On our way- 2012

We have begun our 2012 voyaqe! We have progressed 8Km up the river Yonne from Migennes to Joigny. Finally, today, we managed to get the last coat of paint on the main deck. It has rained every other day but not at Joigny today. The rain radar on the internet has shown we were in a clear patch all day and this was perfect for finishing off the painting of the large deck which is about 20 square metres.

Today is also voting day as the French vote for two of ten presidential candidates. There will be a further round of voting in two weeks to see if Sarkozy will be re-elected or whether there will be a change to Hollande. Hollande has a slightly higher vote than Sarkozy at the moment, but what will count most is the vote in a fortnight.

Christian, our chambre d'hote host kindly explained the whole system to us and even gave us the dossiers for each of the 10 candidates.

We will miss Chantal and Christian. We have learned so much about French culture and the way of life, plus interesting information about Bourgogne (Burgundy). Our four meals were excellent and for one of them, we had a new taste thrill- "Raclettes" which originated in the mountainous regions. Today, we finished the last biscuits and cake from the packages that Chantal has given us every morning of our 8 day stay with them. They also kindly lent us a stroller for the visit of our grand-daughter and picked up a couple of items we had left in a shopping trolley at a large garden store. THANK YOU Chantal et Christian!

The boat was lifted back into the water without drama. It is near the weight limit for the crane but was placed into the river so gently that champagne glasses would not have moved. We had some worries when we found water leaking from a valve in the hot water and central heating system. However, removing it, cleaning and re-installing solved the problem. So, the cold spell of -15degC in winter must have affected the valve, but not badly.

A big "Thank You" to our friend Mike deBurca who was with us last year. He made us a beautiful brass folding "spinner" which enables quick turning of the wheel (which has almost 13 turns lock to lock) and then folds out of the way when not in use.

We will not be posting pictures of this beautiful section of river as we have been up or down it five or six times before. However, it is always very enjoyable and we know our way around many of the towns. Our next "new" place will be the Petite Seine which we will reach in a few more days.

Best Regards,

Dave and Penny