Way back this last spring we were going to cruise a loop, but floods and breaches prevented that, so we never did do the top left quarter of the loop between the two pink pointers on the map. We reckon we can trundle down the Loing towards the Briare canal (which is currently closed) and do most of the bit that we missed. That should work nicely to pick up Sue and Vic, then head back North with them and up the Seine to just outside Paris, where we have now taken a 12 day mooring for Christmas and New Year, in a marina where we have friends over wintering. The marina is all country and animal friendly whilst only being 15 minutes by train into the centre of Paris.

So we set off downstream on the Seine. Still a lot of traffic and a bit of a wait at the first lock, which seemed to have a malfunction, and hung a left upstream onto the Loing. Everywhere was looking quite desolate after the extensive flooding and none of the river moorings had been re-opened, so we weren’t able to moor until we went up through the first lock onto the canalised section.

After we moored I wandered back down with my camera – some pretty tjalks, but also one with a problem. Not the only sad sight

The following evening, the delightful capitainerie came round for a coffee and caught us up with the gossip. She said that the French couple were living on the red tjalk  and were advised to get off the river section and onto the canals. Despite them being offered a tow, they declined to move and they broke their bank poles and ended up on the bank. They had no insurance and the ground is too soft to get a crane in – the owners have now vanished. it also seems that, when VNF dredged after the flooding that they didn’t dredge the moorings below the lock in the right places, so there was still no access to them in their pretty park up to the town.

Loretta also came to collect a mooring fee and the town visitor tax; we were charged half of the 13.50 euro charge, as the water and electric weren’t back on and 50 cents per person per night tax. Seemed a lot for a bollard on the bank in winter on a canal that is currently a dead end. She also lamented the fact that they no longer had visitors and that many of the businesses in town had suffered/closed due to the canal being closed for much of the year and no-one visiting anymore – it’s not rocket science – get the power back on and provide free electric, like so many of the other places we have been staying.

It’s a beautiful town with lots of lovely restaurants and a good market, we would happily have spent 5 or 6 days here and spent money more in the town but, to be honest, were not prepared to pay for the privilege of doing so. It was dark, grey and wet when we went into town (so, therefore, are my photos) but it would be idyllic sitting on the veranda overlooking the river for lunch when the sun is shining. Let’s hope the weather has picked up by the time we come back through with Sue and Vic. That is both dogs with Graham; a long walk into town and back for him, but he had a power nap whilst we enjoyed a coffee and pastis