Hermione does Paris! Finally there

Well Captain Milsnide and his crew left L'illon and made for Conflans a place full of barges. Some more inviting than others.

We stopped here for a couple of days to pick up Chloe. The son's girlfriend who happens to be French. Fantastic.

Tres Belle. Although not too sure how good it is to have someone onboard who knows what is actually being said? Much better to apply your own version of conversations.

Here are Caro and Joey overdoing it again!

Conflans is a really nice quayside mini marina with water and electric that was completely free. We nearly missed it after attempting to enter "Boat Paradise" on the opposite shore which was everything but, and didn't want us because we were too big after a really difficult berthing. Luckily I didn't have the language to articulate that it might have been sensible to explain on or near the huge "Boat Paradise" sign that actually it was little bloody boat paradise. Still it was much better to be on the Conflans side.

Equipped with Chloe we set off up to Bougival for our next stop and after a little tuition I asked to enter Bougival lock via the VHF. The answer was long and abrupt. Chloe said that the man had said we were not at Bougival lock and should stop calling him. I was convinced he didn't mean it and politely asked to enter the lock leaving off the name Bougival. No idea what the reply was but Chloe said it was rude. A quick look at the Fluvial Carte showed that we could carry on up river and return to Bougival via another lock. This sounded like a better option than trying to wind up the guy who didn't believe where we were. We did work out that the lock was closed for some reason.

We never made Bougival but stopped at Rueil which was a very pleasant little stop and free too.

Some French boys entertained us by jumping and cycling in to the river. All boys are the same!

From Rueil to Clichy our last stop before Paris where we had to find a bar to watch France play Portugal in the final. We had learnt at Conflans, where they won their semi-final, that the French like to express themselves through their car horns. In fact the car audible warning instrument seems to be directly linked to their emotions because their loss was equally expressed in this manner throughout the night.

An early start to enter Paris where we expected it to get slightly more hairy due to the number of pleasure cruisers there.

Entering Paris.

Hang on a minute what the hell is this? New York?

Or possibly Blackpool? I do wish the French would stop copying everyone!

Finally safe and sound in Paris Arsenal Harbour for a week's rest.

Well something like that. I was last here when I was about five and the one thing I remember clearly was that Paris is hard on the feet and I can safely say that it is today some fifty years later.

Of Course we are here for the Bastille day celebrations which were lovely and we did the Louvre, Montmartre, Notre Dame cathedral, a lovely zoo near the Arsenal together with many more sights which cannot be given justice too over six days. Again all is lovely here and the French, despite an affliction for horns and sirens have been great. Fully recommend a stay in Paris. In fact our new acquaintances Diane and Jean Francoise on Seatern have it right, they are going to stay for several months and do it properly. Perhaps on the way back.

Granddad on board now! That should bring some interesting stories.