Wandering Canuck

I arrived in the magical city of Carcassonne, and moored just outside of the city in a very quiet and somewhat shaded bank-side mooring. Much quieter than the city, and easy access. The shade is especially welcome!

interior streets

Carcassonne has the most interesting ‘old city’ which is a walled town perched on the top of a hill just across the river from the new city. The place is restored and in use, partly as a tourist attraction, but it is still a working city.

There are several good wine ‘caves’ where locally produced wines can be sampled (and bought).

This is actually from last fall when I was privileged to share the trip up the Canal du Midi with two sisters (Ruth and Anne ) and Mike (Anne’s Husband). We had a wonderful trip, and shared in some memorable experiences, including sampling some of France’s most famous product.

Well, what a year. I apologise to those of you who were following regularly: between website/hosting updates, and plain laziness on my part, I clearly abandoned the blog for a year. BUT, I’m back and will try and post regularly.
Anyway, the present situation. Since I finished the Rhine-au-Rhone canal, last June, I toured through central France for a while, then down the Saone/Rhone rivers, across southern France next to the Mediterranean Sea, then up the Canal du Midi to Toulouse, where I spent a (very) enlongated winter, experiencing the ‘confinement’ of France in the Port St. Sauveur, in Toulouse. It has been an exceptional time. I was very fortunate to have selected- and been accepted- in Toulouse, especially during the confinement. There are 4 other live-aboard people in this marina, and we had a security fence around, and so were allowed to meet each other during the confinement period (while maintaining 2m separation at all times). I spent at least 2h each day with a French course (I am on day 109 in a row without missing). I think I have improved somewhat, especially in reading, though listening is still difficult. One of the other fellows (Arthur) is a master mariner, so he taught two of us a celestial navigation course, and how to use a sextant. All very supportive and certainly prevented being overcome with the isolation.
And now, I am off on my travels for this year, as of tomorrow morning.
Please feel free to follow along, to post comments, and questions. Most posts will include photos of the wonderful French country.
Thanks for your patience and for following me.

So, after the family guest adventure, I stayed in Mulhouse for a bit. Allowed me to explore the museums (amazing!), and a side trip to Basel (Bale) in Switzerland. Lots to see and explore. I went to the train museum, where the French train  history from about 1850 to the present day, is shown in the real train carriages and locos they have used. There was also a miniature, ride-on train, but the queue was long, and i am not willing to wait….

The canal is fine: not  lot of traffic,  and easy to navigate.  I spent a night on the summit, between the Rhine watershed (headed for the North Sea), and the Mediterranean, via the Rhone river system. Now on the downhill side, locks are very much easier, and farther apart. Then gradually down the big hill, from Montreaux-Chateau, all the way to St. Jean-de-Losne.

Highlights are Montbeliard, and the fancy chateau that was a Germanic Duke’s palace in the day, now a museum, and music conservatory. The next major place is Besançon, which has a most impressive and commanding citadel, designed by France’s golden engineer of fortifications, Vauban. His works are all over (see Sedan, Verdun, etc!). The river Doubs makes a sweeping loop around the city center (commanded by the citadel), and one can navigate the long loop (though there are shallows and rowing boats all over), so most (including me) used a tunnel under the citadel.

Dole, showing the and the new: church and rental boat base.

Then, along, and sometimes in, the Doubs, I continued down the cliffsided valley, arriving at Dole. Lots of character in the town- and just across from the moorings, they were setting up a carnival. In fact, I couldn’t stay, because the port was the location of the fireworks display, and boats had to move along. The city was full of culture, history, and interesting things.

Then the scenery changed dramatically. Gone the pleasant river valley, cliffs, chateaux, and welcome to the plains. Industrialized (one section stopping was forbidden because of the dangers from the petrochemical plant along the canal), and very much flatter, the canal leaves the Doubs and heads for the River Saône. Then a very short stretch of this wide river, and arrival at St. Jean-de-Losne. A small village, there isn’t much here except the crossroads of the inland waterways of France. Boatyards, 5 waterways, large ports for long-term mooring, a hire boat place: this is boat central, but not much else!

And, thus ends my trip on the Rhône au Rhine canal.

Well, a lot has happened, yet not much spectacular.
I finally moved on from Saverne, after the (delayed) reopening of the canal due to the breach.

It took me two days to go from Saverne to Strasbourg: gentle times, but not many good mooring options. However, the swans are nesting, and that makes things special. Although there were a couple of pontoons, under a motorway bridge, and another with nothing around except sports stadia…

I moved on to the marina, and although expensive, it was secure, safe, and facilities available.
My family guests/crew joined me is Strasbourg. Wow! My first family experience… They were so keen, yet tentative. Ages 3, 5,and 8, they provided me with all sorts of experiences. Thanks for coming aboard, for trusting me that I would look after you all, and for the memorable moments…
We cruised on from Strasbourg on the Rhone au Rhine Canal Nord, which parallels the Rhine river. Lots of little locks, no current, and very tranquil. We stopped overnioght in a rural, canal side mooring, as the nice people closed the canal (1730h) despite being open on the schedule until 1800h. We were held up for more than an hour at an earlier lock that just wouldn’t open one gate. Such is canal life!
The trip iup the Rhine was exceptionally anticlimactic! Wide, calm, little traffic, and humongous locks, all to ourselves. No document checks, no crew checks, just poodling around at two locks, awaiting traffic down against us.
Then off the Rhine at Niffer, and on a wee branck canal to Kembs. Great mooring, except I got a prop full of weed, that made for serious vibrations. My crew (thanks, Matt!), dove underneath and removed the offending weed, and on we went.
Then, on to Mulhouse, which was unexpectedly wide, until just before the town, when the canal narrowed, a lock interruopted things, and the bridge clearance suddenly dropped, making for a quick collapse of my canopy!
Then, into Mulhouse, where we tied up securely because of strong winds. then my guests departed, and I explored the wonders of this town.

meeting a cruise ship that ‘just’ fits the locks

Kathy hanging on for dear life in the bottom of the Rechicourt lock

exiting the big lock after 15.7m rise

Toul was amazing, and the canal wraps around the city walls, giving a perspective not available except by boat. We carried on and along the Moselle River for a bit, and what a difference! The river is used commercially, with large barges I haven’t seen since Belgium, as well as river cruise boats. We were only on the Moselle for a couple of hours, then turned off onto the Canal de la Marne au Rhine Est at Frouard. There is a large commercial port here, with grain, coal, aggregates, sand and other commodities being loaded and unloaded. The pleasure boat route skirts the port, and heads upwards to Nancy. We had planned to stay of the Port de Plaisance, but it was absolutely full, and so moored in pleasant city-side moorings very near a large shopping complex. After provisioning, we continued up the canal to a campsite/mooring at Parroy. Little there except a sleepy village, and with a bakery that burned down last week!

Then, up to the summit of this canal with a VERY large lock that replaces a flight of 6. The moorings were certainly thin and not attractive along this stretch, though there were several rural places we could have stopped, but we persevered, and moored in Hesse which is the first of the significant number of rental boat bases along this canal.

The Arzviller lift (or slide down).

The next day was remarkable: two tunnels, one 475m and the other 2306m. We had to follow a slow rental boat through the long tunnel, and he clearly was nervous and having difficulty avoiding the sides. Finally, we arrived at the Arzviller inclined plane, which provides a fast, exhilarating ride in a large tub, sliding down 44.5m in about 10 minutes. It is modern and replaces 17 locks that took most boats a full day.

On to Saverne, where I said goodbye to Dan and Kathy M, after we had spent a daytrip  by train to Strasbourg and back. Many thanks to them for a very enjoyable time to cruise through and visit some really memorable places.

Saverne is a lovely town, with a very pleasant marina (another hireboat bast- but MUCH friendlier than others!). I am here for a while because of a stoppage due to a breach in the canal some 20km ahead. We will see when that reopens!

Happy Easter to all.

note the slightly twisted and leaning tower? in Mouzon

The first 10 days of cruising has allowed me to really get back into the exploration of France. First with friend Steve C aboard, we headed up the Meuse towards Verdun. This is the section that I explored with Pat and Kerry last fall, but what a difference in the river at flood, rather than in drought! The leaves are still just hinting, but the afternoons in the sunshine are really welcome, and spring-like. We moored, by ourselves, in the center of Verdun. (Last fall, the moorings were stuffed with boats awaiting rain and returning water levels, as the canal above Verdun was closed). A couple of days provisioning and exploring with Steve, and then he had to leave.

I then continued up the ever-narrowing Meuse river, through increasingly canalized sections, to Commercy, where I awaited my next guests, Kathy and Dan M. We set out, after awaiting the burning off of morning fog, further up the canal/river, eventually arriving at the junction of the Meuse canal and the canal Marneau Rhine Est, and a quiet village mooring at Pagny sur Meuse. A very sleepy village, but looming above are vast stone quarry workings, where a huge amount of building stone and other stone products are mined. Then, onward through a 0.8km tunnel and a flight of 12 locks, to Toul.

With a full marina, just outside the walled city, Toul is really full of history.

In searching through my photos, I found evidence of more adventures, and learning moments.

look hard for the climbers!

Along the Meuse, a spectacular rock formation, with climbers enjoying the spectacular setting. Reminds me of when I was an avid climber, always looking for such challenges.

Along the Meuse, an ancient monestery (11th century) at Mont-devant-Sassey. The bells were cast in the local village, in a foundry that made thousands of bells for the local area. The church is remarkably restored and maintained.

A visit to Hackenberg fortress, the first of the Maginot defenses built after the first World War, to protect France from the continuing threats from Germany. The forts DID protect France: none was captured by fire by Germany during the second World War. However, the forts did not prevent Germany from conquering France- they went around the defenses, overran the French, Belgian and British armies in Belgium and northern France, and this caused the forts to surrender after France surrendered. A city underground, this fort was actually a collection of defences, linked by underground railway. An amazing experience to visit today.

main entry point for supplies for the Hackenberg fortress

part of the kilometers-long tunnel and rail system inside the fortress

part of the ammunition storage- the rail system on the roof was used throughout the fortress to transfer the tons of munitions

a room used for training

officers quarters- the men were much closer together!

view from an observation cupola the mushroom-like things are the gun turrets, up to 130mm, which could fire to the horizon visible

A month of change for me. I finished up my exploration in France for this year, moving the boat to it’s winter mooring in Pont-a-Bar. I spent the last two weeks of September exploring by car with Pat and Kerry, and we toured all over the area: Reims, Verdun, Trier, Bastogne, Charleville-Meziers, and Luxembourg.

map room of Allied Headquarters, where the Nazis signed the surrender for WW2

Reims provided a wonderful day, where we explored another magnificent cathedral, this one where (almost) all the kings of France have been crowned. We also visited the museum in Rooseveldt High School, where the Nazis surrendered to the western Allies on May 7, 1945. The Russians were miffed that the surrender didn’t occur in Berlin, to them, so a repeat ceremony was held there later. Politics! The school was used as Allied Headquarters, but has been returned to it’s school function.

Reims Cathedral western front

evidence of shelling and the trenches around Douamont

monument, ossuary and cemetery at Douamont

inside the monument at Douamont: hallowed halls

part of the cemetery from the top of the monument. the center section are graves of soldiers from Morocco and Algeria (muslim) who died for France

Verdun was for shopping and restocking, but we also went to the nearby village of Douamont, which was one of several villages destroyed in the extended fighting around Verdun, during the first World War. The national monument of France is there, remembering almost 1 million people who died in the fierce conflict in the area. The ossuary contains the bones of more than 130,000! The cemetery in front of the monument has many identified graves as well. A monument to peace, there is a video presentation which has side-by-side scenes from both sides of the conflict. A very good video about the Verdun area and WW1.

cathedral in Trier. note the hanging organ on the right!

Roman ruins in Trier

We also visited Luxembourg, but difficulties in finding parking anywhere near the city center, made our trip a drive-through. We went on to Trier in Germany, which made that a 4 country day. Trier has a huge cathedral and church complex, and has been a significant city since Roman times. The Porta Nigre is the Roman gate to the city.

Bastogne is another center of military interest, but this time, of World War 2. A hold-out place, it was not conquered by the Nazis during the battle of the Ardennes, also known as the Battle of the Bulge. Occurring during December 1944, this was the last attempt of the Nazis to succeed in that war. There are several sites to visit, but we could only get to the main museum, and the American memorial monument.

The amount of effort, money, and the cost in people’s lives during the major conflicts that have occurred in this area, is staggering. Such a waste! Hopefully, people are smart enough to realize that, and such conflicts never occur again. Seeing the aftermath: cities needing complete re-building, the huge cost in lives- and that is only part of the cost to people- the injured, wounded, and traumatized ones are more hidden from notice. It is difficult for a Canadian to really understand the impact of war, as we have not had war afferct us in the same way. It has been a significant learning experience!

I am now embarking on a month of land-based touring in Britain, re-visiting friends, ringing a little, and exploring a place or two inaccessible to boats.