RISING LEVELS

Woke up this morning to find we had moved up in the world. The canal really should not be higher than the adjacent quayside. This was not the case. A few hotel barges looking very like they were about to be land based hotel accommodation.

Soraya at an unusually elevated position.

Went for the morning run up the canal and found 3 VNF staff madly playing with sluices, with lots of gesticulating and conversations rectifying the situation. It was no doubt the fault of 'mon collègue'. Good news, by lunchtime we were returned to our normal status in life!

For the observant amongst you, Soraya in now wearing her winter outfit. We had side screen covers made to cover and protect the varnish work of the wheelhouse. (The rear door is not covered whilst we are using it.)

MODERN ART, POP CULTURE, MARKETS AND CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

A quick weekend in Paris to see friends and enjoy the delights of the city. You haven't to let these terrorists stop you going places as planned. It's only 1.5 hours to Paris by TGV and with the tram in Dijon direct from the port to the station it's only an hour and three quarters from Soraya to the centre of Paris. Quite a bit of walking around + a few galleries. The most interesting was the Hey! Act III 'Modern Art & Pop Culture' no photos permitted, art and installations quite challenging at times. Plus a very interesting Dali exhibition, when he worked with Daum, the glass artists from Nancy. All good.

Margaret emerging from the exhibition. Let's find a café!

A few flowers in the superb Boulevard Edgar Quinet Marché.

The selection, quantity and quality of produce was amazing.

An amazing suspended Christmas tree surrounded by a multitude of other decorations.

Well it's getting closer to Christmas and a visit to Galeries Lafayette to see the Christmas decorations, plus a bit of retail therapy, it had to be done. Great time seeing friends, out for meals and the normal taking in the ambience of Paris. Definitely more police than usual on the streets.

WINTER HAS ARRIVED

We've had some great weather for November. Lunch on the back deck has been the norm every day for the last week. 

Geoff about to break into a baguette.

But today winter arrived and the temperature's plummeted. It's down to 0 degrees!!

However we are nice and warm in Soraya. She has plenty of insulation so it's cosy all the time!!

DINNER AT CASA NOSTRA - DIJON

Went to a great Italian restaurant, well it makes a change. You can only have so much Bourgogne escargot and Chablis. The food was all very interesting. I ordered a Vesuve del Mare. Conversation with the waiting staff did not elude to exactly what it was. It sounded good. It arrived, as shown below. It turned out to be a superb spicy seafood linguine with a very, very thin pizza base topping. It was excellent.

The pasta-pizza or was it the pizza-pasta?

Margaret obviously enjoyed the evening, or was it the Pinot Grigio? Made a change from the Rully Premier Cru.

WAS IT BILL OR WAS IT BEN?

Driving along we came across a familiar face. We don't remember they had fishing rods. Perhaps in the French screening fishing was the thing rather than gardening.

Bill or Ben? No sign of Little Weed (apart from what he standing on).

NEW CAR!

Out and about in Dijon we came across my new car! Great for getting on and off Soraya, and yes that is a winding key I'm holding on the bonnet.

My favourite new car.

I think it was made from washing machine parts. It puts the Sinclair C5 to shame as it is fully equipped with rear view mirror, windscreen wiper, door, washing machine controls on the rear, 3 wheels and a radio. It also does not tell any emissions or mpg lies as the Audi.

There they are the washing machine controls. It even has a washing machine door. Perhaps it multifunctions as a washing machine as you are driving. I know the main door is not a good fit, however, I am sure at the 12,000 miles warranty service interval it will be adjusted to perfection.

LE MARCHÉ DIJON

Saturday morning is traditionally, for Margaret and I, market time. We always go with no food or meal ideas in mind, just see what looks good. Fortunately the fact that Bourgogne is a real food and wine region and Dijon has a great Les Halles with all manner of superb foods the choice is......

Margaret on the way to the market.

In Les Halles.

This weeks speciality, cheese sausages.

You may ask what we ended up buying. Well a new cheese 'Brillat-Savarin avec Truffe'. Very interesting but I'm not sure I would buy it again, the truffe a little overpowering. Also an amazing selection of wild mushrooms to go with cep ravioli of course bread, plus lots more and of course the duck breast.

MORE URBAN GORILLA KNITTING

I can tell by the total silence you all love the genre. Recently in Saint-Jean-de-Losne it was endemic. St-Jean-de-Losne must be the Urban Gorilla Knitting capital, or they have nothing else to do. Either way considerable effort has been undertaken.

A quayside borne.

Local park bench.

Even the trees are up to it.

Was not sure about staying too long as Soraya may have been knitted out! They were constantly encroaching closer.

A VERY FOREIGN EXPERIENCE

We thought we would have a bit of cinema. It's been a while since we have been. We researched what was on in Dijon cinemas and what films were available with English subtitles. Whilst we both get along in French a full film in French 'only' is hard work and does not really count as entertainment. Research duly done we found Madame Bovary on at an art cinema. Upon arrival we enquired quite precisely if the film had English subtitles. Yes it definitely did. In we went. A good large auditorium for at least 500 people and we were the only ones there. The film started, yes it did have subtitles which were in French the diction was all in English. Still it's good practice to have the French written below and see how phrases are translated.

Madame Bovary flyer.

ps. It's a good film and worth seeing. I'm sure you know the plot. Girl gets married to a man in a small village in the middle of nowhere in France. Gets very bored. Starts spending more than she can afford, to amuse herself, has a couple of affairs and it all ends in tears. Everyday life really.

PÉNICHE CANCALE

Across the other side of the Port du Canal is a bar, bistrot, live music venue at the weekends. It's so handy we thought we would give it a go. Great fun good atmosphere and very lively. What was that craft local beer I was drinking? I can't remember but I do remember we had to be carefull getting back on Soraya. Fortunately it is far enough away that we are not effected by the sounds eminating from Péniche Cancale due mainly to the power of a steel hull, noisy inside hardly a sound outside.

Margaret on the 'Stairway to Heaven!' The DJ was playing Led Zeppelin at the time.

The way out actually.

Fun logo of the venue.

Could be a regular place at the weekends to come.

DIJON - WINTER MOORING

We arrived in glorious weather with evening drinks on the back deck, until the sun went down as did the temperature. We are moored up with offsets (why do you build a quay with 45 deg. sides?) and a steep gangplank as the quay is only 200mm above water level, but all good with apparently free mooring, power and water. So it's off to explore the delights of our new adopted home for winter.

Soraya's in Le Port du Canal, our new home for hivernage.

Place de la Liberation, the centre of Dijon.

Dijon is already proving to be a great place with lots to do, Oh and did I mention a few bars and countless restaurants.

PEUGEOT

Had a surprisingly interesting visit around Peugeot in Montbéliard whilst on the Doubs. Peugeot is based in Montbéliard and the factor is huge.... I did not realise their history. I tend to think of Peugeot as small cars such as the Peugeot 206. They have a fascinating history starting out making saw blades and diversifying into coffee grinders. No cars in sight for a long time. They totally dominated the coffee grinding market well before turning to cars. During their history they have made everything from dishwashers and corkscrews to motorbikes to boats.

A few of the coffee grinders and saws.

They don't make them like they used to. First real streamlined Peugeot.

Some of the old cars were stunning and very forward thinking in their time. There is even a show car built around the lines of a super-yatch, with large back deck with teak flooring and a winch on and off jet ski. Whilst we were both not too bothered about going around a car museum we were told it was worth a visit and it was, it was so interesting and well put together.

THE ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK

Besançon is well known for its clocks. This one was huge, located in the bell tower of the Cathedral. It has 70 dials, tells the time, of course, and also the date, day of the week, month, year, sunrise, sunset, adjustment for leap year, the orbits of the planets, eclipses, phases of the moon, tide times, the date of Easter Sunday, even the 400 leap year when the century year is only a leap year if it's divisible by 400....i.e. the year 2000 (If you think that's confusing try googling it!!) That was the first time that dial ever worked, so the clock maker in 1860 could never test whether it worked or not!! There were also saints moving around every quarter of an hour ringing bells and Christ resurrecting and being buried!! All very fascinating.

The clock, nearly 6m tall

Besançon also had a time museum with many weird and wonderful clocks in it

and a Foucault Pendulum which you could look down on and watch the world rotate! The pendulum stays still, while the building and world rotate around it. So if you watch it for long enough, it seems as if the pendulum is gradually moving round through 360 degrees. Interesting!!

The Foucault Pendulum

INDUSTRY

Navigating from Besaçon to Dijon down the Doubs and the Canal du Rhône au Rhin was by far superb and dramatic scenery with little population. There is however one section that is total industry on a gigantic scale. In the navigation books this area is well documented, however when you get there the scale is huge with the canal going right through the centre of the 'factory'. 

Do not stop!

Upon entering this length of canal you are warned not to stop/moor. There are monitoring camera's along the canal and large signs giving instructions that if sirens sound and red lights flash leave the area as quickly as possible. Well that's OK if you're in a car. As this stretch through the industrial area is ~5km long and there are 2 locks leaving any faster than normal Soraya speed would be impossible. Perhaps we would need to crane off scoots and go for it.

Yes more industry.

What are they making? All went well with no sirens or flashing lights just a few 'interesting' smells.