Email form Barry and Margaret

'Cezanne' our floating home in France...

Barry, with a load of supplies on the bike!

Hullo from France.

After arriving in France we hired a rental car & drove to Cambrai, where we spent 2 days doing a boating course to obtain a certificate of competence , which boat owners need to use the waterways. We then called on some friends at Chalon en Champagne, to collect a box of clothing etc, which we left with them last year. Our boat, named Cezanne, was at Lagarde, on the Canal du Marne au Rhin. We spent several days there, recovering from our flight& the busy days & nights at Cambrai. We also spent time shopping & cleaning Cezanne.

It was then time to do a trial run N.E. from Lagarde, for 4 days, traveling as far as Lutzlebourg, which is a pretty town, which also has a crystal making workshop & sales. On this stretch of canal we passed thru’ 2 tunnels, the longest being 2 ½ Kms. Also a transverse incline plane at Saint Louise-Arzviller. It is the only such construction in Europe & allows boats to cross a 45m. change in altitude which would otherwise require 17 locks. Back at Lagarde we did a few more additions & alterations, before setting off on the 4^th June to do a round trip.

We continued down the Marne au Rhin canal to Nancy where we stayed 4 nights. Nancy has a big central square called Stansislas Square. The big buildings surrounding it are ornamented with guilt covered statues & in the centre of the square is a big statue of Stansislas, the ex King of Poland, who was gifted the area of Lorraine. On Sat. night we celebrated my birthday by dining out, then sitting in a café in the square, “people watching”. There had been a festival that day with a brass band playing music in the square & entertainment for the children. At 10.45, when it was dark, there was an electric light show against the Marie{town hall).

We then traveled on the Canal des Vosges to Epinal.. During wet & windy weather Barry started making shelving for the kitchen. We spent several days in Epinal . It was also a pleasant change to wander the streets & go to the markets.

From there we went to Corre at the head of the R. Saone. This took 5 days as there were many locks. The 1^st day there were uphill locks which were close together, so I walked between the locks to make it easier to put the ropes around the bollards. During these days we traveled through lovely forested country with big trees alongside the canal & birds singing merrily all day long. We then went down the Petite Saone to St. Jean de Losne where we are at present. There is a big marina here which is well equipped for boating people. They also have wifi ,so that is why I am able to use our computer. We have had trouble using it elsewhere . I have written several letters & lost them!!!!!!! We are staying here a few days to do some painting on the boat & give it a bit of TLC. It is also a very social place where some people winter over. There are a few Brits. & NZ’, ders here. From St. Jean de Losne we go up the Canal de Bourgogne via Dijon for 242 kms. To the R. Yonne, then to the R. Seine & Paris. We return to Lagarde via the Marne R. & the Canal Marne au Rhin.----Then it is time to return home!!!!

This morning we went to the market & bought fruit & vegetables. The fruits in season

At present are cherries, strawberries other berries & apricots.

We are both well & enjoying our canal boating challenge.

We hope you are all happy & well. We would love to hear news from you & know if you receive this letter.

Regards,

Margaret & Barry.

made it to st jean du losne

This is the marina where Barry and Margaret are now. click on the following link to go to a web page for information on St Jean Du Losne.
www of the office of tourism at St Jean du Losne
(the picture at the bottom of the web page is wider than the screen and you can click and drag it to the left and right to see the whole panorama.)

Below, is some information from Wikipedia about St Jean du Losne, it is translated from a French web page, so some of the grammar may not sound right, but gives insight into history.

Saint-Jean-of-Losne

An article of Wikipédia, the free encyclopaedia.

To go to: Navigation, To seek

This article is an outline to be supplemented concerning a common Frenchwoman, you can share your knowledge by modifying it. For more indications, do not hesitate to visit the Project of the French cities.

Saint-Jean-of-Losne
Country	France
Area	Burgundy
Department	Coast-in Or
District	District of Beaune
Canton	Canton of Saint-Jean-of-Losne (chief town)
Code INSEE	21554
Postal code	21170
Mayor Mandate in progress	Mrs. Martine Deprey 2001-2008
Intercommunality
Latitude	47° 06' 14'' North
Longitude	5° 15' 53'' Is
Altitude	179 m (mini) - 182 m (maximum)
Surface	0,5 km ²
Population without double accounts	1.257 hab. (1 999)
Density	2.167 hab. /km ²

Saint-Jean-of-Losne is a common Frenchwoman, located in the department of Coast-of Or and the Burgundy area.

Synopsis [masquer] 1 Heraldic 2 Geography 3 Economy 4 History 5 Administration 6 Demography 7 Places and monuments 8 Personalities related to the commune 9 See too 10 external Bonds 10.1 Sources

Heraldic [to modify]

Blasonnement: from Burgundy, with champagne of azure to the Legion of Honor to the naturalness suspended with a fermail of mouths
Napoleon insisted that the cross of the Legion of honor appeared in the blazon, and not outside as it was habit for the distinctions ^[1].

Geography [to modify]

Saint-Jean-of-Losne is located on the Saone, on the level of the confluence of this one and Ouche. It is the crossroads between three great river loader-gates:

• the Saone, towards the Rhone and the Mediterranean
• the channel of Burgundy, towards the Seine and the Paris basin
• the Rhine-Rhone channel, towards the Rhine and Northern Europe and east

Saint-Jean-of-Losne is also the smallest commune of France occupying only 0.6 km ².

Economy [to modify]

river port of pleasure

The city of Saint-Jean-of-Losne is today the first French port of river tourism. Thanks to this port, a great number of tourists return the trade of the surroundings of Saint-Jean-to-Losne profitable. The port has been gradually developed for 30 years. At the beginning it y' had creation in the first time of a company of hirings of boats then a company of boats with passengers and two companies offering of the multiple services such as management of the marina, sales of new boats and occasion, sale of superstructure, installation repair, dry setting of boats. Other companies settled to benefit from the activity of river tourism.

History [to modify]

The existence of Saint-Jean-of-Losne is attested since XIIe century. Initially dependent on the dukes of Burgundy, the city will be attached to the royal field, becoming the seat of a baillage ^[2].

Its position of East-West crossroads enabled him to develop an important activity related to the river transport, in particular at the XIXe century with the construction of the channels. Y thus passed nombreaux wood rafts coming from the Jura and bound for Paris.

This strategic position was worth also at the town of have been the seat many battles, of which two made the glory of the city:

detail of the monument commemorating the seat of 1636

• The seat of 1636 (Thirty Year old war)

October 28 1636, the Austrian troops directed by Matthias Gallas, after having crossed the Rhine, decide to be established with Saint-Jean-of-Losne for the winter. But on November 2, after two attacks and in spite of a breach in the fortifications, the city is still not taken and the besieged inhabitants refuse any rendering categorically. A third attack will not be enough there: besieging do not take possession of the city. The rain continues which fell during the seat, makes enter into raw the Saone; besieging food miss, and an avant-garde of the royal troops, directed by the marshal Josias Rantzau, arrives in support of the inhabitants: the Austrian troops raise the camp on November 3, and must be folded up.

Louis XIII will reward courage for the city by exempting it of taxes ^[3].

Two flags taken to the Austrians at the time of the attacks are visible in the church Saint-Jean-Baptist.

The victory of the seat imposed by Gallas is commemorated since every fifty years. the last “Festival of Gallas” took place in 1986 and the following edition is programmed for 2036.

• The seat of 1814 (countryside of France)

January 17 1814, an Austrian outpost is installed on the level of the bridge on the Saone, opposite the city. In a patriotic fervour, the inhabitants join the soldiers to attack the outpost, which they remove with the enemy. After having cut the bridge, the city will resist the Austrian attacks still lengthily ^[4].

During the Hundred Days, Napoleon rewarded the town of his heroic defense by allotting the Legion of honor to him. March 14 1815, at the time of its passage to the Trawl-net-on-Saone, it declared with the representatives of Saint-Jean-of-Losne: “Known as with your worthy mayor that I give him the cross; because it is for you, good people, that I instituted the Legion of Honor and not for the emigrants pensioned by our enemies” ^[5].

Saint-Jean-of-Losne, Trawl-net and Tournus were the first cities decorated with the Legion of honor.

• War of 1939-1945

On September 4, 1944 while the R.A.F destroyed the bridge of Seurre, the Germans protect their retirement while blowing up the stone bridge of Saint-Jean-of-Losne. The bridge of the railroad spanning the Saone in the west of also destroyed the east city, thus cutting the railway line Dijon Lons-the-Salt maker - via Saint-Jean-in-Losne Chaugey and Chaussin.

Administration [to modify]

List successive mayors
Period		Identity	Party	Quality
March 2001		Mrs. Martine Deprey
All the data are not yet known.

Demography [to modify]

Demographic trends

1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999
1 528	1 623	1 605	1 476	1 342	1 257
Numbers retained since 1962: population without double accounts

Places and monuments [to modify]

Personalities related to the commune [to modify]

See too [to modify]

Wikimedia Commons proposes free documents multi-media on Saint-Jean-of-Losne.

• Communes of Coast-in Or

external Bonds [to modify]

• Saint-Jean-of-Losne on the site of the national geographical Institute
• Saint-Jean-of-Losne on the site of INSEE
• Saint-Jean-of-Losne on the site of Quid
• Localization of Saint-Jean-of-Losne on a chart of France and communes bordering
• Plan of Saint-Jean-of-Losne on Mapquest

Onwards from Epinal

left Epinal on sunday 17th June, 14 up-hill locks and heading through nice wooded countryside.


18 more locks on Monday 18th June, and heading for Bains les Bains tuesday 19th.

Big Lift for boats

this is one of the lifts that Barry and Margaret have been up so far on their travels.
(on the 2nd June)
click here to see a website about it (in french!) but good photos

on the way to Epinal

11/06/07 Last night they stayed in Charmes

12/06/07
15 locks for the crew to manage today! hope all those rope and knot tying skills are up to scratch!
Barry and Margaret should make it to Epinal tonight (to see info on Epinal click here)



the view down over Epinal

Nancy to Flavigny-sur-Moselle

I' guessing at this point that this is the only canal that takes you south out of Nancy, so I expect this is the general direction Barry and Margaret heading. I'll update with locations as I get them.
link to info and pictures of Nancy click here

current whereabouts

latest email was received from Barry and Margaret while they were in Nancy. They arrived in Nancy on Wednesday the 6th June, and depart on Sunday the 10th.

They wrote:
We arrived in Nancy on Wed, & depart tomorrow. We have been very busy buying supplies for the boat. Barry has bought equipment like tools etc to do repairs & maintenance. We have also bought electrical appliances for the kitchen & lots of groceries, also some from the bio shop for me (Margaret) as the food I need is not available in most supermarkets.
Nancy has a very elaborate central square, but we have not seen much of the old city yet. Our bicycles have been very useful as we can tie bins on the carriers etc & bring back to the boat lots of items. Yesterday we found a good cycle track to an enormous shopping centre out of the city.


and then went on to describe their plans, as per the previous post, see below.

the general plan

click on the picture and it should reload a bit larger if you want to have a closer look.

Starting from Lagarde in the East, going west via Nancy and then south to Epinal and Corre (at the head of the Soanne. Then on to St. Jean de Losne and up the canal de Bourgogne (242Kms & 190Locks) to Paris. Returning to Lagarde via the Marne River and then the Marne au Rhin Canal.