a quick trip home we returned to Paris for a few days.  Kevin had moved our boat to Paris and I was able to get my Paris fix.  It is now mandatory for us to return to the Foundation Louie Vuitton.  Unfortunately they were between exhibitions, so we were not enthralled with the art they were showing.  Fortunately touring the building again made up for it.  We also had another amazing meal at our favorite Paris restaurant Verjus.

Lower level of Foundation Louie Vuitton with lights and mirrors.

Structure with a water feature.

Another angle of the building.

A detail of the building.

Outside of the building was a field of cows.

Each cow was decorated differently.  It was a delightful exhibit.

I was surprised to find Matzah in a little market in Paris.

 We went to the Museum of Science and Industry which is an amazing place for kids of all ages.

We saw a show about humpback whales in the largest Imax theatre in the round in the world

We were tied up in the basin of La Villette in Paris.  When it was time to leave we had to face the challenge of the Saint Martin Canal which goes under the city of Paris.  We went through double locks which meant there was no time to set up after leaving one lock and setting up for the second lock.  To make things more interesting the back doors to the lock would automatically close whether we were tied up...or not.  It made for stressful times.

This is the end of the La Villette basin.

This was our view of the Saint Martin Canal as we sailed under the city of Paris.

You can see the water flowing over the lock gate.

 There are many contrasting sights as we cruise along the Seine.

The views as we cruise under the bridges on the Seine are very different from being on top.

A tent city under a bridge in Paris.

Check out the totem smiling at the gorilla

Anyone for a swim?  This was a swim club along the Seine.

A colorful barge.

Commerce on the Seine

China Town

This was a very tight lock with 6 barges being lifted at the same time.

The fire department was trying to save a sinking barge

A Pusher tug moving material on the Seine.

A barrage such as this one controls the level of water on the canals and rivers.

A Day of Barging in France

I will occasionally write about what a day of barging is like.  No two days are alike.  We never know what we will find around the next bend.  This is the second installment of A Day of Barging.

We woke up early today because we had a lot planned.  Well, early for us while in France.  By 7 am we were doing email since we were fortunate to have an Internet connection.  After catching up on "business" we went for a walk.  It was a beautiful.  Along the way we found a park with placards that included pictures showing what logging was like from 1546 to 1923 in The Morvan.  Logging played an important part in the history of France.  We stopped at a boulangerie on the way back to the boat and then it was time to get moving.  Kevin checked the oil, warmed up the engine, pulled in the lines, and off we went.  It was 10 am.

While the guys steered and handled lines as we cruised through the Morvan area of France on the Nivernais canal, I made breakfast, did laundry, emptied the dishwasher and began preparing lunch.  Laundry is an on going process as we always need to manage our power.  That means either the washer OR the dryer is going, but neither will be on together without the generator running.

This was one of the first things we saw on our walk. The wagons were in front of a private home.

Another picturesque spot on our walk.

Logging was labor intensive.

A lot of wood came down the river on its way to Paris.  It was mainly burned for heat.

We passed by a beach.

We've discovered many towns  have "community" gardens.  Families have their own plot of land where they can grow fruits and vegetables.

We stopped in a lock for lunch at 12:15.  The lock keepers take off for their lunch from 12-1 pm so we are unable to move.

Lunch that day was a salads of lettuce, green beans, apricots, an egg yolk, two types of duck (BBQ and smoked), goat cheese, slow roasted tomatoes, onions, and of course a baguette.  I made the vinaigrette as well.  We drank iced tea.  No alcohol while the boat is moving.

We discovered peaches next to a lock house.  Tom and Kevin went picking for me.  The peach/raspberry crisp I made was delicious. 

They may not look as pretty as the ones we buy in the market, but they were sweet and juicy.

The Nivernais canal is very popular for bike riders.  The tow path is well maintained for everyone's use.

The Nivernais is considered one of the most beautiful canals in France.  So far we would agree with that assessment.

It is spectacular here.

I thought it would be fun to play on this but Tom wouldn't stop.

I did manage to buy post cards and ice cream bars at this little stand while Rabelo was going through a lock.

We had always been told that Rabelo wouldn't fit under the bridges of the Nevernais and we couldn't cruise here.  Kevin disagreed.  It was very tight but we did make it under the bridges.  We went very slowly!  The lock keepers were also wonderful and lowered the level of the canal for us when we encountered particularly low bridges.  The "W" is for barges to remove their wheel when going under the bridge as the wheel is the highest point on many barges.

Here Tom has lowered our pilot house and he has to duck down as well.  Kevin directs Tom  from outside.

I'm not into white water rafting.  There are places where the river crosses the canal.  It can make for exciting driving.  Other times we are on the river as the two merge.

We always have to be alert for obstacles in the water.  This log could do serious damage if we ran over it.

This was a fruitful day.  Peaches AND apples on the same stretch of canal.   I'll be busy baking this week.

This bridge was another close call.  Tom was checking to make sure our back didn't hit the bridge or edge of the canal.

At 4 pm we arrived in Mailley Valle after a harrowing, stressful and very long day.  We went for another walk to end the day and found a lovely park with a beach on the Yonne River.

To wind up the day I made dinner, we did dishes, watched a DVD, read a while and finally turned out lights around midnight.  It was a very good day!

Moret sur Loing and Namours France plus Brussels, Belgium.

Lovely scenery along the canal.

 Once our visitors left we needed to get moving if we were going to see Chateau Landon.

Chateau Landon  has been turned into a retirement home.

After Chateau Landon we cruised to Moret sur Loing.  It is a beautiful town.  Alfred Sisley (the painter) spent a great deal of time painting there with good reason.  It was a royal fortress for nearly three centuries.

A view of Moret sur Loing.

Moret sur Loing Barley Sugar Museum.

Water is an important feature in Moret sur Loing

Ancient Entrance to Moret sur Loing

We made a stop (by car) in Marchant to see the remains of the 11th Century Basilica St Mathurin

We went to the town of Barbizon which is in the middle of the Fontainebleau forest and very much an artist (and tourist) town.  Tom thought that would be a good place for a hike and then lunch.  I found it charming.  I was also able to get in a little retail therapy.

There were mosaics such as this on the walls all around the town.  

We went for some great hikes in the Fontainebleau Forest in spite of the heat.  The area is known for its beautiful rock formations.

The hikes were fun but finding the trail was challenging at times in the Fontainebleau Forest.  They have trails that are very well marked (so they say) all through the forest.  We wound up lost for quite some time.  We knew we would eventually find a trail again.  When we emerged from the forest we weren't anywhere near where we had started.

Mounted police strolling down the street in Barbizon.

We always eat well on Rabelo.  Caprice salad with basil from our garden plus a selection of cheeses and pate's.  With wine  and a  baguette of course.

Namours was our next destination.

Looking down an alleyway in Namours

Bastille Day in Namours was wonderful.  They put on an excellent fireworks display.

We made a quick trip home to attend a family wedding.  We spent a night in Brussels before flying out.  Brussels has wonderful architecture and as for food...OH MY!  Belgium waffles, chocolates, beer, seafood, lace, tapestries...it was heaven.  I had to use great restraint.

More types of waffles than you can imagine.

Just a few of the beers available in Brussels.

Chocolates galore

More delicacies.

Old town square in Brussels

More of the town square of Brussels

Did I mention good beer?

The mussels were fabulous!  I couldn't resist.