Samstag, 30. Juni 2018
Freitag, 29. Juni 2018
Katze an Bord
Cat onboard
Moritz is Silvia and Rolf's adopted cat. That is, he adopted them some years back, lingering outside, accepting food only for about six months before he deigned to come in. He was never the fittest. No teeth and an obstructed nasal passage for starters. But the cat has charisma. Aila and I will never forget when the late, great Pippo, our warrior Yorkie, first met Moritz. Pippo bellowed and barked and ran hither and thither while Moritz reclined in his cardboard box and hardly raised an eyebrow. Pippo eventually ran out of steam, declared peace and calm was restored. (Neira needed no such lesson; she recognized Moritz as a leader right away.)
Anyway, Moritz, too, isn't getting any younger, and it troubled his two servants to leave him alone at home while they enjoyed outings on Kima Blue, their 10 meter Dutch kruiser. So this year they experimented and brought Sir Moritz with them just to see how it would go. And to everyone's relief, Moritz quickly adapted. He has established his various perches onboard and when he needs to use the head, as it were, he goes onshore with his faithful companion Xavi, the family Jack Russell. What a cool cat!
Donnerstag, 28. Juni 2018
Canal de Briare 6
Ouzouer-sur-Trézée – Briare-le-Canal; 8 km, 5 locks, 2 engine hours.
Geschafft: wir sind in Briare angekommen, am Ende (bzw. nach offizieller Kilometrierung am Anfang) des Canal de Briare.
We did it: we finally made it to the end of the Canal de Briare!
Unsere erste Schleuse auf diesem Abschnitt ist bei unserer Ankunft geschlossen, obwohl wir unsere Durchfahrt für 10 Uhr angemeldet haben. Unerhört! Ich gehe mich erkundigen und erreiche über eine Sprechanlage einen netten Herrn, der baldigste Öffnung verspricht.
A rare faux pas by the canal operators had us wait for a lock although we had made a 10 o'clock appointment the day before. Aila reconnoitered, spoke with somebody from a callbox and came back onboard.
Wir warten.
We waited.
Schliesslich nimmt Roy die Sache in die Hand; kaum ist er von Bord, trifft der Herr vom vnf ein.
Finally, I decided to take a look at the lock and just at that moment the trusty VNF mensch appeared.
Eine unvorhergesehene Wartezeit erlaubt überraschende Entdeckungen an Orten, an denen man sonst einfach vorbei fährt. Wer die Dame wohl ist?
Waiting on this glorious morning was not unpleasant, plus it gives one the opportunity to take note of the small pleasures one might otherwise miss, like this relief decorating the lock house.
Danach geht alles wie am Schnürchen.
Thereafter, all ran smoothly.
Plan B im Hafen von Briare.
Here we are, in the weedy waterworld of the Port de Plaisance Briare.
Ein unerwarteter Hafenbewohner.
Mr. Muskrat on tour.
Gleich hinter dem Hafen fliesst die Loire, in der Neira ihr traditionelles Bauchbad geniesst.
The Loire River is just a hop from the harbor, and Neira took her customary bathing cure in it. It's a beautiful river but unreliably shallow, so no boating. The Canal latéral à la Loire runs parallel and that will be our route.
Früher schloss der Canal de Briare hier an die Loire an, doch die ist heutzutage nicht mehr schiffbar. Jetzt fährt man stattdessen auf ihrem Nebenkanal, dem Canal latéral à la Loire.
In the old days, ships from the Atlantic could get to Briare via Orleans. Pity, but that stretch is no longer maintained. Still, it's a lovely river to look at.
In den 1880er-Jahren wurde der Canal de Briare mit einer spektakulären, 660 Meter langen Kanalbrücke über die Loire an den Canal latéral à la Loire angeschlossen. Damit entstand eine zusammenhängende Kanalkette, die den Ärmelkanal über Paris (die Seine) und Lyon (die Rhône) mit dem Mittelmeer verband.
In the 1880s, as part of the reconstruction of the Canal de Briare, an amazing 660 meter long aqueduct was built to carry barges over the Loire.
Das Portal der Kanalbrücke ist mit prächtigen Pfeilern bestückt.
These ornate pillars decorate the Briare end of the elevated canal, which we will be taking in a couple of days.
In einigen Tagen werden wir sie überqueren!
In der Zwischenzeit geniessen wir die Annehmlichkeiten vor Ort. Unmittelbar neben der Kanalbrücke gibt es einen Chocolatier, der allein den Besuch von Briare wert ist. Sogar die Becher der Eiscreme bestehen aus Schokolade!
In the meantime, there's a wicked-good desert palace just steps from the aqueduct, where we enjoyed these grand treats. Note: the dark cups are made of delightfully consumable chocolate. Mmm. Good idea, and no dishes to wash!
We did it: we finally made it to the end of the Canal de Briare!
A rare faux pas by the canal operators had us wait for a lock although we had made a 10 o'clock appointment the day before. Aila reconnoitered, spoke with somebody from a callbox and came back onboard.
We waited.
Finally, I decided to take a look at the lock and just at that moment the trusty VNF mensch appeared.
Waiting on this glorious morning was not unpleasant, plus it gives one the opportunity to take note of the small pleasures one might otherwise miss, like this relief decorating the lock house.
Thereafter, all ran smoothly.
Here we are, in the weedy waterworld of the Port de Plaisance Briare.
Mr. Muskrat on tour.
The Loire River is just a hop from the harbor, and Neira took her customary bathing cure in it. It's a beautiful river but unreliably shallow, so no boating. The Canal latéral à la Loire runs parallel and that will be our route.
In the old days, ships from the Atlantic could get to Briare via Orleans. Pity, but that stretch is no longer maintained. Still, it's a lovely river to look at.
In the 1880s, as part of the reconstruction of the Canal de Briare, an amazing 660 meter long aqueduct was built to carry barges over the Loire.
These ornate pillars decorate the Briare end of the elevated canal, which we will be taking in a couple of days.
In the meantime, there's a wicked-good desert palace just steps from the aqueduct, where we enjoyed these grand treats. Note: the dark cups are made of delightfully consumable chocolate. Mmm. Good idea, and no dishes to wash!
Dienstag, 26. Juni 2018
Canal de Briare 5
La Gazonne – Ouzouer-sur-Trézée; 6 km, 6 locks, 2 engine hours.
Zwar ist es nach Briare nicht mehr weit, doch legen wir zuvor noch einen Halt in Ouzouer-sur-Trézée ein.
We seem to be slowing down evermore as we approach Briare. This time we cruised a whole two hours to Ouzouer, ok, with six locks, but they're easy to manage. Once again, we were following a tip from the skipper of Balu and he'd been reliable so far.
Bis dorthin gibt es sechs Schleusen. Die sind jetzt allerdings viel leichter zu bewältigen, denn wir schleusen jetzt abwärts, und dabei ist es wie im übrigen Leben auch: nach unten geht es schnell und ohne grosse Anstrengung.
The downhill locks, where we enter at the upper level and then descend, are the easiest. There's less turbulence in the chamber and we don't need anyone to attach our lines.
Das Wetter könnte schöner nicht sein: strahlende Sonne, stahlblauer Himmel, ein kühlendes Lüftchen.
What a day: solstice sun and a cool breeze. Ahhh.
Unser Höhenmesser bewährt sich, ...
Nice to have that fishing rod on the bow to assure us that we can pass under such low bridges.
... was Roy freut!
Knowledge (that you're not going to crush your radar arch, for example) is power!
Die letzte Schleuse vor Ouzouer-sur-Trézée. Das Dorf liegt vier Meter tiefer.
A four-meter drop in the last lock before Ouzouer-sur-Trézée.
Plan B in Ouzouer-sur-Trézée. Das Liegen, Strom und Wasser sind hier kostenlos, dafür darf man höchstens 48 Stunden lang bleiben. Der Liegeplatz ist sehr schön und gepflegt, das Dorf selbst hingegen wirkt ausgestorben. Unsere Versuche, etwas Essbares einzukaufen, sind erfolglos.
I think Balu's a skipper who likes to save money. The quay had free water and electricity and it was clean and altogether pleasant but the town itself is a ghost. Another one of these French town centers that have succumbed to the huge shops on the periphery, where you can buy fish, a garden hose, a TV and running shoes, all under one roof. Yippee.
Neira lässt sich nur widerwillig zu einem Familienfoto bewegen.
Sometimes Neira has an uncanny way of not to doing what we want, like cooperating in this group portrait, for example. Her placid not to say sleepy manner masks a strong stubborn streak, not unlike her "owners" in that regard, I must admit.
Viel lieber lässt sie sich den Bauch bürsten.
But grooming turns her into a passive lump of fur.
We seem to be slowing down evermore as we approach Briare. This time we cruised a whole two hours to Ouzouer, ok, with six locks, but they're easy to manage. Once again, we were following a tip from the skipper of Balu and he'd been reliable so far.
The downhill locks, where we enter at the upper level and then descend, are the easiest. There's less turbulence in the chamber and we don't need anyone to attach our lines.
What a day: solstice sun and a cool breeze. Ahhh.
Nice to have that fishing rod on the bow to assure us that we can pass under such low bridges.
Knowledge (that you're not going to crush your radar arch, for example) is power!
A four-meter drop in the last lock before Ouzouer-sur-Trézée.
I think Balu's a skipper who likes to save money. The quay had free water and electricity and it was clean and altogether pleasant but the town itself is a ghost. Another one of these French town centers that have succumbed to the huge shops on the periphery, where you can buy fish, a garden hose, a TV and running shoes, all under one roof. Yippee.
Sometimes Neira has an uncanny way of not to doing what we want, like cooperating in this group portrait, for example. Her placid not to say sleepy manner masks a strong stubborn streak, not unlike her "owners" in that regard, I must admit.
But grooming turns her into a passive lump of fur.
Montag, 25. Juni 2018
Canal de Briare 4
Rogny-les-Sept-Écluses – La Gazonne; 6 km, 6 locks, 2 engine hours.
Abfahrt heute morgen pünktlich um zehn Uhr, um die restlichen Höhenmeter des Kanals de Briare zu erklimmen.
Up to the summit!
Wie die Tafel zeigt, steigt man von Rogny aus über sechs Schleusen auf; die entleeren sich in die Seine und damit letztlich in den Atlantik. Danach geht es bis Briare über acht Schleusen wieder hinab; das Wasser dieser Schleusen gelangt in die Loire, also ins Mittelmeer.
As the sign shows, the modern six-step series of locks at Rogny lifts us to the highest level of the Canal de Briare. Then, after a spell along the watershed, we descend toward Briare and the Loire Valley.
Hinter einem fitten holländischen Kreuzer fahren wir vorbei an der 600 Jahre alten Schleusentreppe, in einem Bogen zu den sechs 'neuen' Einzelschleusen aus dem späten 19. Jahrhundert. Dazwischen befinden sich breite Becken, in denen sich in verschiedene Richtungen fahrende Boote kreuzen können.
On the left, the remains of the original, 600-year-old canal. We bear right, behind a trim Dutch cruiser, into the "new" system dating from the 1880s, which allows vessels to travel in both directions, with wide sections between locks where boats can pass one another.
Wir alle geniessen es, aus der dunklen, feuchten Schleusenkammer an die Sonne aufzusteigen.
We all enjoy rising out of the damp depths of the locks into the sun.
Der Kapitän von Balu dem Bär hat uns die Anlegestelle vor der Schleuse La Gazonne zur Übernachtung empfohlen. Wir folgen dem Rat und legen hier an, obwohl es erst Mittag ist. Zu beiden Seiten des Kanals befinden sich die Stauseen, aus denen der Kanal sein Wasser bezieht; die Gegend erinnert uns an Friesland, nicht zuletzt, weil uns ein steifer Wind um die Ohren weht!
This tie-up, in front of the lock at La Gazonne, was a tip from the skipper of Balu the Bear, a handsome Classic Dutch Sturdy from Kiel. We were delighted to spend a night here. There are large reservoirs on both sides of the canal and it reminded us of Friesland, the boaters paradise in north Holland.
Neira geniesst ein Bad im Étang de la Gazonne.
The reservoirs were constructed to assure the canal had sufficient water to operate in dry seasons. The system still depends on them today, as does Neira for a cooling dip.
Der Spaziergang hingegen behagt ihr weniger; zu heiss.
It was hot out there on the longest day of the year.
Roy probiert unseren Duschsack aus. Das ist ein schwarzer Sack, den man mit etwa 20 Liter Wasser füllt, das man hinterher in der Sonne wärmt. Dann hängt man den Sack an einen Baum und stellt sich darunter. Die Idee ist gut, doch unser Sack ist von schlechter Qualität, die 'Dusche' nicht mehr als ein Rinnsal. Wir entsorgen ihn nach Gebrauch in der Hoffnung, ihn irgendwann durch eine bessere Variante ersetzen zu können.
I tried out our shower sack. You fill it with about 20 liters of water, let it sit in the sun till you need it, hang it from a tree, and presto, a warm shower. That's the promise, and it's a good idea. But our example is not very well made. We both used it today and then dumped it. Something to replace one day, although it's only appropriate for really off-grid stops like this one since we don't usually strip in public.
Danach spielen wir eine Runde Boule, oder Boccia. Ich bevorzuge die Methode fokussieren, zielen, tief werfen, ...
Refreshed, it was time for a round of Boule, or Petanque, or Bocce. Not knowing the rules, and not particularly caring, we have a devised our own scoring system. Here, Aila shows off her home-grown feng shui techinque. She's good!
... während Roy die freie Rückhand- und Hochwurftechnik anwendet.
I try a little move I picked up watching Steph Curry, with mixed results.
Das Siegerfoto.
Up to the summit!
As the sign shows, the modern six-step series of locks at Rogny lifts us to the highest level of the Canal de Briare. Then, after a spell along the watershed, we descend toward Briare and the Loire Valley.
On the left, the remains of the original, 600-year-old canal. We bear right, behind a trim Dutch cruiser, into the "new" system dating from the 1880s, which allows vessels to travel in both directions, with wide sections between locks where boats can pass one another.
We all enjoy rising out of the damp depths of the locks into the sun.
This tie-up, in front of the lock at La Gazonne, was a tip from the skipper of Balu the Bear, a handsome Classic Dutch Sturdy from Kiel. We were delighted to spend a night here. There are large reservoirs on both sides of the canal and it reminded us of Friesland, the boaters paradise in north Holland.
The reservoirs were constructed to assure the canal had sufficient water to operate in dry seasons. The system still depends on them today, as does Neira for a cooling dip.
It was hot out there on the longest day of the year.
I tried out our shower sack. You fill it with about 20 liters of water, let it sit in the sun till you need it, hang it from a tree, and presto, a warm shower. That's the promise, and it's a good idea. But our example is not very well made. We both used it today and then dumped it. Something to replace one day, although it's only appropriate for really off-grid stops like this one since we don't usually strip in public.
Refreshed, it was time for a round of Boule, or Petanque, or Bocce. Not knowing the rules, and not particularly caring, we have a devised our own scoring system. Here, Aila shows off her home-grown feng shui techinque. She's good!
I try a little move I picked up watching Steph Curry, with mixed results.
The winner awaits his spoils.
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