Cruising the Burgundy Canal and French Frogs in Springtime.

One of our favorite dinners, what we call grazing.  It consists of salad, pates, a large assortment of cheeses a baguette (of course) and this evening champagne to celebrate our first weekend dinner alone on Rabelo.  It is followed by a pastry from the local boulangerie.

It’s Spring.  The frogs are in love and so are we.  Dandelions everywhere – floating, whirling, dancing in the wind and drifting down covering the canal.  Springtime is a busy season for French frogs.  What a racket they make.  They are so noisy there was a lawsuit where a family was sued because their neighbors wanted a pond drained and the frogs removed. There are other lawsuits as well.  Their decibel level is measured at the equivalent of a washing machine or vacuum cleaner.  In Dordogne their love-making was ruled a public disturbance.  What next?  Mooing cows, bleating goats, neighing horses.  Maybe they should also stop dogs from barking, ducks from quacking, and geese from honking.  Let's not forget the roosters who enthusiastically greet us each morning.  People who can’t handle the sounds of nature should move to the city where they can listen to trucks, cars, motorcycles and all the noises encountered in the city.  One French mayor issued a decree forbidding newcomers from complaining about farmyard noises.   For me, I’ll take sounds of mating-frogs, chirping birds, geese, and ducks…the cacophony of noise created by nature over the noise of civilization.

One of our noisy neighbors.

The frogs we watched from the window of Rabelo fascinated us.  They have what look like two balloons that fill up behind their protruding eyes, while the throat also expands.  We’ve tried to describe what we are hearing, and the best Tom and I could come up with was a noisy, wet, squishy, juicy sound.  

Our new captain Philippe making spreader bars for Rabelo with Tom supervising.

Our yard.  It was a jungle until Philippe whacked down the winters growth and hauled it away.

After some serious provisioning our journey began.

It's always amazing to look at a lock and realize that Rabelo at almost 39 meters manages to fit inside.

Our first lock was built in 1921

Carol and Michael (our new friends) were at the first lock to greet us.  We've enjoyed sharing meals and stories together.

I never tire of the beauty of the mustard fields in bloom.

What a sight as we cruised along enjoying perfect spring weather.

The old villages are a perfect backdrop for the fields in vibrant bloom.

The lock houses are anywhere from beautifully maintained to ready for the roof to collapse.

Seeing this new lock house was a shock since most of them are old.

My captain, oh captain is happy being back at the wheel of his boat.

 The basin in Dijon is teeming with wild life.  Swans are chasing the geese, which chase the ducks.  A majestic heron sits on a log protruding from the water watching us watch him.  Families of ducks and geese are constantly swimming by with the mommy, daddy and their little babies following.  Perhaps they are looking for a handout, such as an old piece of baguette.  They look comical with their head down, tails poking out of the water as they fish for food.

Part of our entertainment when we looked out our windows.

This is how our spreader bars work, keeping Rabelo pushed away from the dock.  This allows us to pull in our ramp at night preventing uninvited visitors from boarding Rabelo.  Yes, people occasionally come aboard uninvited!  One mother was so proud that she was visiting me with her two young children dripping ice cream down their hands.  She didn't seem at all perturbed when I told her our boat was private.  It's like inviting yourself into someone's yard.

This lock house had a cat watching us from the open door.

We came across a large group of Gendarmes (paramilitary police officers) training by walking along the canal.  Our Heartbreak Hiking Fools could have shown them a thing or two.  They were friendly and I loved their war paint.

This machine (skimmer) keeps the canals free of plant growth.

It was time for a newer car, something a little larger.  We bought a Peugeot and sold our Renault which had served us well.

Tragedy struck when our one of a kind, signed Merano vase took a nose dive.

Our favorite market (when we can find one) is Grand Frais.  It is a market chain that emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables.   They also have an excellent butcher as well as a nice selection of cheeses.  They don't carry any frozen items as there is no freezer.

Attached to Grand Frais we normally find one of our favorite boulangerie Marie Blachere.  Bread is baked all day and their pastries are delicious.  When we are running errands we enjoy stopping here for a sandwich, drink and occasionally a desert.

The pastries sell out quickly.

They can't seem to bake baguettes fast enough.

I took pictures until I was asked to stop.  Behind this baker you can get an idea of the size of the ovens which are continually in use.