The Saône and the Petite Saône: St-Jean-de-Losne – Auxonne – Lamarche-sur-Saône.

24 June to 2 July. 28,6 kilometers, 2 locks

Friday 28 June. St-Jean-de-Losne to Auxonne. 16 kilometers, 1 lock. 2 hours, 45 minutes.

After spending a few days in St-Jean-de-Losne (SJDL) where nothing much happened apart from meeting up at the l’Ecu restaurant with Durban friends Tony and Elaine off Dreamflower who have their delightful daughter Kim visiting them, and then later, visiting them aboard Dreamflower on the way to which Madame tripped on the pontoon and went sprawling; apart from a grazed knee and a bruised ankle she was fine, fortunately. Unfortunately, our French cellphone, our main link to the Internet and phone calls to any French number, is now lying on the bottom of the marina.

This necessitates a visit to Dijon where we will buy a new ‘phone and where the Free.com shop is where we will get a replacement sim card.

We arrive at SJDL station at nine thirty to find that the last morning-train to Dijon had departed at quarter to nine – the next available transport is a bus leaving at two o’clock. Worse, we are not allowed to take our bikes on the bus so will have to take a tram ride the five kilometers to the required, huge, shopping center on the northeastern edge of the city. Fortunately, the lady at the Tourist Office has given us precise instructions as to where and which tram we must catch.

Just to keep the momentum...

All went well (the tram ride was great – pity I did not bring a camera) until our arrival at the cellphone shop where we had identified the cheapest substitute phone, of which model they were (obviously?) out of stock, and no-one could give us an explanation, in slow French or basic English, about their post-purchase refund policy. So we bought a Samsung J4 at Carrefour, walked over to the Free store only to be told that the old phone had not been ‘dead’ for long enough and that we would have to come back to Dijon the next day; post mortem? And there are hardly any trains from SJDL to Dijon and back tomorrow at a reasonable hour. And we have already overstayed our allocated time here (although lots of spots open this evening, so we feel a little less guilty). In the morning we will leave SJDL and cruise to Auxonne where there are lots of train connections - hopefully.

Looking downriver.

A hireboat trying to find shade.

For some reason, the town has added the SA flag to those of the European countries which adorn the bridge.

The cruise to Auxonne was lovely; we had an ex-hireboat, crewed by two women, leave at the same time as us but, for some reason, they really sped up-river and when we arrived nearly two hours later, we found them tied up to a pole at the Auxonne lock waiting for its nine o’clock opening time. And open it duly did, disgorging Dreamflower – the Underwoods are heading off to Dole to drop off daughter Kim and await the arrival of other family

Busted Flush moored against another boat.

Dreamflower and crew.

An Oz national colours painted cruiser followed by a hireboat.

Oops! Had to back away from the flood lock to allow them through.

– and we locked through with the ladies, arriving at the municipal pontoons with only one other boat there. And it left about twenty minutes later.

Lynn went off to the tourist office to have the water and electricity switched on (€6 for twelve hours) and then it was off to the station, back to Dijon, back to the Free shop and at last, we are back online!

A quick return trip to Auxonne and we spent the rest of the afternoon watching the passing boat parade and the antics of some as they attempt to tie up to the pontoons. As usual, by nightfall the pontoons were choc-a-bloc.

Saturday was a real stinker

and even with the misting system cooling the stern deck and the sprinkler system cooling the main coach-roof and decks, the inside temperature went up to 35C.

And of course, weekends bring out the water-skiers so, by lunch-time when we evacuated Elle, we were feeling a bit sea-sick from all the pitching and rolling caused by the wake of the passing motorboats.

Restaurants seem to have a short lifespan in Auxonne. The one we went to on our first visit is closed, the one we went to on our third visit is closed as is the one that took its place. The Lounge – Le Longchamp however, has a more permanent feel to it. More a bar (think Wild West saloon) than a restaurant, the lamb shanks with chips were delicious and the place was full of locals, all chatting to each other across the room. A bit like a Leonard Cohen's Closing Time sort of place.

Longchamps is on the corner.

Back aboard and thankfully the water-skiers have yielded to the fierce heat and gone home leaving us in peace to read, snooze, and watch the changeover of boats on the pontoons. We even had a desperate Polish family on a hire-boat ask us if they could fill up with water from our sprinkler supply – we drew them alongside, passed them the hose and, twenty minutes later they presented us with a Polish, syrup soaked, waffle thingy, untied their lines and waved goodbye with smiles all round.

Sunday entailed getting into tourist mode, a bit of a difficulty when you have been to the same place four times before but we wanted to do a bit of a recce before the arrival of ‘The Blacks’ toward the end of July; until they sent a message that history and tours were not their ‘thing’ and that they would prefer to cruise and ‘socialise’ – our livers will now go into high-stress training!

A quick cycle around the town and outskirts

A large Beneteau...

...having birthed in the Port.

They Fockedey'd off later.

Seriously old brickwork.

One of many such displays.

Lovely balcony - note the saint 'address in the alcove above.

Small but impressive.

Very impressive!

(trying to find the E.Leclerq), asking that the electricity be switched back on at eleven only to find that Madame L had to ride back to the Tourist Office to remind the young lady who then pressed the button for twenty-four hours of service (!?)  and then back aboard to be rocked-and-rolled by the post-communion and forgiven-of-all-sin skiers,

Nine people on a 4 meter boat!

until our only defense to their antics, the gods Dionysis and Hypnos, came to our rescue.

I was doing the same in our cabin. The ice-cold wine bag has its uses!

Monday 1 July. Auxonne to Lamarche-sur-Saône. 11.5 kilometers, 1 lock. 1 hour, 45 minutes.

On a stunning, breathless morning, we amble upstream

to a small town’s mooring, one we have passed at least four times before but which we have never visited – the last time because it was Bastille Day weekend and they had cordoned off the small quay for their fireworks display. Tie up, drape the boat with sun-shield, have a braai, read, snooze (sound familiar?), assist two Le Boats with South African crews to tie up behind – they were in search of a restaurant for dinner

They are sandblasting the bridge and the 'sock' moves with the work.

– and, after a session under the deck mister followed by a shower, it’s off to doeddums.

Morning dawns perfectly and we eventually wander through to the village; Spar closed down, lovely Mairie, stunning church with some history, and a great boulangerie,

An automatic pizza dispenser???

"This building is the pride of Lamarchois with its two spires

According to the legend, in the beginning, only one bell tower had been

planned, but its height exceeding that of the cathedral Saint Bénigne of Dijon;

the senior clergy of then would not hear this and demanded a smaller steeple.

The designers, frustrated in the accomplishment of their project, decided to endow the church

with 2 bell towers each of which would measure half of the one initially planned." - Lamarche Tourism site 

"Please, think about me"

Looks Bavarian.

and cherries hanging off a tree for the picking on the way back to Elle.

The campervan park adjacent has about eight vans with all enjoying their small space and avoiding conversation – more of them speak to us than to each other…

Pa, Hond en Ma.

A chat to Ian and Sian, she be strutting around on crutches after a hip replacement, ended a really slothful day – sanders, grinders, filler and paint come out tomorrow, if the weather stays as cool.

A commercial - last seen in Gray two years ago.

And Darrell, we braaied one of these.

The smell was like Bounce, that manure stuff which comes from the sewerage farm, but the contents were okay. Next time I will (ask Lynn to) ask for a sausage as opposed to an Andouilette roll-mop thing, cook it a bit more and see how it goes.