Well done you made it back just when I had worked out how to get onto your blog properly!!
talk to you soon. Love Greta

Blogging off

Thursday 24 September 2009

Well - we did it again - we had very positive weather forecasts from home but the first seven hours werent great - only compensation is that Bruce makes the sandwiches as I cant manage to stay downstairs for too long - and then we were half way over and the sun shone and the sea calmed down. Arrived back in Lymington at 19.45 BST to witness a beautiful sunset. Now Friday afternoon and very happy to be home .Thank you all for your kind comments and encouragement. Until next year ......... Fran & Bruce

Last lock

Rouen
Tuesday 22 September

Left Paris on Sunday and cant say we were sorry to leave behind the sirens, the fragrance of eau de oui oui and the merde du chien. Had a good trip down to Meulan and were very happy that our own pontoon was there waiting for us again. And then yesterday we decided we couldnt face another night in the gravel pit so we went for it all the way to Rouen and arrived almost 12 hours after leaving Meulan and back to the best place we have visited. Satisfied my need to shop this morning and Bruce is satisfying his need to clean the boat right now - and it is a beautiful day.

We leave with the tide in the morning at 7 a.m. for Le Havre and then at about the same time on Thursday for Lymington. Bruce tells me we came across in winds of probably 20 miles an hour and the forecast is for about 7-8 at the moment - so fingers crossed.

Two blogs for the price of one

Back to Meaux
Friday 18 September


After an enforced stay in Epernay trying to organise a crane to lift us out and a boat transporter to take us to St Jean de Losne we reached the decision on Thursday morning that as it was going to be ridiculously expensive and fraught with all sorts of anxieties - whether the crane was big enough, if we had to get permission etc. etc. - we should head for home i.e. Lymington. So we have retraced our journey without our crew and so far have negotiated 11 locks and we are still speaking to each other. Actually made it to Meaux this time which is very pretty and pleased we came here. Back to Paris tomorrow for ................

One night in Paris
Saturday 19 September

Well - we're back and not quite as excited or as emotional as last time and the Place de Bastille is heaving with very dubious looking youngsters here for a music festival and there are possibly as many police to keep them under control and the sirens have not stopped since we arrived. The gardens of the Paris-Arsenal have been closed off and we have decided to forego a romantic meal out and save that for Rouen. So we will leave in the morning for Meulen where we spent a loud musical evening with Matt & Hev and hope that no-one is on our pontoon. Then a possible night in the quarry again - cant wait - and Rouen by Tuesday all being well. I have remembered a lovely kitchen shop there which has cheered me up no end and now I can bring as much back as I like!

And then back to Le Havre and back across the channel.

Sequel in Epernay

Monday 14 September

Still in Epernay waiting for news from St Jean de Losne regarding a crane and a truck to take us there. Hope to hear by this evening. The crew left us yesterday and we were very sad to see them go as they were so helpful and such good fun even if they did make us drink too much. Along with the sunshine which seemed to go with them and although no rain, it is cold, cloudy and windy, but we would rather be here than on our way back to Meaux and it is looking hopeful that we may not have to do that.

Ecluse automatique

One boat (but no dog) on the way to Meaux

Tuesday 08 September

Left Paris by 11 a.m. and soon on the Marrrrrrrrrrne on our way to Meaux and Epernay. Didnt make quite as good progress as we wanted to because of delays at locks and spent the night at Lagny sur Marne instead of Meaux which was lovely and we enjoyed a beautiful sunset there. Left first thing Wednesday morning as two more full days to get to Epernay and managed to find a mooring at a small place called Nanteuil sur Marne for that night but no water or electricity. Arrived at Societe Nautique d'Epernay at 4.45 p.m. Perfect spot just by champagne house - but saw small lock entrance to canal lateral a la Marne - our next stage - on the way in and Matt & Hev hoping that we will not start on this leg before they leave us on Sunday morning.

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Feel I should blog as won't be here for much longer :(. Had a lovely couple of days making our way to Epernay. We were sad to leave Paris but the weather was so lovely it was a good excuse to spend the day on the boat and get some sunbathing in (when we weren't leaping up to do the locks.) We've negotiated two tunnels and two canals, which have been a bit exciting as they're quite shallow, cue lots of beeping from Sequel's alarms. Lovely evening on the back of the boat in Lagny Sur Marne and another meal on the boat last night in a little mooring surrounded by vineyards. The locks are getting easier: yay! In the last two days we have managed to get through 14: so we like to think we're pros now. Fran can't decide if we're going to become all muscley and strong or just develop chronic back pain from all the pulling, we'll have to see about that. Very pleased to have arrived in Epernay and can't wait to get stuck into some champagne!

Friday 11 September

Still investigating possibility of going further down canals but looking unlikely - so have spent afternoon in Castellane Champagne House doing a tour and tasting their champagne and have a bottle in fridge for tonight.

PARIS

Newly Engaged

04 September 2009

Hev first this time...

What a day. We negotiated three locks, arrived in Paris by boat and um got engaged.

I'll start with the locks. The first one was horrid, with the heavens opening just as we got in and the rope slipped off and I couldn't find the line...etc etc. The second was the best one yet: we sent the ladder monkey (aka Mattie) up the slippery steps and all was well. I managed to hold the rope ok for the first time and I felt like Queen of the Locks. The third one passed by in a bit of a haze as something a bit special had happened just before! Mattie did himself proud and Frannie explains the moment very well below. It made the approach into Paris even more special and very exciting as amongst our hugs and congratulations there were cries of "hold on, hold on, do you think we're going to make it under that bridge?!" In a "narrow dog" style I think all the people on the bridges were waving and cheering for us!! We're moored up in Paris and made all the excited phonecalls to my family. My favourite one was from Fran to sister Sue. Fran said: "Matthew has proposed!" then heard Mike say in the background: "To who?" It's only been nine years Mike!

The last couple of days have been brilliant, the bike tour was great, although I'm not sure how many sights I'll remember as I seemed to spend most of the time cycling up to Fran asking "So what do you think about this for a theme?" "What about this for the colour?" I think we're driving the boys mad already. :) We have been to a couple of museums, climbed Notre Dame and L'Arc Triomphe and been right to the top of the Eiffel Tower. It's been a fabulous few days that I will never forget!

Now Fran's turn...have spent the last three days in Paris and it will be four nights by the time we leave tomorrow for Meaux, famous for Brie, and Epernay hopefully by Wednesday evening. It has been a very exciting time especially our arrival into Paris which apart from being spectacular became very emotional as Matt propsed to Heather - at long last - on bended knee on the front of Sequel as we passed the Tour Eiffel. We have celebrated once or twice since but also been on a bike tour which took us round most of the sights, we took the metro to the l' Arc de Triomphe and walked back down the Champs Elysee and across both the islands and back to the Paris Arsenal Marine where Sequel has been taking a breather, and today we have been to Notre Dame and found the most amazing store for Bruce to stock up on vital nuts and bolts - the basement of a department store - a bit like B&Q in Debenhams but much better. We also shopped in the market on Sunday morning in the Place de Bastille. We are trying hard with our French but then they answer in English which is a bit embarrassing - is it that obvious? My apologies to Michelle for lack of accents on the French names etc cant figure them out on this keyboard - a bientot - bisous.

On the way to Paris

Wednesday 02 September

Not such a good day today. Engine problems to start with delayed our departure from Rouen and then at the end of the day we had difficulty finding a mooring. Ended up anchoring in a flooded quarry but by the time we did it was dark and blowing a hooley and just as Hev was about to serve our evening meal, the Captain decided that the anchor was dragging and he and Matt had to sort things out in the, by that time, driving rain. Had a bit of a sleepless night worrying about everything and a 'Dead Calm' scenario but we were still in the same place in the morning.

Thursday 03 September

A better day although weather not particularly wonderful and got a bit excited (for that read 'stressed') in the first lock. The second lock was even more challenging when the lock keeper decided to test us by letting the water in very fast but we coped, with quite a lot of help from the thrusters. Moored for the night in Meulan in a channel of the main river by a very pretty bridge and with lots of fromageries and boulangeries.

Hevster Lock assistant entry...

I hate locks.

Moving on. The route down the Seine to Rouen was beautiful. The river was wider than I had imagined and we saw more herons than other boats. The approach to Rouen itself was a bit less beautiful: at one point we rushed to close all the hatches to avoid getting engulfed in a cloud of dust. At first we moored up in a marina just outside of the city but with a back drop of a dual carriageway and some sort of fire choking us, we all looked at each other and decided to carry on for a bit. We're glad we did as we got a great spot right in centre of the city. It was hot, hot, hot but we went for an explore and made our first very important Rouen purchase: four icecreams. We all started to melt, so we headed back for an evening at the best restaurant in town: Chez Sequel with uninterrupted views of the Cathedral and the city lights.

The next day we followed Wally (aka Mattie) around the city ducking into churches and down tiny higgledy piggledy alleys. We overdosed on Camembert for lunch so had to have a Cidre du Normandie to wash it down.

We had a great meal in the evening at a tiny bistro nestled between the rows of medieval houses and in the shadow of the huge Gothic church. Mattie was pretty pleased with the lack of light as we realised that asking for your beef medium in France is like asking for a live cow in England. Lesson learnt.

We left Rouen (I'm swiftly glossing over engine problems!) and continued along the Seine. It was a long day on the water, I seemed to spend most of it eating and sleeping though so not too much of a hardship. We sent Mattie off on the dinghy to check the depth of a tiny marina and we weren't sure he was coming back. The quarry was pretty exciting to say the least...

Lovely day today if I blank the locks from my mind. Fran has summed up our lock experience perfectly, so I will leave it there. Trying to ignore the fact that there are many more to go through...Nice and safe now though: all moored up with a Pimms in my hand. Getting told off again for writing too much and I think Frannie wants to proof read my work. So Au Revoir for now. x

View from our mouillage across the Seine to the Cathedral Notre Dame at Rouen

Saturday 29 - crossed channel 13 and a half hours, wind force 5-6, moderate sea (seemed pretty rough to me & Hev - especially Hev who retired to her bunk for most of the trIp) safely in our 'mouillage' (French word of the day) by 8.45 p.m. French time - all exhausted despite doing very little all day.
Sunday 30 - pleasantly surprised by le Havre and then on to Honfleur by 6 p.m. for the evening. Very very pretty but absolutely heaving and expensive. Only staying one night because of lock repairs on 01 & 02 September means we can only go through lock at high tide and we need to leave at low water to take advantage of the rising tide to Rouen.
Galley Slave Hevster entry...
We made it! The trip across was a bit rocky and rolly but Sequel's stabilisers worked wonders. Without them I think I may have had to get off and swim. Bruce and Matt were fantastic, hopping up and down plotting our route on the charts (with the help of Fran's mop as a ruler.) We were very happy to see France looming on the horizon and safely arrive in Le Havre. Fran's pre-made lasagne was a strike of genius as no-one could face trekking into the town to find somewhere to eat. We made a slight indent into the wine supply as we celebrated our safe arrival! We all slept like babies on logs and woke up to a grey Le Havre. The sun decided to put his hat on as we wandered around and had coffee in deck chairs near the beach. In the afternoon we all got stuck in washing Sequel and then raced to the lock for Honfleur. We made it in just in time and moored up to the tune of a man playing bagpipes on another boat...very surreal! Had a lovely meal in Honfleur and then rose very early again to make sure we make it to Rouen in time. As we write this the sun is shining and we're stonking along the Seine and I'm getting told off for writing too much..:) so byeeeee!
Monday 31- lovely day and easy trip to Rouen - came across very little traffic on the river despite dire predictions from Bruce. Found a mooring very close to the city and walked in to find food and in particular ice cream for Hev and tartes aux abricots and camembert. 27 degrees by this time and all too hot.
Tuesday 01 September - raining today so feeling very much at home and a rest day from travelling. Followed Wally (aka Matt) round Rouen and into the Cathedral and Abbey before we were allowed lunch. French coming on quite well now. Plan to make our way on to Paris tomorrow morning with the tide again at about 10 a.m.