FLOW, FLOW AND YES MORE FLOW, AND A BIT OF CHEESE

We are still in Auxerre, thank goodness it's a great town and we have met lots of people. The river now looks OK but is still running too fast for safe navigation. Just prior to the current closure of the river a Dutch Barge similar but very different to Soraya made a move to go downstream. She cast off from the mooring going backwards in the flow. So far so good. There is then a double bridge before the lock. The first is a modern bridge with 2 concrete columns then the second is an old stone multiple arched bridge. I thought she was making heavy weather of turning prior to the bridge. Eventually just prior to the modern bridge she turned and caught the concrete column with a massive crunch on the starboard side. Not good. The barge sped forward with the flow towards the stone arched bridge. I watched, heart stopping. The barge had been thrown to port and immediately towards the stone arch bridge, the back twisting aggressively to port. There was a huge crunch. I thought **** that was not good. Actually that was the good bit. The stern of the barge then swung further to port and placed the wheelhouse in direct line of the bridge arch. The noise was then horrendous as ~70% of the wheelhouse was scraped off the barge. Most of it landed into the water and continued its own way to Paris! 

Another recent incident involved a large hotel barge that left Auxerre going upstream. A few locks up it came out of the lock and the pull of the barrage (weir) was too much. The barge was drawn ever closer despite the efforts of a very experienced captain. The barge finally came to rest right across the river resting its full length against the barrage with a full compliment of 12 passengers and 6 crew. A tractor was called they could not budge it. Later a 'large' tractor arrived but they could not move the barge due to obstacles in the water. These proved to be large rocks. These had to be lassoed and moved prior to releasing the hotel barge from the forces of L'Yonne. The barge moored up and was stuck for 2 weeks. It appears that the difficulties of this barge with a very experienced captain effectively precipitated the closure of the river and canal.

Cheese stall in Auxerre market.

Too much about floods. 'Hello lad, where's the cheese Gromit?' The food and wine is good in Auxerre. This cheese stall sells amazing Comté Fruité and Charource and did I tell you about the Chitry?

Back to the floods the Nivernais canal has now partially opened. Unfortunately this is not the way we want to go. In consultation today we have been told that the direction we want to go, Paris, may open this week when repairs to damage caused by the floods are completed.

Our good friend on another hotel barge has also been caught by the floods. Last weekend going under a low bridge they miscalculated the height available and jammed the barge under the bridge! Yes paying guests were aboard.

All good fun. And is it raining.... Did I hear thunder?  Yes it is and I did!!! Well it must be beer o'clock. I think we may be staying in Auxerre for a bit longer!