Montceau les Mimes and St. Leger sur D'heune, France

The occasional dinner on Rabelo we call "grazing."  Or, how we suffer on Rabelo.

While always enjoying the food and wine of France, we also never tire of the scenery.  Up and down we go traveling the watery roads made up of rivers and canals.  There are certain passages we repeat annually.  They never look the same.  As the seasons progress, the terrain and sky change.  In early spring we see bare earth.  Gradually plants poke their heads up through the stony ground.  The maturing crops are gently caressed by delicate breezes.  We see alfalfa, barley, sunflowers, grapevines and more.  At times the sunflowers extend as far as the eye can see.  They lift their faces upwards, tracking the sun from early morning until late afternoon.  Then they bow their heads as if in prayer, waiting for the sun to return.  The farmers come out with their equipment to cut and mow down the stalks, leaving bales of hay dotting the fields in a picturesque manner.  Once the process is complete the story will start all over agin the following season.  The sky, which can go from leaden grey clouds heavy with water, to brilliant fluffy puffs, will eventually transform to a dazzling blue.  Tom and I marvel at the magnificence of the clouds here.  It’s as if someone is using the sky as a giant canvas with paints and brush, each day contemplating what views to present us with next.   I don’t anticipate ever growing bored with the bounty France presents us.

Rabelo going under a low bridge then carefully gliding her way into a lock with only inches on either side.

These locks are tight!

Tom didn't have to duck under this bridge.  Our pilot house is down.

Plenty of room in front of Rabelo in this lock...so we thought.

But then discovered we had very little space in back.  Tom had better turn the rudder to the side.

Rabelo glistening in the sunlight is majestically exiting a lock.

We went through some deep locks.

 It is wonderful waking up to find the open market by our front door.

In Montceau les Mines the open market was right by our front steps.

You could purchase chickens already cooked.

If you prefer, you can purchase your chickens extra fresh.  

There was an endless array of cheeses from many venders.  Some carried only varieties of goat cheese.

I'm on the lookout for a nice rose, but worry about how they store their stock.  Perhaps in their unrefrigerated van?  They didn't look to have many customers that morning.

The meats looked wonderful

Beautiful plump figs and ripe tomatoes.

The vegetables were arranged like a painting.  Are you hungry yet?

Do these rabbits make you lose your appetite.

Cruising the Canal du Centre

Famous white cows of France contentedly digesting their morning meal.

 Wild blackberry season finally arrived in France.  On our morning walk we gorged ourselves on the wild blackberries we found along the road.  Of course the most beautiful, ripest, fattest ones are just out of reach from the boat as we pass.  What a waste.

I can't imagine why this miniature dutch windmill was on the road where we were walking.

Not all our walks are along a canal.

Wildflowers fill neglected fields.

If we time it just right Alban can take our motorcycle off the boat without using the crane, while we are in a lock.  Then he can go retrieve our car.