Day 77 &78; 28th and 29th August 2017.... We're in the Med!

After deciding to leave Arles in the morning and get groceries in Port St Louis du Rhone we dropped our lines and motored along a hazy Rhone.

Patrick dug out the French Mediterranean pilot book and informed me that the bridge at the lock into Port St Louis only opens at certain times, and that if we didn't make the 11:50 opening we would have to wait another 4 hours until 4pm for it to open. A quick calculation told us that it was going to be VERY tight. In the end we made it with 5 minutes to spare, which was quite good timing as the Danes later told us they had to wait for 2 hours and there was nowhere to moor to wait.

So, we were in the Mediterranean, well almost.

We decided to stop in Port St Louis for a night and pick up shopping before heading round to Port Napoleon. The kids were happy to see the Danes again and we also met up with the guys on the McGregor we had seen earlier in our trip. I did an initial shop to top up on dry stores while Patrick hid from the heat with the kids. Later the kids went swimming while Patrick helped sort the sails out on the McGregor.



There was another Danish boat there who received a delivery of new anchor chain... ever the opportunists we managed to procure his old 2m + 3.5m lengths of chain for our kedge in return for 2 cold beers. Result!

Next morning we picked up a couple of canisters of diesel as well as more groceries and then motored off towards Port Napoleon. This took out into the Mediterranean before heading back in, only an hour but we could definitely appreciate the swell of the ocean.

The channel seemed quite narrow on the way in and was well buoyed by markers as well as what we thought were withies but on closer inspection turned out to be fishing rods!

On arrival the kids and I set to work making lunch while Patrick went to have a look round up top. He found DMS engineering firm who said they could sort our seacock out next week... should cost about 200 Euro labour plus the lift out and materials. This seemed quite a good price for peace of mind!

After lunch we all went up top to the Captainere, booked ourselves in and learned we just need to give a couple of days notice for mast up and lift outs. The lady also told us where to find our masts so off we went to check them. Once we had found them we declared it too hot to work so went back to the boat where I waged war on the kids cabin while Patrick started to get the boat ready to receive her masts again.

After an early tea we all went up top to unwrap the masts. It had cooled off a little and most tradesmen had gone home so we allowed the kids to bring scooters which they zoomed around on whilst Patrick and I worked. After an hour or so we had done pretty much all we could. The only bit of damage appears to the connector for the tricolour at the top of the mast. I think I have a spare so that's another job for tomorrow.

When we called the kids I'm not sure what Esmé had been doing but she was absolutely filthy so after dumping the scooters on Laurin and picking up wash kits we went to sample the lovely showers up top.




On the way back Esmé looked at the moon and asked if Nana could see the same moon.... I think she's a little homesick at the moment and both kids have been playing up, perhaps due to the transition between canals and sea! (I assured her that Nana could see the same moon and that we would send Nana a picture of it just to make sure!)



It's a bit of a strange place here, very definitely a working boatyard with a larger variety of crafts, but not too much for the kids to do (there is half built playground but this won't be finished before we leave). I'm sure we will find fun for the kids though, we've the dinghy to pump up and an outboard to check over as well as our other inflatables to play on. Also we learned today that another boat family are on their way down to visit their Dad who is working on their new boat here. They should arrive late tomorrow so think we've got a play date on Thursday.



So, off to bed for another sticky night with the hatches closed trying to avoid the mosquitos!

Day 76: 27/08/2017 Arles

We arrived at Arles around lunchtime after a short but very hot trip down the Rhone.  

Having already phoned ahead to book a mooring alongside “La Peniche” a restaurant barge that lets you moor alongside for free if you eat at the restaurant, we were welcomed by one of it's owners.

After lunch and a brief rest we went on a hunt for the “ Fondation Vincent Van Gogh” as we had been reading about Van Gogh, and on reading up on the gallery we found it was reasonably priced and air conditioned! Both kids love audio guides in museums so although the guy behind the desk said it might be a bit old for them we got one to share anyway. Neither kid was particularly taken with the 8 original Van Gogh Paintings although Esmé appreciated the more.

The rest of the gallery was taken over by an exhibition of Alice Neel’s work which we viewed after watching a 20 minute video about her life. She was born in 1900 and spent most of her life painting portraits in which she tried to impart the psychology of the people she was painting. Both kids really enjoyed these and spent a lot of time looking at them.

Lastly was a trip to the terrace where we had a lovely view of the Arles rooftops.

We took a short walk for an ice cream then headed back to Laurin where we rested up before showers and our much awaited meal out. Both kids looked lovely in their smart clothes and we all enjoyed a meal out courtesy of Patrick’s work mates who gave us some Euros towards a meal out as a leaving present… Thanks!

Day 75: 26/08/17 Avignon

Viviers to Avignon was to be our longest distance travelled on the inland waterways other than the tide assisted leg from Hornfleur to Rouen and given the heat, as well as the unpredictability of waiting time at locks we had spent an extra day at Viviers to rest up. I set the alarm for 6am to try to miss some of the heat of the day, however it was pitch black so we had an extra ½ hour in bed and then eventually left at 10 past 7. In reality we made really good progress, particularly as we went straight in to one lock instead of waiting the normal 20 to 30 minutes.

As it was Saturday and also a really long days motoring we let the kids have far too much electronics time but in reality the sun was so hot we preferred them to be down below chilling out. Regardless, we were all on deck as we approached Avignon and enjoyed looking at Pont Saint Bénézet which was absolutely packed with tourists. 

As we approached the quay we could see boats rafted 2 or 3 deep so did a slow drive past and identified a large British motor cruiser as a possible host before motoring on to check there was no space further upstream. Upstream was one gap but given it had a no parking sign we opted to go and hail the British boat. Despite Patrick calling out to them there was no response so we started to motor off wondering what to do, spotting another yacht approaching obviously wanting to moor too.  Eventually as we were considering the no parking spot we heard a whistle and turned to see a guy on the British boat beckoning us over.  We went alongside and collapsed until the heat died down when we had a meal and then set out on a little walk.

We didn’t really know where we were going but decided to head for the Carrfour on the map so that we could get bread and ice cream, as well as a cold drink. We then sauntered through the beautiful narrow streets of Avignon, following a horse and cart, until Esmé and AJ spotted a carousel.  Esmé chose an elephant to ride on and AJ teamed up with some English Public School boys on a teacup which they spun so fast I thought AJ might fall out.

A little further and we joined a growing crowd watching and listening to a young girl busking in a square. We felt quite the poor relation compared with the many holiday makers sat outside restaurants, but we had the company of many more listeners sat on the steps that surrounded the square.  After a while we put some money in her hat and moved on. It struck me that we give a lot more money to street entertainers while travelling than we do at home. Rightly or wrongly they just seem to get a handful of low value coins at home, where as when travelling we tend to stop and appreciate them for far longer so feel the need to pay them well for their performance.

Esmé had spotted a herd of people heading up a slope so we followed them, had our bags checked and then walked up to a garden where there was going to be free live music, and there were tents selling food and wine. It looked like a lovely place to stay for a while as there was mellow warm up music being played and the whole area was lit up beautifully, however the kids got tired before the live music started so we made our way back to Laurin.

All in all a lovely evening for our short stay in Avignon, pity about the restaurant opposite where live music was playing until 3am, and the somewhat steep mooring charge for such a short stay where we didn’t even use the water and electric.

Day 73 & 74: 24/25th August 2018 Viviers

Yesterday was a long day,  despite it only being 60km we had 4 locks, some of which we needed to wait a fair while to enter. One of them was had a drop of 18m which was our biggest so far. I have to say I got a bit freaked out by the lock gates not properly sealing and some water leaking through with a terrifying amount of pressure.

On the way the kids had some school time with Patrick making a lego model of a funicular after our ride in Lyon.

We were also a bit concerned about our destination, Viviers which we'd heard had some depth issues. As we came out of the last lock the wind picked up and we were crossing our fingers that I could get into the small marina at Viviers. As we arrived we saw a scotsman we had met earlier and luckily were able to shout to him asking about depth. Eventually he and the captainere pointed at a berth they said had enough water. I nudged in gently and we were safe... what a relief!

On the boat next to us was a 2 year old girl with parents who were keen for her to play so Esmé took her ponies and finger puppets up top with a picnic blanket and the 2 girls played for an hour or so after which the French parents offered me a lift to the supermarket. I didn't quite realise how far it was with 5 of us squished into a tiny car. It was a little awkward too as I could see that the 2 year old wasn't strapped into the car seat properly, as I tried to correct it the Dad said that she "didn't like it that way". I took a deep breath and left it, I still feel uneasy about it.

Today we had a lazy morning, getting up late and having a nice cooked breakfast before starting school and a mountain of hand washing. I've decided hand washing isn't too bad and really isn't much more hassle than dragging trolley loads of washing to a laundromat and then having to stay or return very quickly, and washing by hand saves us money... one load of washing and drying is averaging at about 7 Euros.

This afternoon we lazed about as it was really hot, then did another load of washing, some scooting around and then had showers before heading to the open air restaurant for dinner. Our on board shower is a hose off the taps with a rotating switch that changes between water coming out of the taps or the shower. The problem is if you forget and go to wash your hands after using the loo you can end up getting an unintentional shower as AJ did today.... luckily he came out laughing.

The restaurant was lovely with a dancefloor which all the kids played on.

We also took this opportunity to  introduce the kids to frogs legs... really impressed they both gave then a try.

Back to the boat for bed, stopping to watch the river cruise boats leave and come alongside the dolphins nearby. Patrick thinks he can do a better job of lassoing bollards!

Day 72: Wednesday 23rd August 2017 Gunn

It actually felt cold this morning.... Patrick asked for his fleece while I was sorting breakfast on the run! Didn't last long though as the hazy morning turned into a blistering hot day.

Patrick had identified a place called Gunn  that he thought might be a good alternative to Valence for a night. As we approached we realised it was a sailing club and happily moored up alongside the pontoon with the Fluvia Halt sign only to be told that a boat was coming at 3pm and we'd have to move. After further conversation with me listening to the French rather than Patrick the man said one of the other boats was moving before then and we could just move backwards... result!

After finishing lunch Patrick called me on deck to say the other boat had arrived and wasn't too pleased, so again I got my schoolgirl French out and tried to understand. I THINK the tourist boat comes on Wednesdays and Saturdays and on these days he has priority. Anyway, the captain just asked us to go alongside the German boat behind us for when he returned in the evening which was fine as we hadn't really left enough room for him.

After seeing the captain strip off and swim, Esmé wanted to know if she could swim so we pumped up the paddleboard, got our swim stuff on and all had a very welcome swim. The kids got brave and were jumping off the boat, and both Pat and I played on the paddleboard as well as swimming.

During this time Eric the German returned and we talked to him about rafting outside him later on. Patrick learned that he was single handing and had taken his boat down to the Balearics earlier in the year and was now taking her back to Germany. I suggested we invited him for dinner as I guess single handing could get lonely at times.

I cooked Thai Curry and Eric brought us German Beer and the kids some snacks. We talked about our different trips and he laughed with the kids. After dinner he went back to his boat and brought out an accordion which he played for us which reminded us of lovely nights listening to Bru play his guitar for us. The kids were delighted, and even more so when Eric asked if they wanted a go!

It seemed to be an evening of memories as Eric reminded me of the father of one of my university friends. I remember him taking us out for curry when he came to visit us at Liverpool University as well as always making us feel welcome at his house, giving us an open invitation regardless of whether his son was there or not. He was genuinely interested in his son's friends and enjoyed having them around. Other than my Mum and Dad, he and his wife are one of only a handful of people I aspire to be like as a parent.

Eric continued the evening by performing a magic trick and then trying to teach the kids how to do it too. Esmé was amazed and AJ loved learning how to do it.

Days like today were the reason for this adventure. Having fun as a family, meeting new people, and learning new things.

Day 71: 22nd August 2017 Les Roches de Condrieu

We motored out of Lyon quite early, taking time to admire the architecture on our way out of the Confluence.

Then on to our first big lock. Here the bollards float but are so far apart that we can't easily reach 2 so we put 3 lines  to one bollard. It was pretty gentle despite the 11m fall but on the Rhone we will often have to wait for 20 or 30 minutes to see if any other small boats turn up as they don't like using the big locks for one small boat.

It seemed like another big scenery change, which the adults appreciated but the kids still spend a lot of time below....

Esmé making a mosaic modelled on one we saw in the Museum in Lyon.

We arrived at Les Roches de Condrieu in time for a late lunch, tidied up, had a rest and then packed a picnic to take to the lake. We enjoyed watching wakeboarding as well as playing in the water ourselves.

As the evening drew in we ate our picnic tea at the kids play area and then Patrick headed back to the boat whilst I read and let the kids play on the innovative play equipment.

Late back to the boat so showers and bed.