THE LIFE OF THE BATELIERS

It was a tough life being a Batelier (bargee). We recently found an interesting museum, if you are into barge life,'Cité des Batelliers'. Unlike other museums about barging that we have visited this one was totally concerned with the people only, not the canals or the barges etc.

Romance on the canals.

It all starts with coming together and there was plenty of photographs about getting married on a péniche, married life, working together and of course the children. Particularly liked the photo below of the child tied with the rope. The rope was obviously to prevent the child falling overboard. The rope being the precise length to prohibit this.

Doesn't look too pleased with the bondage!

Education of the children was always an issue until a school for the children of bateliers was established in the 1950's enabling the children to have a more normal education.