Kerr Barging Blogs

Once back from our trip to Marseille we set out along the Canal du Centre.

Canal du Centre lock and cottage

It is a pretty canal mainly through agricultural land and also passing through some of the more southerly  Burgundy wine areas. In the past there was manufacturing also, established around mining activities in some of the bigger towns. The area around Genelard, for example, provided many of the paving stones used in Paris and also had a big steel works. Coal mining was important in Montceau-les- Mines and the towns nearby. The Canal at that time carried the products of those industries and was very busy indeed. Now it carries mainly pleasure craft. All locks after the entry lock from the Saone River are unmanned. A lock- keeper roams up and down the canal in a car and checks  where each boat is stopping at the end of the day and when they want to set out the next day. Inside the lock, one must pull a cord to initiate the filling or emptying. The system worked very well on the way to the summit at Montchanin. On the way down we had a few problems when the lock would not operate (the roaming keeper then attended) and through Montceau where there are three lifting bridges which are supposed to be initiated by pulling a cord at the first, but we waited half an hour for anything to happen. Finally it came good for no apparent reason. Still, in many hours of travel these were minor inconveniences. The Canal was quite busy with boats, at first with Hotel barges and throughout with private and rental boats.

As we had been along this canal in 2011 we tried to visit different places. One was St Leger which at first seemed inhospitable. The Post Office lady told me that she did not sell stamps and no alternative was offered even though I said it was urgent; then the bank's ATM was closed so we could not withdraw money. The next day we fared better: instead of asking for stamps David simply stated that he wanted to send these letters to Australia- the postal lady took the letters and presumably franked them. The Bank had reopened its ATM. There was even an optometrist to straighten Penny's glasses. There was no charge- it seems that optometrists operate on an international life-time guarantee for simple frame adjustments.

Town square in Santenay
At the pretty wine town of Santenay, in the middle of the Cote de Beaune wine area, David picked up a local paper which had an article on the new rubbish dump. It is very modern, with computer component recycling, green waste and many other innovations which are similar to the excellent one near us in Australia (which won a National award for recycling efficiency). As well as the information about the new "Déchèterie", half a page was devoted to the signs designating the place. The spelling on signs for the previous dump was "Déchetterie". Signs for the new one are spelled "Déchèterie". Clearly anticipating a spate of complaints about the spelling being wrong or people simply being amused about the mistake, this article explained that the new spelling has been prescribed by l'Academie Francaise, the body which looks after the finer details of the French Language. In France, correct pronunciation really matters. The article went on to list all other words with two ts ending in "erie"- there is only one other (billetterie) and presumably the Acadamie would like to fix that one as well! From the article, we also learned that the word "poubelle" (meaning rubbish bin) was named after Eugene Poubelle who was a Prefect of Paris. We had always found it a marvellous word but did not know its origin. So, the world of rubbish and recycling can be very interesting indeed.

The Dheune River

The popular fountain
At Santenay there is a drinking water fountain on the very popular bike path next to the Canal. We wonder if it has magic properties because very few of the locals pass without stopping to fill up water bottles or just have a drink. Maybe it is simply the only one for many kilometres; certainly it is much appreciated.  

We were looking forward to re- visiting the Museum of the Demarcation Line at Genelard. On June 22nd 1940, an armistice was signed between France and Germany which divided France into two parts, "Free" France (South of the Vichy line) and "Occupied" France. The Canal du Centre here was initially part of the boundary between the two. A major guard post was set up at Genelard to prevent movement between the two sectors, though this was not always successful as many children had to cross the line each day to get to school; some farmers had fields on both sides of the line; the local doctor frequently had to cross it to attend to his patients and most difficult perhaps, the Church was on one side and the cemetery on the other. There were all sorts of opportunities to smuggle people from one side to the other, though of course this was no without great risks. The Museum was set up on this spot and conveyed very clearly the difficulties of daily life in this frontier town. Sadly it has now been closed, so we were glad we had visited four years ago. Instead there are excellent information panels throughout the town which related its history, going back to Roman times.

Traditional Burgundy glazed tiles
We were surprised to receive an email from the Railways (SNCF) with a detailed survey to assess how well we thought they had informed their customers when our trip home from Marseilles was interrupted by a fatality at the main Lyons station. The survey explored many aspects of the response and gave plenty of opportunity for suggestions and comments. It really seems that they are keen to maintain or improve the current high rail usage.
And so after a week we reached first the pretty town of Paray le Monial then Digoin, where the Canal du Centre ends and the Canal Lateral to the Loire begins. The temperature had reached over 30 degrees so we were very pleased to take advantage of the avenues of trees lining the Canal once we left each of the town centres.

Best Regards,

Penny and Dave

Canal du Centre at Paray de Monial

The train to Marseilles from Chalons covers the almost 500 kilometres in less than 3 hours, despite stops at Lyons, Avignon and Aix en Provence. We had booked a hotel very close to the station, so as soon as we arrived, could drop our bags and go exploring. First stop was the Old Port- and old it is, dating from the 6th Century BC and probably earlier. It was great to see the sea of masts from sailing boats and smell the salty air.

Marseille- the Old PortSunday markets at Marseille with Notre Dame de Garde on the hill
We had two enjoyable days wandering the old streets, enjoying the seafood being brought in each day to sell from stalls right at the port, visiting the excellent History of Marseille Museum. We particularly enjoyed the Roman Docks Museum, a display in situ of docks dating back to Roman times which had been discovered in the reconstruction of an urban area blown up by the Germans during the Second World War. Seeing the ancient stone anchors and the undamaged amphorae where they lay for almost two thousand years really helped to set the scene. Similarly, in the main museum, we saw the substantial timbers of a 20 metre Roman boat excavated from an adjacent site.

A Roman shop with huge, embedded amphora for storageAmphora from the 6th Century BCA Roman bathStone anchors from 6 BC
Two other highlights were a visit by boat to the Isle d'If, where Alexander Dumas placed his prison for the Count of Monte Cristo, and a visit to the Basilica of Notre Dame de Garde, set high above the city.

Chateau d'IfNotre Dame de GardeLooking over Marseille
So we were very satisfied as we went to the station for our trip back to Chalons. This time we could not get a direct fast train, so we would change at Lyons' Part Dieu Station for a slower train to Chalons. Now we met our first snag- there had been a fatality at Part Dieu so the fast train could not go there, instead stopping outside the city at St Exupery, near the airport. From there the hundreds of people on the TGV had to get onto a tram (two carriages, capacity about 100) to go back to Part Dieu to resume our journey. This is where some fluency in French comes in handy because it becomes just a bit easier to know what is going on. We were lucky- or pushy- enough to squeeze onto the second of the trams to arrive and settled in for the 35 minute journey to Part Dieu. The adventure was not yet over. Most of the trains on the board were either cancelled or massively delayed. The Station Assistance was taxed to the limits. Then we spied on the board the first train leaving, going exactly to our destination, and basically the train one hour after that we were supposed to catch. So on we hopped for a trip home without further complications, a taxi at the station, and Anja waiting for us just as we left her.

Best Regards,

Penny and Dave

Here are some more photos, arranged as a slide show. You might have to wait while all the images load before the show starts. There are yachts in the old harbour, excavations and discoveries at the Roman Docks, lead anchors, another Roman boat, amphorae, huge storage vats, impressive street front, the other Notre Dame, Chateau d'If, a If cell, ND Cathedral, Marseille City, interior ND, paintings and photos as thanks for prayers answered.

01/14 

   

St Jean de Losne Town Quay

St Jean de Losne was a culture shock. From drifting along the Burgundy Canal, seeing perhaps two or three boats a day, we were suddenly in the major inland pleasure port of France with boats everywhere. We left the Canal to join the Saone, confidently expecting to find a spot in the Town Port, but found it full with nine boats squeezing in. The two pleasure boat ports which can accommodate 350 craft looked to be full too. Fortunately we had previously discovered an unusual though quite shallow spot almost under the main bridge in Losne, on the far side of the river from the town of St Jean de Losne and from here we watched the busy traffic on the river, in and out of the Canal and Harbour area, forty or fifty boats a day. There were many hired boats, lots of private boats like ours, large and small, hotel barges and commercial barges as well.

A really good feature of such a big port is that it has an excellent chandlery and also well- priced fuel. We took advantage of both these features then set off along the Saone River.

River Saone on a quiet morning
Here was a further major change. From having one little lock every kilometre, we had one huge lock on each day's travel. We were also taking advantage of a slight current, so the trip along the Saone was relaxed and fast. Agriculture seems to be the main occupation along the river banks. We decided to explore an arm of the river to the town of Chatelet. Since the 1980s this arm has been bypassed though it is clearly much used by local people for water sports particularly fishing. Finding a spot for the night was hard but we ended up tied to a wall leading to an old lock. To explore the town David scaled the wall with great difficulty like a rock climber but Penny decided to stay put. Sorry, no photos, we could not get the camera up the wall safely. Next stop was Gergy where we were able to find an excellent quay to give access to an interesting town which has clearly been settled for many centuries. There are vestiges of a Roman road as well as other Gallic and Roman sites.

Interesting house near Gergy
From the Saone we turned into the Canal du Centre, just before the city of Chalons sur Saone. This Canal was planned in the 16th Century and constructed between 1783 and 1793, to link the Saone River to the Loire, and eventually with the Seine. Our first stop was the tiny town of Fragnes, a friendly port with a helpful Capitaine. We decided to take advantage of the security it offers and the proximity to Chalons Station to take the train to Marseille for a few days.  

Another still morning- Gergy sur Saone

Charolais cattle on the banks of the SaoneBest Regards,

Penny and David

There had been a two hour delay to our trip through the tunnel while a tree was cleared from the cutting on the other side. We were glad the lock- keeper had seen it on the video cameras just before we set off. Once through the tunnel we stopped in the basin at Escommes to recover from the experience and take stock. The first stocktaking was of our bikes: we planned to ride back into Pouilly for Church on Sunday, a little under 5 kilometres. When we started taking the bikes off the boat we found that David's seat had been stolen some time since two nights before. Those who have followed previous years' blogs might recall that we had our bikes stolen in 2010 when friends were using the boat; they had been left unlocked at the side of the boat. In 2011 they were stolen again when we left them padlocked at Reims Railway Station while we travelled to Auxerre to get our visas renewed. Since then they are always padlocked with thick chains through the wheels and U- bolts locking the frames to the boat or a fixed object. We had not even thought of securing the seats so maybe we were lucky that it has taken 4 years for one to be taken. Now they will be taken off after every ride and locked in the back compartment. Ironically, a cover on the stolen seat was hiding a torn saddle, so the thief may well be disappointed to have taken the worse seat. We are disappointed too not only because of the initial inconvenience of Penny trying to cover 5 kilometres in 35 minutes on foot but also because the bike shop at Pouilly was closed on Sunday and Monday. The next hope of replacement is Dijon, probably ten days away. At least we have one seat left so we can use one bike at a time!

The pretty and tranquil Ouche River
Other than that frustration, we are thoroughly enjoying this side of the Burgundy Canal which now follows the Ouche River, a much more sedate river than the Armancon.

The Bourgogne (Burgundy) Canal

The staff continues to be very helpful. The scenery is beautiful. At first the view was dominated by the prominent Chateauneuf in Auxois, a 13th century chateau and town which command a tremendous view of the surrounding countryside. Many towns still have their old 14th Century bridge over the Ouche. What great workmanship.

13th C. Chateauneuf in Auxois
There are two hotel barges carrying a group of nineteen Americans travelling along behind us but we have passed only two boats going in the other direction. The Canal is so far in very good repair and there have been new stopping points added in interesting spots.

The time has come when it is safe to put the geraniums outside. We were lucky to be near a garden store in Pouilly so it was easy to buy and plant them right on time. We already had our herbs inside but they too are thriving on the deck.

Over eight days we have enjoyed our quiet canal travel through the Ouche Valley, descending quite steeply 76 locks in the 81 kilometre descent. We stopped at places different from those when we travelled the other way in 2010. Dijon, the capital of Burgundy, is the most famous spot along this canal, but we chose to stop at little towns on its outskirts, to continue to enjoy our quiet travel. David did ride into Dijon though, to buy a replacement bike seat. We celebrated by going for a ride the next day, locking the seats up carefully afterwards.

14th Century Bridge over the Ouche
Now after three weeks we have completed the 242 kilometres, 188 locks and one long tunnel from Migennes. During the final day and nearing St John de Losne, where it enters the Saone, we started to encounter more boats travelling. Up to now there had been two boats a day, according to the lock keeper at the "counting" station. On our last day as we neared the Saone there were five.

The service from our lock- keepers has continued to be efficient and friendly. We met one man who is the third generation to do this work, following his grandfather, when no barge had a motor, to his father who worked during the transition from horse and human to motor drawn traffic. At one lock there is an open- air museum with a large variety of old machinery including a washing machine.

Now on this canal there is very little commercial traffic. We saw only pleasure boats but there are still silos set up for use with boats, so presumably in the harvest season there are some peniches carrying grain.

Best Regards,

Penny and Dave

We have now completed our ascent (up 300metres to 389metres altitude, 115 locks, 156Kms) to the highest point on the Burgundy Canal, Pouilly en Auxois, where a tunnel takes the Canal beneath a mountain. Leading to the ascent the locks become much more frequent to cope with the steep ascent: on each side there are 12 locks within 5 kilometres, so on average 400 metres between locks, whereas on the rest of the canal the gap is about 1 kilometre, still rather close! Hardly anyone is moving on this part of the canal so we had the whole team of lock- keepers to help us get along quickly. Frequently one pair would stay to get us through a lock then close it after us, another would go ahead on their motor scooters to the next to get it ready for us and see us through while the other team jumped ahead. We counted ourselves very lucky especially as they were so cheerful and chatty. There are a few "vacationers" mostly uni students who come to help out during the holidays when there are more barges and the usual staff is wanting to take a holiday. Those we talked to were very experienced as they have been doing it for 3 or 4 years.

Not far before the summit we had a chance to cycle to Semur en Auxois which dates back to the 8th Century and was fortified in the Middle Ages. We enjoyed walking around the ramparts, inspecting the towers and gates and visiting the 13th Century Church. The Armancon River winds around below the town which is set on a granite outcrop, helping to keep it safe from invaders.

Notre Dame de Semur, built in 1220 on the site of XIth Century Church

The Gehenne Tower. Note the crack from the 16th Century!

View from the higher (wealthier) part of Semur overlooking the poorer partThe Semur rampartsThe Armancon River at the foot of ancient Semur

So what of the tunnel itself? David has been dreading it since before we left Australia and in fact has been in touch with the "expert" who has details dating back 20 years. As long as the canal is not above its official average depth (30cms below maximum) the roof is just high enough in the centre of the circular arch for us to fit. If the water were at the top of its possible height range, we would not fit at all. However, even with average depth, because the tunnel is curved, the edges of our rather wide roof can fit only if Anja is steered right down the centre. There would then be 15 centimetres clearance on each side and this gap has to be maintained for 3.4 kilometres to give us 5cms of clearance from the roof edges.  This may be easy if the old girl were a nimble light boat, but she weighs 36 tons and there is no power steering- it is 18 turns from lock to lock! The boat does not steer completely straight in such confined water (it moves a little like a crab with the front pointing slightly left and the rear slightly right) so needs constant correction. It takes an hour to get through the tunnel and any lapse in concentration is severely punished.

David first rode along the cutting leading to the canal with tape measure and plumb bob to check the height and water depth. He then rigged up some thick planks of timber to act as fenders, so that they would touch the wall first if he went off course and be able to correct quickly without scraping the roof. So, the task is to steer the back of the boat in the middle and not deviate from the centre line by any more than +-16cms!  One also has to hope that none of the rocks in the tunnel sticks out at all- a little unlikely in a structure designed an built at the end of the 1700s. In  total we touched three times. Despite our best calculations and plans we scraped the back corners of the roof on each side, not badly- really just paint, but in theory we should have avoided any damage. The slight problem was that the planks are behind the widest part of the roof so it only works if the bow is right in the middle. Now David has cut back and rounded the edges of the roof so that the back corners are not as vulnerable.

The heavy planks firmly in place
By now you might be wondering why we did it, for the second time, after also damaging the roof in 2010 when we went through in our first season. Maybe it is because it is a challenge we have not yet conquered? Also, this is a beautiful canal and we really hoped we could get through unscathed this time. Ah well, it really went quite well. Indeed, for the last 2,000metres we were perfectly in the middle.

Best Regards,

Penny and Dave