LEA CREST UPDATE - September 2012

 

Firstly, just a brief word about Jacquie Lawson e-cards/e-mails/greetings cards.

 

We have had to put a block on them as they simply take up too much of our dongle allowance.

The last one that came through was blank (no message) just a blank memo, probably for us to write a message to someone. But if we want to write a message, then we will, by bog standard email.
Being on an automated birthday list actually means that we haven't really been remembered at all and sorry, but we do find them a bit naff!

 

So, on with the update proper…

 

We are now on our way back from the summer cruise and still have about 100 running hours to go.
It doesn't sound much but it will take us about a month. We don't do rushing !!

 

Unfortunately, I've taken so many photos that I am finding it hard to pick our normal 20 to 25.
So we are going to type less and include more photos, probably around 55 altogether.
Some I have managed to link together to make one picture and that helped a little.

 

It has been a really great season for us and lots of thing have happened, generally good. Friends visiting from Mirfield and others calling by in transit between St. Jean de Losne and the UK.
So……less type and more photos.

Here goes…

 

Going back to February, this is one photo I am pleased with. It is of a young Coypu that was reasonably happy to be photographed. I did enter it into a local wildlife competition but didn't win anything.

 

 

 

Whilst house sitting for our friends Paddy and Liz in March, Jo, Janna and their little dog Tache paid us a visit. As you can see, Tache seems to have much more energy than Pamela who prefers cat sitting.

 

 

 

 

 

We had some really nice sunsets whilst we were at Paddy's and this next photo shows the sun dropping into the hazy atmosphere.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, back in St. Jean, there was a big problem in the dry dock as a barge caught fire.
Welding and fire watching is something everyone must dread but it has to be done from time to time. There but for the grace of God as they say.

 

 

 

I spotted this little fellow this winter and can only assume that it is an albino sparrow.
It was eating from a bird table with other sparrows and seemed to be accepted.

 

 

 

Now for 3 foody pictures.

 

In the first one, I've joined 2 photos together and both were taken through the window of a patisserie. The penguins were in Switzerland and the canooists were in France.
Quite comical I thought.

 

 

 

I got this next idea from an advert for a pizza with a cheese stuffed crust. We soak the raisins/sultanas in port to make them really juicy.

 

 

 

We saw this T bone in an indoor market and said "if it's still there tomorrow, we'll have it"

 

 

 

The month of May meant that Pamela's sister Pat and myself were about to reach the grand old age of 65. Jean-Pierre and Ilse offered to let us use their garden for a barbecue to celebrate and they suggested that 30 would be a sensible number to cater for. They also offered to supply the wine. How really kind!


Over the years, we have made many friends and we knew that we couldn't invite them all.
So we picked 30 and had a list of reserves for backup. Fortunately some people had already set off cruising and others couldn't make it. So, all in all, it worked out well.

 

These next 3 photos don't do the day justice but a great time was had by all…

 

 

 

As you can see from this photo, our friend Ulrike has really captured the spirit of little Grenouille (Jean-Pierre and Ilse's dog). She really is a bundle of energy and we are looking forward to seeing her when we get back.

 

 

 

 

 

Pamela's younger brother Philip generously paid for the 3 of us to go into Dijon for a nice lunch.
That was where I spotted this T shirt in a shop window.

 

 

 

After a lovely lunch, we bumped into our favourite Dijon guide and very good friend, Sylvie. Here she is pointing out where she used to live in the centre of Dijon.

 

 

 

Another trip out for the 3 of us was to visit Steve's friend Mark and the vineyard he manages, just down the road from the very famous village of Pommard. He makes fantastic wines both in Bourgogne and down in his southern vinyeard and luckily he had a stock of his southern wine up here in Bourgogne. It's a perfect wine to stock your cellar/boat with at a sensible price.


In this next picture Michele, the boss, was just visiting and he gave Patricia a couple of bottles as a gift.

 

 

 

It was soon time for Lea Crest to leave St. Jean and head up the Sâone on our trip to Strasbourg.

As we mentioned before, a group of us have been involved in some filming over the winter and
Jean-Paul, the film-maker wanted to film us leaving the quay. He stayed on board until we got to a place called Les Maillys, where Danielle, Jean-Paul's main contact, picked him up and took him back to St. Jean. Not before we had a little lunch though.

 

 

 

 

 

Next stop for us was Auxonne for a few nights and a great welcome from Roy and Carol who run the port. Although the port is only 12 months old, it can only go from strength to strength in this location. A great stopover!

 

These young lads had obviously been given binoculars for their boating holiday. A great funny photo with lots of colour.

 

 

 

This next photo is out of sequence and was actually much nearer to Strasbourg. But I've put it in here because it fits in with the other strange boat in the 2nd photo.

 

 

 

 

 

One of the best stops we have ever had was Epinal this year. The harbour was full of boats due to a stoppage (lock wall collapse) and also full of very friendly people of all nationalities. It was a time of great soirees/barbecues/entertainment and company.
The wife of one of the guitarists described their younger life as "hippies" and the necklace she wore was made by her husband, in a style that was reminiscent of those early years in the 60s.

 

 

 

 

 

On our way North and heading to our meeting with friends Pete and Betty, we took photos of all sorts and here are some of them…

 

The trust that you can leave something for sale on a window ledge.

 

 

 

and the massive floral displays that aren't spoilt by vandals.

 

 

 

And how's this for a menu of the day!

 

Cooked meat and salad buffet to start.
Chopped pieces of pork in a mushroom sauce, with vegetables and chips.
A slice of apple pie to finish.

All for the princely sum of 8.5 euros (about £7). What a bargain!

 

Thanks for this tip off Bob and Jacquie on the bateau Tara

 

 

 

Tile making seemed to be a main activity in this area. The old factories are now closed but this kiln is going to be covered by a glass building to protect it.

 

 

 

The tiles on the roof of this new house look as if they might have been made across the road in the old tile factory. Now closed down. The tiles themselves are really beautifully glazed and this amusing feature on the ridge of a little boy sleep walking is probably made of the same material.

 

 

 

This next chap did tell me what kind of dog he had but I've forgotten. I do know that it wasn't hungry though. Thank goodness!!

 

 

 

3 photos in one next and all taken this year

 

 

 

Swiftly moving on. We had arranged to meet Pete and Betty at the top of the Arzviller Boat Lift.
They had booked onto a camp site just below the lift and were able to get through all the security and meet us as planned. So all aboard for the journey down bypassing the 17 disused locks.
That must have been a massive time saving for the commercial traffic.

 

 

 

 

 

It was just about a 40 minute walk from the camp site into a little port called Lutzelbourg. This was where we were based and on more than one occasion Pete and Betty came along the towpath to visit us.

 

 

 

We did eventually take the boat and moored outside their campsite.

 

There were a couple of Perigrine falcons trying to coax their offspring into taking the big leap. Out of the nest and off the edge of the cliff. The young one wasn't overly impressed with that idea and had spent many hours teetering on the edge, as you might say. In the next photo, you can see all the teeter (white stuff) up on the cliffs.

 

 

 

Well, it was time to move again and head out towards Strasbourg and our next meeting with Richard, who is also from Mirfield. Just time for the obligatory tripod shot (notice.. more teeter above Betty's head).

 

 

 

So, our first visit to Strasbourg and thanks to Roger, Jennie, Bob and Jacquie, we managed to get into a lovely little private marina. Just between an area called La Petite France and the Cathedral.
It was a very hot period and the tree cover was just what we needed.

 

Our first walk into town found us being entertained by a very German looking band. Of course Germany is just a walk across the Rhine and Strasbourg, and this part of France, has belonged to both countries on and off over the years.

 

 

 

We always like a Brocante (flea market/antiques) and this one was selling some quite splendid items. Never enough space on our boat though.

 

 

 

Every evening there was a spectacular music and light show at the cathedral.

 

 

 

I think everyone's favourite shop in France is likely to be the Boulangerie.
Even though we make our own bread, we still have to succumb to the breakfast delicacies.

 

 

 

Although we spent 10 days in Strasbourg it did seem to fly by and it was soon time to get back to Saverne as this was where we had arranged to meet up with our friend Richard. We had a great mooring spot on a hammerhead, right opposite the chateau.

 

 

 

Anyone who has walked around Dijon and visited the sights, will have come across the stone owl.
It is set into the wall of the church near the market place. When you see it, traditionally you should touch it with your left hand and that is meant to bring you good luck.


In Saverne they have something similar but this is a bronze statue and it looks to me as if doesn't matter which hand you use! You might even be allowed to use both hands!!

It does appear to be getting a bit of a sheen on it now.

 

 

 

Some of these next photos might not be quite in the right order, but that's not too important.

 

Richard turned up on time and thanks to Google Earth and Sat Nav had no trouble finding us.
But before we set off on the boat with him, Richard took us over the Rhine into Germany and we had a day's visit to Baden Baden. A lovely old town and a nice lunch whilst we were there.

Next day we left our mooring to start our trip from Saverne to Nancy to include the Arzviller boat lift and the 2 tunnels straight after.

 

Just before one of the locks, we were asked to wait whilst a commercial peniche came through.
They, of course, have priority….Who's arguing?

 

 

 

The large boat lift at Arzviller replaced 17 locks as we said earlier and the towpath up past these locks has become a sort of country walk. As you get higher up the towpath, the lock houses start to look lived in. It will only be a matter of time before all the houses will be brought back to life.
Near the bottom of the staircase of locks, the authorities have even put a walkway up through the centre of the empty canal and right through one of the locks…

 

 

 

In this next picture Richard was, as he decribed it, "like the little Dutch boy with his finger in the dam". The water was coming out of the lock wall sideways like a tap.
This particular lock at 15 metres deep, replaced 7 older ones and again saved lots of time.

 

 

 

This looks like another alfresco evening. Although we have had a mixed summer, Richard always seems to catch a good spell.

 

 

 

Always lots of flowers in France but Richard did spot this "misuse of Fire Station property"
Surely they have some more up to date gear by now?

 

 

 

We all went back to Saverne to pick up Richard's car by train. It wasn't TGV but only took about an hour. I still can't get used to the welded tracks. It just shows how often I go on a train jouney.

Once we had Richard's car here again, he took us to Metz for the day. A lovely place and a nice lunch sat opposite the church. Thanks Richard!

 

As we arrived in Nancy, Richard's 2 week visit was coming to a close. So we decided to visit the evening light show in Place Stanislas before he left. It was quite brilliant and much better than when we were last here in 2008.

 

 

 

 

 

Soon after leaving Nancy, about 6 kilometres and right at the side of the canal, we found a large Leroy Merlin shop (like B & Q without the customers).
We knew it was going to stay hot and someone had told us about a mobile Aircon unit for 199 euros. So we found the said item and the price was just 179 euros!
Once it was on board I unpacked it, plugged it in and checked it worked ok. It did.
Then took all the packaging and the trolley back to the shop. They looked a little shocked but accepted it without a problem.

It's wonderful !!

35 degrees outside and 22 indoors and it's only 730 watts. Of course it is only to be used whilst on the move or on shore power though.

 

 

 

Spotted this chap on his 4 wheeled bike. I think he must have made it himself. It looked quite heavy too.

 

 

 

On the same stopover I caught this little fellow hitching a ride. It took a few shots to get this photo but he/she did keep quite still.

 

 

 

In the summer, and when you fancy a tipple, you can't always wait for the sun being over the yard arm (what ever that is). So even though it's still sunny, I do like to relax with a large one now and again.

 

 

 

John and Pat (Hoddy Dod) and our friend Richard have, on their last visits, brought us some well hung British steaks. Sirloin for me and fillet for Pamela. Thanks to both of you.
As you can see, they are magnificent. "If only someone would invent smellyvision"

 

 

 

We soon arrived in Toul, another of our favourite places, and it had been years since we were last there. We know where everything is and the port has had a revamp, brilliant. So off to the shops and passing the apartment of Michelle, a lady who befriended us 4 years ago. Easy to spot Michelle's flat, its the one with all the flowers outside.

 

50 metres further along the road and who should be walking towards us but Michelle! To be quite honest, she makes friends very easily but her memory isn't what it used to be. So we said that she should pop around to the port for coffee and cake the next day. In the meantime Michelle popped around to just check where we were in the port. She saw the boat name then went back home to her filing system.
The next day, Michelle turned up at 11 am and had photos and correspondance from 4 years ago.
All in an A5 envelope. As she says this system is her memory now.

 

Next day, it was around to Michelle's for a light lunch ("light" must mean something different in France)! This included a home made Quiche Lorraine which was fantastic and you don't get small portions at Michelle's (even better)

 

 

 

On our way back to the port, we spotted this posh looking boat coming down the street. Registered in Panama.

 

 

 

So after our "light" lunch it was back to work and I felt the need to take some measurements of our rudder. Lea crest is due out of the water next year and, if the mood takes me, I might modify the rudder a little.

 

 

 

Well, so much for less typing!
That'll teach me to take so many photos or leave it too long between updates
Just checked… over 3000 photos since I took the one of the little Coypu!!

 

Well that's all for now

 

Best wishes from David and Pamela


 

 

Go to April 2012 update

 

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