Hermione on the Yonne

Well building yourself up for slopy sided locks brings a certain tension. These later ones being modeled by my assistant have floating docks in but the earlier ones didn't.

On advice, from Nigel, we had filled a fender with water so that we had protection down below and in we went to Cannes lock the first of the slopey sided locks on the Yonne.

 The Lock keepers advice was good and he took a long rope. He was very friendly and only looked startled once when I used the telescopic boat hook to fend off the sloping wall only to discover they do exactly what they are designed to do and it telescoped. I only just managed to stay on the boat.

Head first on to a slopey sided lock would have resulted in me being the upside down sunken fender.

Anyway all went well and just before we left the nice lock keeper told us that Labrosse lock was closed and we had travelled as far as we could for the day, exactly 4 kilometres. 

So we stayed at the little village of Cannes Ecluse which has a lovely town hall with a nice little museum. Fantastic.

We saw that there were shops about 2 km away and of course fuel was on my mind. So we loaded up the Bromptons with our fuel tanks and set off. Well it was a busy main road and a difficult ride. The journey back with a teetering 30 litre load was pretty dodgy but we made it.

Arriving at Sens the first thing we notice is a garage right next to the Quay.

Notice the little black bollard cunningly disguised as a dockside bollard to which we initially tied up to because there was a lack of bollards around. A very nice French man came to us and advised us not to as these were designed to sink in to the ground, at the press of a button, to let the dustbin lorry through. Potentially embarrassing as you watch your boat drift off down the Yonne.

Sens is impressive, The Cathedral and museum, the best so far. Thomas Beckett was exiled here for 5 years before he felt safe enough to return to Britain and get murdered at Canterbury.

Napolean's Waterloo hat also made it here somehow. I can never find my bloody hat either.

Sens Cathedral light show was impressive and resulted in a late night on Puddle Duck being forced to drink red wine by Nicky and Gorette.

Villeneuve Sur Yonne saw an overnight stay. Pretty but mostly closed. Nice meal. Didn't have steak which has been quite disappointing in France. Not living up to their culinary expectations so far .

Next stop Joigny. Home of the Locaboat where hire boats are given to holiday makers so that they can entertain lock keepers and take the heat off us. Caro deftly rescued a lost boat hook for one of them.

Joigny followed the usual French format of slightly run down but impressive churches. Famous for the Maillotins uprising in 1438 using their coopers hammers to sort out the lord of the Chateau. 

St Vincent de Paul tutored the Counts children here. I'm not allowed  any references to Lindsey.

We stopped at the little village of Gurgy on the way to Auxerre and it was clearly open for business with a new dock, wine tasting by the dock, a restaurant, an open bakery and shop and a cafe with wifi. For a place with a population of 42 this was over and above. 

Thinking we might have turned a corner we cycled to Appoigny, the recommended village to visit, but that was clearly a reality check and we came back.

Arriving in Auxerre.

You could spend time here and despite the French railway system both children managed to arrive and join us. I treated them to a guided tour following in the steps of Cadet Rousell. They thoroughly enjoyed it.

Heading for Clemacy on Jess' birthday. What more could a 22 year old young lady ask for?