Monthly Archives: April 2014

We ran aground!!

Posted on April 30, 2014 by

On Wednesday 23 April, when exiting Lock 4 at Creil, we ran aground. It happened suddenly. We went from doing 4 knots to a sudden stop. We have got stuck along the way a few times in mud, always when … Continue reading →

Posted in C'est La Vie - The Boat, On the Journey, People We have Meet on the Gap Year, People who have helped us on our way | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

We have arrived in Paris!

Posted on April 28, 2014 by

After a journey of 1,343 km, starting at Tarmonbarry on the Shannon in Ireland which included transporting the boat from the Shannon to Dover in England by road and ferry, crossing the English Channel, travelling down the Canal de Calais, … Continue reading →

Posted in C'est La Vie - The Boat, On the Journey, People who have helped us on our way, Places visited | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Our first real visitors to the boat.

Posted on April 25, 2014 by

We had our first visitors to stay with us on the boat. My daughter Louise, her husband Josselin, my granddaughter Eve (6 years) and grandson Eamon (5months) came to stay with us for five days. They joined us at Chauny … Continue reading →

Posted in On the Journey, Places visited, Visitors to C est la Vie | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I am starting to slow down too much

Posted on April 23, 2014 by

Boating is a slow speed affair. If you travel 40 kilometres in a day, you are doing well. So people who live on boats on canals tend to slow down, adopt the speed of the boat and everything can wait … Continue reading →

Posted in C'est La Vie - The Boat, On the Journey | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Tam and Di Murrell- Cambrai

Posted on April 19, 2014 by

When we arrived in Cambrai Port at 8 pm after our first long day’s journey from Douai we moored in the only space we could find in front of a boat called Friesland. I could not find electricity or water … Continue reading →

Posted in People We have Meet on the Gap Year, People who have helped us on our way, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

‘Le Cheval’ Stew – That’s horse meat stew to you and I

Posted on April 16, 2014 by

When the Dover delivery crew were with me, we ate very well. We had dinner out two evenings and Neil and/or Bill cooked dinner on all the other days. For the first meal on board, Neil cooked steak stew.

Posted in On the Journey | 2 Comments

La Grand Souterrain – Long Tunnel on St Quentin Canal – 5.5 hours to travel 5.5 km- I could have swam faster!

Posted on April 15, 2014 by

This is a 5.6 km tunnel through the mountains on the St Quentin Canal. All the boats have to turn off their engines to be roped to the boat in front, and pulled through the tunnel by special chain driven … Continue reading →

Posted in Experiences on the Canals, People who have helped us on our way, Travel Tips | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Cambrai Town on the Saint Quentin Canal – a great stopping place

Posted on April 11, 2014 by

We have stayed in Cambrai for the last two days. It has a picturesque little port which holds about 20 boats and is in the heart of the town. It was given a very good write up in the guide … Continue reading →

Posted in Comments on Social Economic Lifestyle in France, On the Journey, People We have Meet on the Gap Year | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Remember the blog debate on Washing Machine or Microwave?

Posted on April 9, 2014 by

Do you remember we had a debate and decision as to whether to fit a microwave or washing machine to the boat and the microwave won?

Posted in comments on life, Comments on Social Economic Lifestyle in France, On the Journey | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Faire des liens…

Posted on April 8, 2014 by

Ma fille Louise s’est mariée avec un Français qui s’appelle Jo Renard. Avant de commencer ce voyage, nous n’avions pas réalisé que ses grands parents vivent à Douai. Nous avons les rencontrés au mariage de Louise en France il ya … Continue reading →

Posted in On the Journey, People We have Meet on the Gap Year, Visitors to C est la Vie | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments