Low Bridge, Everybody Down: Barging in Europe: November 2017

Picturesque window in Villey-le-Sec

Quaint town Villey-le-Sec along side of the Fort

Fort de Villey-le-Sec is a fortification of the 19th century and is one of the defenses of Toul. Much of the fort has remained intact. The day we visited there was a car show outside the Fort and a Craft show inside.

The Craft show was well attended.

Part of the fort built in 1890.

Some of the fort was in ruins.

The car show had some cute old cars on display.

Not all of our cruising is beautiful pastures, happy cows, overgrown rivers and quaint villages. Industry and commerce is also along the rivers and canals. The waterways provide transportation of goods throughout Europe.

An old factory

The industrial views of cruising.

The canals continue to play an important roll in the moving of materials around the countryside.

These locks are extremely tight for Rabelo and have extensive vegetation growing on the walls on one side.

Cruising along the river

It's always amazes me when we are on a canal crossing over a river.

Our favorite meal "grazing."

A beautiful wine to accompany our meal.

Reflections

Enjoying my Sancerre wine with Tom

Dinner at Seb'on

Don’t you just love it when chance becomes something wonderful?!? After my girlfriends left for home Tom joined me in Paris for one night. We wanted to see something new and decided on the private museum of Jacquemart-Andre. By the time we walked there it was lunch time and we were hungry. Wandering the streets around the museum we chanced on a restaurant that had excellent reviews. L’Aroma. Little did we know it was a Michelin starred restaurant filled with men in business suits. The staff was gracious and never blinked an eye over our attire which was American Tourist sweatpants and athletic shoes. Our meal was incredible and we intend to return for a dinner.

Fish Carpaccio

Poultry stuffed with foie gras.

Tiramisu with dry ice foaming out of the bottom.

The Jacquemart-Andre Museum was owned by banking heir Edouard Andre, 19^th century collector and his artist wife Nelie Jacquemart. The collections have remarkable works from Flemish and German schools, detached frescoes, refined furniture and tapestries. The building has maintained its mansion atmosphere with ceremonial rooms, monumental stairways, winter garden, private apartments, etc. The elegant ballroom was equipped with collapsible walls operated by then state-of-the-art hydraulics, that could hold 1,000 guests. The first floor is devoted to Italian art of the Renaissance period in Florence and Venice. Some of the artists represented in this museum are Fragonard, Botticelli, Van Dyck, Vigee-Lebrun, David and Uccello. We admired the paintings by Sisley, Corot, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, and Gauguin.

Magnificent decor

Imposing exterior.

Elegant staircases

I loved this statue. The boys face is precious.

Le Garage des Bataux-mouche by Alfred Sisley

After our quick visit to Paris it was back to Rabelo and we were on the move again.

At Port-sur-Saone someone left furniture out by the lock for people to enjoy. The weather was spectacular and it looked like the whole village was enjoying the last of the good weather.