In Chaumont the rivers run into the Atlantic ocean; once through the Balesme Tunnel (five kilometers long), the rivers run to the Mediterranean Sea. Wendell and Shelley joined Ken and Kristine in this winter-like ending to the French canals, the last fifty locks into the Saone river. Then Burgundy wine tastings, Gevry Chambertin, Aloxe Corton, and Vosee Romanee in the north; Chassagne Montrachet and Meursault in the south of the Cote d’Or. So much wine, so little time!
Left Bruinesse in a rain turning to hail and entered the first locks of Belgium, picked up diesel in Ghent (along with a bar that served over 200 beers), and finally to the French canals. 200 some locks, a couple tunnels including the longest in France, then Ken and Kristine were in Reims, heart of Champagne country. Leneke and Hanneke came from Haarlem for tastings; Didier Herbert, Mark Hebrart, Pierre Peters, and Vilmart. All very tasty.
After a summer of ocean sailing, the “stand mast” canal crew, Janet, Larry, Ron, Ken, and Kristine, joined the Grateful Red and motored with her 62 foot mast upright from Ijmuiden ”the harbor of Amsterdam” through Holland, over the six lane highway with a stop in Leiden, and finally to Bruinesse, Netherlands for the winter season.
See you on the Water
