Kerr Barging Blogs
Floodbound still
In our last blog we were hopeful of soon being able to be lifted into the water. Sadly continued rain kept the levels high and the current fast, so on we remained on land for another ten days.
Pontigny Abbey- on a VERY wet day
We made use of the last day of car rental to explore nearby attractions, the ancient Abbey of Pontigny and the famous wine town of Chablis.
Pontigny Abbey was a Cistercian Abbey, founded in 1114 and still in use today. It is a most impressive building with the main Nave of the Church 108 metres long, and a very ancient organ now refurbished and still in use. A concert was to be held that night. This abbey has a long history of giving refuge to English priests in danger including Thomas A'Beckett (later murdered in Canterbury Cathedral) and Stephen Langton, who worked on ideas for the Magna Carta while he was there. He was its first signatory.
Chablis is a very attractive old town noted for its white wines, all made from Chardonnay grapes. A thriving market was on when we arrived. We had learned that the current vintage has suffered from adverse weather events (early growth then severe frost and also hail). We decided that the house Chablis at the Restaurante de la Poste was the right choice to accompany our lunch there and were not disappointed.
The trip to the airport to meet Annette went very smoothly thanks to the published list of trains still running during the strike. Because we missed peak hour the trains were not too crowded. It was good to catch up and give Annette some time to relax after the long journey from Australia. We would have preferred that she need not climb the steep ladder to get onto the boat and to visit the bathroom when required, but she took these inconveniences in her stride. It was better than in 2013 when she arrived during even more severe flooding when the boat ladder was knee- deep in flood water.
During her three day stay Penny and she traveled to Joigny and visited the birth place of the foundress of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart who conduct the Rose Bay Convent in Sydney. We were given a very special tour by a Sacred Heart Sister. She and Annette had several acquaintances in common, as both had held leading positions in their Religious Congregations. We also enjoyed the old wooden buildings and historic Churches of Joigny.
Best regards,
Penny and David
Comments 1
Hi Penny & David.
Ah those damn floods. And the trains. And terrorists. But now a new crisis - Brexit. Chaos ahead!
I was in Bali last week and tried to access your blog - but discovered you seemed to have blocked any Indonesian access!
I'd missed your blog on Nice - but it is a nice place (Oh, that old joke!).We were there last year. We thought the best (and cheapest) deal there was the $1.50 public bus ride along the Corniche to Banlieau su Mer - two houses open. One of the Rothchilds and another a Greek style house. We stayed a few kms inland in an apartment - easily accessed by the snappy new tram. That park above nice was great - views, history, etc. And on to Monaco. And those super yachts! makes Exocet (and pastime of Sydney) look so miniscule.
We are now trying to plan this year's French tour - generally western France from the Seine , ending at Bordeaux where we leave the car (and then off to Crete). We must get to do some planning.
Julie's 70th last week, and then there's a sort of "girls' weekend" at Liams "country estate" at Trentham in a few weeks. We went up there this week to reconnoitre restaurants etc. It was so cold it even snowed! Brrrrr.
I trust penny is fully recovered. And ready for dealing with those locks.
Regards,
Max.
And do you get to vote?