Saturday, May 1

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Picked up Ken, Wendell and Shelly at Hyatt adjacent to Charles de Gaulle Airport-Paris with no problem. Car was certainly packed with 2 new sails Ken brought from USA and everyone’s luggage. It was a great day for the drive and we enjoyed the French countrysides with the brilliant fields of Colza.

“France has a wonderful variety of beauty – natural, man-made and somewhere in-between. One good example of ‘somewhere in-between’ is a colza field. Colza is a yellow variety of cabbage that is cultivated by farmers to make cooking oil.
What’s so amazing about colza is that it can stimulate two senses simultaneously – sight, it’s a bright deep yellow that only nature can create, and smell, a very sweat one; think of a smell resembling the taste of honey.”

Just before entering Chaumont, we stopped at the Viaduc for pictures. It is an amazing structure for sure. We took a small tour of Chaumont and being a Holiday (May 1st) everything was closed but an Irish Pub! Still a great time before we got to the boat. Everyone settled in, a bit of boat repair was done and I returned the rental car by 6pm as I had promised the clerk at EuroCar. (Eurocar was closed due to the Holiday but the clerk agreed to meet me for 10 minutes at 6pm for the return)

Rhone Country

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The Saone river to Lyon, where Ken, Kristine and Eddie picked up Mark and Mark and met up with the Rhone river. Vineyards only on the right bank, Condrieu, Hermitage in the north, Saint Joseph in the mid valley, and Chateauneuf du Pape in the south. Tasted them all. Spent a night in Avignon, the city of the Popes. Went through deepest French lock.

Saturday, April 24-Friday, April 30

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Our first time in seven days not to have a destination, we unpacked the bikes and went “up the hill” to Chaumont city center. We needed to find the GARE train station to check the schedules for Charles de Gaulle airport. Ken had a scheduled flight on Sunday at 1:50pm. Schedules were slim and did not give us much hope of getting him there in time so we went to the tourism office to check bus and car rental. Found Eurocar and at 4pm, when they “re-opened” for the day, secured a car. I would drive Ken to Paris in the morning and then when I returned would have a car until the next day for errands.


Thank goodness for Eurocar! Got Ken to the airport and allowed me some errand freedom.


L’Hotel de Ville, built in the late 1700’s on a triangular pediment. Now used as the Chaumont Townhall.



Le Donjon – Built on a natural summit of 45 meters over the Suize Valley, it was constructed between the 11th and 12th century. It is the only remains of the Castle of Earls of Champagne. Until 1866 it was a jail, now it’s one of the sights of the city, and used for cultural events.



Le Basilique Saint-Jean Baptiste in Chaumont.


One of the many cemeteries in Chaumont.



Le Viaduc of Chamount, France

50 arches on a height of 53m’s makes it one of the most remarkable works d’ art of the medium of the 19th century in Europe, if not in the world. conceived by architect Emile Decomble, It was builds to allow the railroad to reach the high part of the city, the building site is in record time led, 15 month were enough to implement 60,000 m’ of masonry, thanks to 2500 workmen and 300 horses which worked night and day. The startup of the viaduct was an economic engine for the chief town. Partially destroyed on August 31, 1944, opening at once reconstructed to restore railway circulation. Its imposing majesty makes the emblematic figure of the city of it. It was used as framework has several films.”

My feeble attempt to translate the tribute to the Viaduc.


Refueling the boat has always been a issue and something that those on the canals have to plan for. We knew this from all the literature we read about the canals and had a small portable tank that we could carry into towns for refueling. Slow process that sometimes required several trips. With the rental car, this made it much easier. Of course, my first time at the pumps, I could not figure which pump was diesel or gas, then my US credit cards would not work in the machine. Other option, back out of the stall, forcing all the other cars waiting to back out also. I finally found the “cash” stall and got things going. After 5 trips, I had the boat diesel gauge on “FULL”, and had become quite friendly with the station attendant. I packed my bike into the rental car on Monday at 4pm and returned the car. The ride home on the bike was all downhill!

The entire week was full of sun and light winds. I rode my bike to the store, down the canal paths, and generally enjoyed the quiet of the Nautique. I have taken tons of pictures and have discovered Chaumont to be one beautiful city on top of a hill!
Friday, I secured another car to make a return trip to pickup Ken at Charles de Gaulle Saturday morning. Wendell and Shelly Meise will be there also so it will be a car full.
We will plan to restart our canal journey on Sunday as Saturday, May 1st is a National Holiday and EVERYTHING is closed! (except the airport)

And, surprise! I am now caught up with this blog. I am hoping that I can continue without too many “pauses” in our journals, especially with having company for the next 7 days on the canals!