Heat wave in the Heartland of France

On Monday we decided to spend the day in Montmartre. We caught the tube over there and first paid our respects to the magnificent church of the Sacre Coeur.

It was filled with tourists and touts so we soon left and wandered around the old artist area which still had the original charm of the days of Picasso, Monet and van Gogh. There were still artists plying their pictures from the Place du Tertre.

We bought a print of a Renoir called ‘Les jeunes filles au piano’ of which original we had seen and admired in the Orangerie a few days earlier. Then we stumbled across an old windmill that happened to have a restaurant attached and had a wonderful lunch al fresco.

The next morning we were up with the larks as we had a long day. We were leaving Paris Arsenal (at least that is what he hoped …) and going via the secret canals of Paris down to the Seine well downstream of Paris. We first entered a long tunnel which goes under the Place de la Bastille for some 3km before emerging into leafy streets in suburban Paris not far from Montmartre. There were lots of locks but it all went very smoothly as progressed along the Canal St Martin and turned into the Canal St Denis and eventually onto the Seine where we turned upsteam and started to look for a mooring for the night. Alas there were none so we maid the decision to return up the river to the Port of Paris Arsenal where we had been for the past 10 nights. But we were passing through the heart of Paris. Past the Statue of Liberty, The Eiffel tower and the great palaces that adorn the banks of the Seine.

  We had first class seats on the busy river as we worked our way upstream avoiding the laden barges, the bateaux mouches (trip boats) and looking out for all the navigation signs as some reaches are one way.

The next morning we again started early heading up the Seine now and out of Paris. The river was very busy with commercial traffic and the locks were always slow as the big barges take along time manoeuvring into and out of the narrow locks. There are many pretty houses along the banks of the River – holiday homes of the rich and famous.

 

We stopped in Melun for the night after a long long day. There were very few suitable mooring spots on the River until Melun. Continuing up the Seine next day we made good progress in the first lock and but when we arrived at the next (and final lock of the day) we were told that the lock keepers were on strike and we could go no further. It was a General Strike as French Workers were protesting about the raising in 2016 of the pension retirement age to 62 from 60.  Some people just don’t know when they are well off! As were stuck at the lock for the day, we took the bikes off the boat and biked into St Mammes and checked out the fuel bunker where we hoped to get fuel the next day and also biked over to a very pretty village at the start of the Canal du Loing called Moret sur Loing. It is a fortified town on the banks of the River Loing where the painter Sisley lived for many years.

 

By now the weather was superb. It was also very hot and out in the sun probably well over 40C.  Unfortunately we were in the sun most of the time as we headed down the Canal du Loing the next day on our way South. It is a very rural canal with old ancient towns like Nemours and Montargis along the way. It also has many locks and the sun was hot.

The Canal du Loing finishes at Montargis and seamlessly morphs into the Canal du Briare whose job it is to link the valleys of the Seine and the Loire. 

There is not much traffic but it still slow going and we average no more than 30km a day and even that is tough at times. Fortunately we are stopped at Chatillon-Coligny tonight and they have free wifi and also free mooring, free electricity and free water. And to boot, it is an ancient walled town with great restaurants, where we are headed tonight in search of a cold beer or two.

 

The electricity comes in handy as it allows us to leave the fan on all night in the bedroom, something not possible on just battery power.

This week we continue our slow way south and cross the River Loire on a superb aqueduct built by none other than Mr Eiffel. The weather is forecast to continue hot and sunny all week but I wouldn’t mind betting that we get a thunderstorm as well one afternoon.

Exhausted in Paris

We seem to have walked all over Paris this week. Our mooring in the Port of Paris Arsenal at the start of the Canal St Martin is just off the River Seine just 15 minutes from Notre Dame and well placed to walk to most of central Paris.

On Monday we headed down to Notre Dame and wandered through the cathedral with the other 1 million tourists.

Click went the flashes, click click click
No-one stops to stare any more
Just take a photo and move along the floor.
Everyone is looking but nobody sees
Would you mind moving away
So we can take a picture please?

We got out of Notre Dame in a hurry and went around to the back where we found a relatively uninhabited garden where we stopped in the warm sunshine for a while.

Then we wandered down narrow side streets to the end of the Ile de la Cite and queued up to be searched before going into Sainte Chapelle a beautiful chapel in the middle of the Ministry of Justice (hence the security). The stained glass windows were 50 ft high and almost all of the walls were made from these stained glass windows. The light shone through and created magical patterns of light.

Then around the corner we entered the Conciergerie, an old prison dating from the French Revolution and where prisoners were held before their trials. We saw where Marie Antoinette was held before being dragged off to the Place de la Concorde to be executed. Originally it was the oldest royal palace in Paris dating back almost 1600 years, but alas converted to a prison as only the French can do.

We crossed over the bridge to the right bank of the Seine and walked back along Rue de Rivoli and all the smart shops, past the town hall - the Hotel de Ville and along the Rue St Antoine to the Place de la Bastille where we dropped down to the Arsenal Port and home. In the evening we went out to a local restaurant with friends Joyce and Charles from England. It was a lovely little restaurant. Small and everything a good French restaurant should be with a simple but well priced fixed menu and affordable wine by the jug. Our three course meal with wine cost NZ$45 each.

The next day we crossed over the Seine directly opposite where we are and wandered around Jardin des Plantes which is the botanical gardens and zoo and natural history museum of Paris all in one. Founded by Count Buffon in 1640 the gardens had a rather uncared for disposition unlike what you would find in Britain or NZ. We then wandered as our fancy took us around the left bank of the Seine. Past ancient Roman arenas, through the oldest street in Paris Rue Mouffetard and by streets unknown to tourists at last to the Pantheon, one of the great buildings of Paris. We could see in from the entrance but decided not to invest the 9 euros each that it would cost to admire the myriad tourists clicking at everything. Instead we wandered down to the Jardins de Luxembourg in which lovely gardens the French Senate is housed.

This sort of scene is repeated all over Paris. Around every corner there is a new park, a new palace, a new grand church or fountains or statues. Many of the ancient buildings are now just used as museums having been ‘desecrated' during the French Revolution. We were very tired by then having wandered for about 10 km, so we headed back slowly past the art shops of the left bank and past the book sellers along the banks of the Seine until we arrived back home, tired but overwhelmed with the sheer beauty of Paris.

We had to do it! We didn’t want to do it but we knew we had to do it. So early on Wednesday we caught the Metro to the Champs des Mars and took part in the “Is this your gold ring lying on the ground?” scam before the scammer decided we weren’t going to reciprocate his joy in the discovery. Then we paid our 13 euros each and got into the lift. No waiting at all which was very strange as we had been told we could wait for hours. But when we got to the top the view was magnificent. At 324 metres high we could see the world from the Eiffel Tower. 110 years old and a marvel of construction.

The top level can hold 800 people though I wouldn’t like to be one of them. The wind was blowing strongly up top with a cold Northerly. Neither of us had been to the top before but I guess it just one of those things you have to do. Even as we walked away along the Seine it looked imposing.

We headed past Les Invalides the last resting place of Emperor Napoleon and into the Rodin Museum, which is both indoors and outdoors. We were confronted just inside by his masterpiece The Thinker and we wandered through the beautiful gardens before heading inside.

Most of his important works are on exhibit inside like the Gates of Hells and the Burghers of Calais. Not all of the sculptures are in bronze. The famous ‘The Kiss’ is in beautiful creamy marble.

 

A very impressive museum and only one of two that we made it to this week as The  Louvre was not something we wanted to face with 10,000 clicking tourists who only wanted photographs and not culture.

On Thursday we took it a bit easier and caught the tube to the Tuilleries, the former gardens of the Royal Palace of the Louvre. We headed for the Orangerie museum where Monet’s Water Lillies are held as well as other impressionist paintings. The Water Lilly paintings are huge with each taking up a whole wall .  There were lovely Renoirs, Picassos and Utrillos.  In the evening we took a cruise that left 50 metres away from us in the Arsenal Port along the Seine to see the lights at night. It left at 9pm while still light and returned at 11pm as the last light had faded away. The Eiffel tower was beautifully illuminated as were many of the bridges.

 

 

Yesterday we walked the Champs Elysee from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde.

Past all the fancy Cartiers, Versaces, and car show rooms. Past the Elysee Palace where Monsieur Le President lives with his hundreds of armed guards. Then in the afternoon we walked from the port to the most famous cemetery and oldest in Paris called Pere Lachaise. There we paid homage at the grave of Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors, who died suddenly in Paris at the age of 29. The cemetery was also the final resting place of Edith Piaf and Oscar Wilde.

The weather has not been too good today, so we have just been up to the local market and bought some lovely seafood, duck and fresh vegetables and Wendy has made a Duck Stew in our slow cooker and whipped up a Ratatouille with other lovely vegetables.

We leave Paris  a few days earlier than we planned this week and head up the River Seine to St Mammes where we will turn right onto the Canal de Loing and thence Burgundy.

Too much water and Paris at last – Its wonderful!

The leak got worse even though we added more quick setting putty steel over the leak. It was leaking fast. So we decided we had to do something. Wendy tried to fix it again as she was just thin enough to wedge between the floor and the engine but to no avail.

To top matters it was raining. Water inside the boat and water outside the boat. Friends Joyce and Charles told us of a marine repair yard in Meaux our next place of call, so we untied and in the damp weather headed downstream to Meaux and tied up outside the repair yard. Monsieur Le Chef came on board and shook his head here and shook his head at that and muttered some incomprehensible words and finally said to us “Non!!” He wasn’t interested in doing the job. Not for all the tea in China. It was trop difficile!

Oh dear. So I sat down and thought in the rain. We have two water tanks connected by an equaliser tube. Water goes into one tank (the leaky one) and across when needed to the other tank from where fresh water is taken for the taps and water heater. I figured out a way of separating the two tanks so we could empty the leaky one and also a way to fill the good tank with fresh water. We needed some tubes, some valves some hose joints. Luckily the marine yard had most of these in stock and ordered the missing bits for us which arrived the next day.  A quick bit of plumbing later albeit in a very confined space and we now had one working tank and one empty tank. Phew! But it was still raining! We did list slightly to one side but it wasn’t too bad especially when we arranged some heavy items.

Luckily it eased the next day and we had a look around Meaux. A lovely cathedral and gardens were the main highlight.

In the evening we joined Terry and Iris from Texas and Adrian and Lorna from Auckland on Adrian and Lorna’s lovely Dutch barge Ariana for a few beers and wines. Terry and Iris were there on their barge also and moored next to us.  Next morning a bit blurry eyed we headed out of Meaux on a lovely day (at last) on the last legs of our voyage to Paris. We stopped the night at Lagny sur Marne where again like Meaux we had free moorings courtesy of the local council.

Then next morning bright and early we made our way to Paris past the land of the “guinguettes” and rowing clubs.  (Guinugettes are lovely bars/bistros on the banks of the Marne made famous at the turn of the 20th century by the artists and poets of impressionist France)

We had views of magnificent residences where in days of old there would have been ladies with ribbons, escorted by moustached gentlemen drinking some of the lovely local wine of Nogent. Then suddenly before we knew it we rounded the corner and left the Marne behind and entered the busy world of the River Seine and the inner suburbs of Paris. We sailed downstream surrounded by boats of all types – Hotel Boats, Bateaux Mouche, commercial barges and inflatables.  Around a corner suddenly we saw Notre Dame and we quickly slowed down and called up the harbourmaster on Channel 9 to open the lock in to the Port of Paris Arsenal, the harbour at the entrance of the Canal St Martin reserved for pleasure boats. It was very full but luckily we had booked in advance and so a space was waiting for us.

Our mooring is just 100m from the Place de la Bastille (photo next week) and 20 minutes from Notre Dame. It is a long basin with boats crowding both sides and one side lovely gardens and a restaurant where the Parisians swarm during the day.  We celebrated with a bottle of champagne bought in Epernay and soaked in the crowds and the activity from our water based hotel!

In the evening David watched the FIFA game of England versus the USA (England ha better pull up their socks as it was 1-1) while Wendy socialised with  Joyce and Charles whose home port is Paris Arsenal.

Today we walked over to the Place de la Bastille and bought some English Sunday papers and then headed for the Marche Aligre where we discovered about 100 Fruit and veg stalls selling produce at very cheap prices and exceptional quality. We bought cherries for $4 a kilo, asparagus for $4 a kilo, a huge coriander bunch for 30c  and strawbs for $4 a kilo. ($4 NZD = US$2.80)

Then we climbed some stairs to what was an old railway track and fell upon (well assisted by the guide book) the Viaduc des Arts. On the top where the tracks once were, weaving around the houses at roof level was a fantastic planted walk with flower beds, trees and ornamental gardens.  With bamboo,roses, lavender and maples the walkway is a delight with wonderful views of the rooftops and into people’s apartments.

Underneath the Viaduct arches are scores of artisans making all sorts of things. We saw a shop specialising in gold and gilding objects d’art. A shop selling violins and cellos. Another one selling copper kitchenware and yet another one selling theatrical costumes.

But lunch was calling and I had a surprise for Wendy. I told here I was taking her to the Gare de Lyon for lunch. (A railway station). She had visions of steak and gristle pie or cold vegetable soup. We headed into the station and past the trains…

and up some stairs and into ‘Le Train Blue’ restaurant where a view from Versailles or Sistine Chapel greeted us. It was decorated with original pictures on the walls and ceilings in a magnificent display of 19th century Belle Epoque splendour. The Maitre D escorted us to our table where we could contemplate the menu and admire the view.

It was our first meal out since we had reached Europe some 4 weeks ago. And what a way to start! We ordered

Saucisson pistache a la lyoniaise en brioche, sauce perigeux for me and Emulsion d’asperges vertes glacee avec chantilly de foie gras for Wendy

Followed by Filet de rascasse roti (fish) for me and Tournedos of canard (duck) en croute de pain d’epices for Wendy. A bottle of 2000 Chateau Adelaide from Gaillac made for a great accompaniment for a superb meal at what was quite a reasonable price. Tasting French wines such as this one had made me realise that NZ, Australia and California place too much reliance on fruity wines made with just one grape variety instead of the French approach which invariable involves blending so that all the wines taste individual and not just the same old same old sav blanc for instance from NZ.

We are in Paris now for the next two weeks. There is a lot to see and many unusual sights to experience. Until next week au revoir from Wendy and David.

Champagne Country

When we left you last week we were on the Canal Lateral a L’Aisne which as the name sounds follows the path of the River Aisne which is a tributary of the River Oise which flows in the Seine just West of Paris. That was our expected destination but at the last minute we decided to change our route and head down the River Marne directly to Paris instead.

Last Sunday we went for a walk in Asfeld on the Lateral a L’Aisne and stumbled across  a war cemetery where 4000 German soldiers were buried as a result  of the carnage in WWI in the battle of the Marne. We were to see many more such cemeteries over the next week, a poignant reminder of the futility of war.

The next day as mentioned above we turned off the Lateral a L’Aisne canal and onto a watershed canal that connects the River Aisne to the River Marne. It was a very rural canal and we cruised high above wheat fields with panoramas in every direction. We were headed for the great city of Reims but when we got there we found the boat harbour right by the A4 motorway, next to a busy main road and by a railway line. We decided to forgo the pleasures of the great cathedral of Reims where Kings of France were crowned for hundreds of years and continued along to a quiet village called Sillery. The next morning we had our first encounter with a long tunnel (2300m). It is one way but a little wider than other tunnels we had experienced last year which were very narrow and we had also purchased a flood light which we placed on the deck of the boat and which lit everything up quite well.

Out of tunnel we began to spot vineyards on the hills and soon we were approaching Champagne country. The weather by now was getting very hot (30C) and in fact continued for another 5 days in almost heat wave conditions only cooling today. It was glorious. Our mooring near Epernay in the famous champagne growing town of Cumieres was quiet with spectacular views.

We decided to spend three days and met up with Charles and Joyce and English couple who we shared the mooring pontoon with. They told us about a big hypermarket in Epernay, the capital of the Champagne Region, where we hoped we could get some materials to fix our leak with. (Thanks to everyone who responded with suggestions on how to fix the leak)

So we got down the bicycles and soon spotted a flat tyre on on of the bikes. So I mended that and in we rode to Epernay and found everything we wanted and started to ride back. Then the bike with the puncture had another hole and the other bike’s rear axle had come loose and wouldn’t turn probably so we were forced to walk the 5km back to the boat on a very hot day. The bike with the loose axle was easily fixed by tightening the bolts but the cause of the recurring punctures was a worn outer tyre. So I rode back into town and found a possible new tyre but wasn’t sure as the codes didn’t quite match. After a lot of research on the internet I determined it would work and rode back again to get it and also got some inner tubes. I am now an expert on bike tyre sizing!

Next morning I got up to fix the bike before we both rode into Epernay for some sightseeing when I discovered that the inner tube valve stem was too wide for the hole in the bike wheel rim. So off I rode the 10km into Epernay again and got the correct inner tube and by 10.30 am we had two working bikes and so we headed into Epernay to visit the Mercier Champagne Cellars. Mercier are part of the LVMH group that includes Moet, Hennessy and Louis Vuitton and while little known outside France are very big in France.

As the last tour of the morning was at 11.30 we go there and waited for the English tour to begin and then we were whisked off in an electric train for a tour of the huge underground cellars. Afterwards we had a tasting of four different types of their Champagne before heading back to the boat for a late lunch.

After lunch we had a go at fixing the leak and Wendy managed to get her body between the engine and the tank and place some quick setting putty over the hole. But alas as it was the far extreme of where she could reach and because we couldn’t see anything that didn’t work and we are back to square one. we will try again with some more putty later this week.

The River Marne flows into the Seine at Paris, 180km away and we were going to take a week to get there. Initially the countryside was covered with champagne fields but they  gave way gradually to wooded hills and small peaceful villages.

The locks are easy, the countryside is spectacular and life is easy. We stopped last night at Chateau Thierry scene of fierce fighting by the Americans in WWI. Today we reached La Ferte sous Jouarre and have tied up behind an island in a quiet spot with a free mooring and water and electricity. We may spend two days here before wending our way to Paris in the coming week.