1st February - 15th March 2018. Snow, bridge and tenpin bowling. A haircut for Shannon and a port concert.

This is our view of the port of Roanne, taken from our kitchen window. We would have to look a long way to improve on this!

A few days later, the snow arrived.

Shannon really enjoyed destroying our snowman.

The next snow was so fine that even our bikes were covered.

We play bridge at the club in Roanne two or three times a week, but we also enjoyed a pleasant social evening of bridge at Simone's house.

In February we had a port outing to the Tenpin bowling rink at Riorges, not far from Roanne. You can see that it is a serious game!

Here is Andy in action.

That was such hard work that we all needed a coffee to help us to recover.

The 1st of March brought another cold spell, with the port icing over, near to The Puzzler.

Shannon has grown her hair long for the winter.

However, it is too long now, and the weather is warmer, so she has had a bath, prior to a haircut. She does not like her bath!

With her new smarter look, Shannon is thinking about rescuing her clean toys from the washing line.

15th of March was an eagerly awaited treat for everyone in the port as the day of the concert arrived!

All the musicians in the band live on their boats in the port, and were really professional.

Dave and Aileen were the main singers, though everyone sang too. Are they sharing a joke that we are missing? We certainly all had a fantastic time that evening at L'Authentic.

14th December 2017 - 31st January 2018. Bridge Christmas dinner at Charlieu. Shannon has a friend to stay for Christmas. New Year celebrations on Eendracht, followed by a trip to England.

This year our Bridge club Christmas dinner was at L'Auberge de L'Abbaye at Charlieu. There were 40 of us there and we all enjoyed a five course French meal.

Escot came to stay on Christmas day, so we went for a walk further along the river Loire, round by the lakes. We think that these were created in the old sand pits.

Shannon and Escot co-exist quite happily, although both still prefer to be top dog!

We all enjoyed New Year's Eve celebrations on Eendracht.

Our normal route along the path beside the river Loire was blocked today, with the stepping stones hidden under the water. The river Loire, to the right, is very full too.

We went to England in the second week in January, although Sally fell over a rope in the port, which delayed our visit by a couple of days. 7 stitches in my chin, after a 3 hour wait in casualty, was not what had been planned!

The cliffs of Dover look really white when the sun shines, but are quite dull at close quarters.

After a visit to Norfolk, we drove cross country via Aynho, on the Oxford canal. There are more narrowboats here than we have seen in three years in France!

Once back in the UK, this is the headroom to be expected at bridges.

Beyond the bridge at Aynho, the residential boaters “stretch in never ending line”.

We had a lovely time in Cheltenham, with Debbie, Matt and Toad.

Back in Roanne, there was a pretty sunset to greet us.

By the end of January, our logpile is much smaller, but it still keeps its shape, having used the French style of wood stacking.

20th November - 13th December 2017. A visit to JB Clair and Renaison dam. Happy Hour at L'Authentique, then Saint Nicholas and Christmas lights. Villerest reservoir and village. Roanne's Fair Froide.

A French sky over the Loire.

We had a port outing to JB Clair, a local producer of cremant, which is basically fizzy wine. If it were produced in the French region of Champagne, it would be called champagne! This has been a family business for over 100 years.

There are a great many very old wine bottles in this attractive display, mounted on the wall, just outside the cave.

Inside the cave, apologies to Monsieur for the blurring! Here all the bottles are supported solely on thin laths, so it is a work of art to construct one of these stacks. Everything at this cave is done by hand.

After leaving JB Clair, we made our way up to the Renaison dam.

From the top of the dam it can be seen how low the water level is. This is the source of all of Roanne's water so should we be worried?

By the end of November, there are fewer resident boaters at L'Authentique, although the room is still full every Thursday for Happy Hour. This photo should have been taken earlier, before the wine bottles were empty, and the plates were still full of chips!

1st December brought our only snow of the winter so far, but it did not stay for long.

Saint Nicholas arrived on 6th December, but not by boat this year, as the police had decided that it might be too dangerous!

There is an annual competition for the best Christmas lights in the port. We are taking part this year, rather than competing!

Duck Story won first prize this year again. They do have a wonderful display.

We think that Taboe should have been second!

At Villerest the river Loire is held back by a massive dam to create this reservoir.

Here too the water level is very low.

Having walked along the reservoir, we returned to the village of Villerest where part of the church dates back to the 13th century.

In the town square, Andy is checking out our route back to find the car.

The streets here have real character.

The Fair Froide was certainly cold this year.

Shannon was fascinated by this squeaky dog. She nearly knocked the lightweight stall over, in her excitement!

Monday brought a gang of eight VNF men, here to tidy up the port.

Daisy dog is concentrating hard, so that her team wins!

7th - 19th November 2017. Fuel delivery before the Roanne Port Dinner. Shannon likes the autumn leaves, and a kingfisher appears on a wall by the port.

We have taken the easy option this year to fill up with diesel from a tanker. It is a great deal easier than carrying it to The Puzzler in containers!

The Port Dinner was held in the Capitainerie function room this year.

There were 45 boaters from the Port of Roanne here.

A good time was had by all.

Come on now! This is a serious photo!

Les Français s'amusent.

It is nice to see Hervé, our capitaine, here too.

Katya and Jeremy, from L'Authentique, prepared a splendid meal for all of us.

A lot of bushes have been cleared, near to the river Loire.

The stepping stones are easy to use, when the water is as low as this.

Shannon loves to play in all the fallen leaves.

Meanwhile, at the end of the port, a kingfisher is appearing on a building.

By lunchtime on the second day, the background is nearly complete, and our artists are starting on the kingfisher.

By late afternoon it is nearly finished.

What a masterpiece!