Bourbonnais: a week in the Loire

Hello to you all from the town of Decize after a week cruising the Bourbonnais canals.  We're pretty much in the middle of France passing through villages without internet access - even via my little Domino gizmo - hence the lateness of this post.  So, without further ado here's what we've been up to:

Sunday 23 June - Chatillon-sur-Loire to Belleville
We said goodbye to Bob & Gill of Joie de Vie and whose brother lives in Tankerton near us(!) and after a couple of hours we arrived at Belleville which was true to its name except for the billowing chimneys from a nearby nuclear power station!  No mention was made of this in the books though so it was a bit of a shock.  Not to worry though - First Mate has her homeopathic remedy kit which covers just about any eventuality - suffice to say we didn't take on water there!  Such a shame as it really was a pretty little village.  The highlights for us were several marsh harriers swooping over the canal and a lovely goose/duck which patrolled the quayside, letting herself be known and generally cadging for food!

Belleville's cause celebre!

Locks: 1 (102)
Miles: 8 (329)

Monday 24 June - Belleville to Menetreol-sous-Sancerre
Now that's more like it - home to my favourite wine!  We arrived mid-afternoon in hot weather and moored on a quayside for 7 boats - we just about alongside Stuart and Carol on "Donjeux" and were delighted to catch up with "Splodge" again.

Alan and Jackie on "Splodge"

We wasted no time in getting ashore to explore wine-tasting opportunities and we happened upon a local 4th generation vintner - Laurent Lepresle - who had a wine-tasting cave and outlet.  He invited us in to taste and we spent about half hour with him talking about his wine, his vineyards and his pride in the family's wine-making heritage.  He has four parcels of land from which he produces two amazing wines: one filtered through chalk - the other filtered through flint.  They were both beautiful so we bought one of each - we'd have bought more but he didn't have a card machine - we'll stock up on the way back though!  That was a highlight for First Mate - far better than wandering around a formal, stuffy wine-tasting house ... what a treat!  We wish Laurent well for his 2012 wine which was being launched later that evening.  Bon chance!

First Mate at Sancerre

Sancerre on the hill above the canal

Locks: 5 (107)
Miles: 15 (344)

Tuesday 25 June - Menetrol-sous-Sancerre to La Chapelle Montilard
On a high after yesterday's mooring and wine discovery, we cast off with "Splodge" and after 4 hours' arrived at the less desirable mooring at La Chapelle Montillard - a shelving quayside mooring alongside a working grain factory!  We've found this is a pattern - one mooring is great - the next is rubbish - nothing like variety!  BUT there was a lovely town nearby - La Charite - to which we all decamped, did a shop and had dinner ashore.  It was hilarious - we'd been recommended a restaurant - "La Poule Noir" - and upon arrival we were told by the waitress that it was full and who promptly closed the door on us!  But there was room inside and outside on the terrace so we figured they took one look at us with our shopping bags and figured we weren't quite good enough to eat at their establishment.  We wouldn't mind but they were offering a €14 menu so not exactly haute cuisine!  Needless to say we found our way to nearest restaurant and had a good laugh at - what I would call a typically French attitude - a reminder that we should never judge a book by its cover!

Locks: 4 (111)
Miles: 10 (354)

Wednesday 26 June - La Chapelle Montilard to Cours-les-Barres
We cast off early on a beautiful sunny day and 4 hours later moored at the lovely Cours-les-Barres - a quayside halte - free mooring, water and electricity.  It is a tiny village with only a boulangerie, tabac and part-time post office but a prettier setting you couldn't ask for.  We were invited aboard "Splodge" for dinner and were treated to a lovely chicken roasted in a cob - a South African steamer/cooker which produces really tender meat - delicious!  We took along our other bottle of Sancerre which was the perfect complement to our meal and some lovely French cakes for dessert - yum!  What a brilliant evening - thanks to our friends Jackie and Alan.

"Reward" at Cours-les-Barres

Locks: 5 (116)
Miles: 15 (369)

Thursday 27 June - Cours-les-Barres to Fleury sur Loire
We cast off on an overcast and chilly morning but which soon gave way to lovely warm sunshine.  We saw and heard a black woodpecker going about his business of drilling holes in trees - lovely!  We had another staircase lock - just two levels this time - followed immediately by an acqueduct which was pretty spectacular but not quite up to the Pont de Briare standard.

"Splodge" entering the staircase lock just ahead of us

We moored at the last spot available at Fleury sur Loire which was great as it was a pretty little halte with a bar on site at which we enjoyed a post-cruise beer.  Sadly, though, First Mate needed a night off from the jollifications as hayfever has struck with a vengeance - not as bad as previous years but my worst day this year.  Can't complain though - I've had a drink most days since we've been away - not like me but when in Rome and all that ... !

Locks: 6 (122)
Miles: 25 (394)

Friday 28 June - Fleury sur Loire to Decize
"Reward" and "Splodge" cast off in light rain - pipped at the post by two Dutch yachts that were so obviously keen to get away first to the locks and moorings further down the line that they left a line on the bollard - some people are so pushy!  Only a short hop today and 3 hours later we arrived at Decize PdP but first we encountered a  new lock phenomena - the pull-chord lock!  Just outside the lock we saw what we thought was a boat lift for dinghys but it turned out the rope hanging down needed to be pulled to operate the lock.  We had been a bit worried about this mooring as our book mentioned spaces for 5 boats but we (and the Dutch) needn't have worried - the PdP is large, like a marina with moorings for 60 boats or so.  All new facilities and a restaurant with a big supermarket and fuel over the road what more could a tired crew need?  We decided to stay for 3 nights and rest, catch up with laundry and other sundry chores plus take in the town of Decize.  We've invited Alan & Jackie from Splodge for paella tonight so looking forward to that - on that note - I'd better get going!

Locks: 3 (125)
Miles: 8 (402)

The coming week should take us to Digoin (not Dijon) famous for pottery so that should be nice and I'll update you on that next week.  Hope you've enjoyed the post and, until the next update, over!