After a week with my beautiful family in Germany we travelled via "trains, planes and automobiles" back to St. Jean de Losne near Dijon, France.
3/5/13
On the morning after our arrival we had a date with Philipe to check the boat and watch it being send down the slipway after 6 month in dry-dock. - Very exciting!
Downhill it went - and not just the boat! The weather had deteriorated to an icy downpour! Austin wanted to know more about the ins and outs of the ships bowels. So we stayed on board soaking wet and freezing for most of the day, watching the mechanics servicing the motor and pipes in the bilge and trying hard not to disappear down the hatches ourselves. We had also learned that we needed to replace all 4 batteries - very expensive - and that the electric wiring was all over the place (the only thing, Austin didn't check last year)- all not so exciting! Natty, where were you!!!
No heater in the hotel either. That night I was 'over' the boat and 'over' the european weather which had already presented us with a bad cold. The headlines from the online SMH "Endless summer rolls on….." didn't really help! On the positive side, we managed to organise a French Bank account which allows us to get a Sim-card for cheaper phone and internet use.
4/5/13
The morning, looking onto logs drifting down the rushing waters of the Saône, was still looking very grey. But at 10.00am the temperature rose to a balmy 17 degrees with sunshine breaking through by lunchtime.
What a difference a day makes!!
By mid- afternoon we were sunning ourselves on the deck of the "Freshwater" (formerly the "Leieland") which Austin had expertly moored in the Port the previous evening.
It was a busy day: studying the boats manuals ( we still have to figure out how to work the toilet), buying pillows, blankets, pots and pans and missing fixtures for the electrics. But like it is among "boaties", we met Frank and Jill from Port Isaac, Cornwell, and Frank chauffeured us from the boat to the "intermarché" and back and gave us some good advise regarding, where to buy what.
We celebrated with some Cidre and local grape and got everything ready for our move into the boat the next day.
5/5/13
A perfect Sunday with blue sky and sunshine - only the wind feels still fresh on our wimpish Aussie skin.
We denied ourselves having breakfast at the Auberge de la Marine and dragged the rest of our baggage over the cobblestoned alleys of St. Jean to the Marine, but not without stopping at the Patisserie for some fresh baguette and croissants.
Our first breakfast on board! Today, after stowing our "cargo", we are taking it easy and frolic in the sunshine. The water is still too high to cross the Saône for the Canal du Rhône au Rhin to get to Dole.
So for the time being we will just enjoy making ourselves at home on board of the "Freshwater".