These are the adventures of Andy and Sally Rawnsley on their narrowboat "The Puzzler". We have been living on the boat for over nine years now and are still loving it. Our Ulster born Shih Tzu, Shannon, has grown up, and has taken over the boat! After three wonderful years in Ireland, we transported The Puzzler to The Netherlands, and spent a year there. In 2015 we went southwards, to reach the north of France by June. After glorious weather throughout the summer, we arrived in Roanne in late October, and enjoyed our winter in this friendly port. We cruised extensively in France in 2016, 2017 and 2018, returning to Roanne each winter.


Friday 20 May 2016

7th - 13th May. On to Pouilly, then down the other side of the Canal de Bourgogne, with our visitors joining us at Montbard.

Having come up 76 locks from Saint-Jean-de-Losne, on the river Saone, we are starting our descent of 113 locks to Migennes, on the river Yonne. We think that this is the first lock which we have shared with another boat on this canal. It is very quiet.

Between the locks, as we descend, the Canal de Bourgogne is usually quite wide, with the landscape stretching away to the hills beyond.

We are in lock 49, which is near the end of a flight of 37 locks in just over 12 kilometres.


Narrows ahead! You would not want to meet another boat here.


As we passed Courcelles-les-Montbard the weather was threatening, but it did not rain.


This stork gave us an impressive aerial display, circling above The Puzzler.
We have now come down 62 locks from the summit in just three days sailing. We are playing catch-up after our delay last week, due to high water on the Saone. This is another delightful lock cottage. Each one is different.


At Nogent-le-Grand Shannon approved of the lavoir, finding the water really tasty.


This TGV has whisked our visitors, Elaine and Mary, directly from Paris in just 63 minutes!


Looking ahead, after lock 74, the cliffs and the Bois de Garle are ahead of us.
We found the village of Ancy-le-Libre and this old church almost by accident. It is not marked on our canal guide as a place of interest, but is a lovely village and is well worth visiting.


This has to be the oldest church which we have visited, with solid wooden pews.

There is so much detail in the carving of the Last Supper, above the altar.


I loved the way that this old barn wall had been "renovated" with thin stone, above the old original ones.


However, some of the houses are much more recent.

Moving on to Tanlay, this splendid natural tree stump has been transformed into an Easter Island sculpture.


The chateau at Tanlay is surrounded by this moat. We decided to look round the interior another time.


After a walk round the grounds of the chateau, we came to this bookshop cum café for a cup of tea.

No comments:

Post a Comment