France 2010 - Barge trip -Part 2

Day 13, Tues. 9-21-10, “Barge Libje” Malestroit

Today we cruised to Malestroit which is where Jane and Ian hole up for the winter. The locks all close at the end of September, and we have seen very little boat traffic. The mist on the water this morning with the sun just gleaming through was mesmerizing - we cruised through more locks with beautiful countryside, tree groves, and farms. We tied off of a bank which really required Jane to take leap of faith into quite a thicket of brambles to get us tied up to some trees. After lunch we landed in Malestroit about 2:30 PM. Malestroit is another town where everything is a photo. We have already taken over 3,000 pictures, and we added another 500 in one afternoon. Jon and I did some shopping, and explored all over town. We bought a CD of Bretton music which will fun for our travel dvd Jon will make, as well as some old crooner similar to Bing Crosby. Jane and Ian copied us some other songs which included my all time favorite "La Vie en Rose", which was played on the accordion. I also plan to buy the version with Edith Piaf singing the song. We are tied up next to a park, and it was fun to watch all the people strolling by, and kids playing soccer nearby. Barge Libje really is a spectacular Barge, and we get stares wherever we go. People are always asking lots of questions. We manage somehow in our limited French to communicate with everyone. Dick,Doroty, Jon and I went to the grocery store, and for dinner bought an assortment of breads, meats, cheeses, salads and wine, and had picnic on the bow of the boat while we watched the sunset.

Me and my honey

We just fit in these locks !

Good thing we followed the arrow to the left this time

Ian always made sure we are well hydrated

Relaxing while Jane gets lunch ready

Back on board another fabulous lunch awaits us !

We were not the only ones getting ready for a great lunch

this guy was really sweet - just another lock pup

Milly and her lock pup pal

Whatcha knitting Dorothy ? Lock pup

Great Scotts !

What ? A french poodle of course…..

Biking on canal path

Looking out a port hole

Lots of just "usual life" like this little girl on her swing

Yep - lock pup

We passed lots of farms and the cows seemed quite interested in us

Our youngest lock tender

Every morning there were spider webs every where but they all disappeared during the course of the day

Captain Ian

Fishing

Flowers and arrangements everywhere

We see you

Definitely keep to the left

Morning walkers returning from the boulangerie - the french love their bread !

Milly and Jon catching up on their book

Lock pup

I have no idea……..

happy now though

Jane had to crawl up onto the bank through brambles to get us tied off

but she is still smiling

Ah, getting ready for lunch

Well, Im ready for lunch anyway

Another lock approach

getting some local wine

You get lots of attention as Libje is a beautiful barge

Here we come

Our home dock for the next couple of days

The architecture in Malestroit was fabulous ! Old timber building, huge ornate doors, old churches, winding alleys, and flowers everywhere !

Dick Dorothy and Me

In town there are gargoyles and wood carvings in the timber supports everywhere - this was giving some info. on the meanings of the carvings...

Dorothy and new friend

So much so little time…..

Some of the carvings in the timber supports

Roger Plisson Single handed a circumnavigation in the boat below - the Francois Virginie which took him 18 months. He started 11/2/67 and finished on 5/10/69 - I can not even imagine……..

This boat has circumnavigated the world…

We were docked across from this...

Day 14 Wed. 9-22-10 “Barge Libje” Malestroit

Another breakfast feast - then Ian drove us to a village that has won the most beautiful village in Brittany year after year Rochefort en Terre. It was another town - that was an absolute picture book. We did some great shopping, then back, for another dejeuner of assorted salads, and of course red wine and assorted breads. Ian drove us to another town called la Gacilly after lunch which is a town full of artisans. Jon and I both managed to do some Christmas shopping for gifts for each other - something to look forward to at Christmas. We returned and had cocktails(wine)on the bow of the boat, then walked into town for dinner. We had allot of laughs at the restaurant, and enjoyed looking at the optional buffet which seemed to consist of sardines prepared in every manner possible. Everyone got pizzas except for me - I chose the plat du hour which was a roasted pork, and delish I may add. After dinner we wandered around town to another place for desserts. We met up with a table full of Brits, and got laughing again to the point that I am sure we were all rude by European standards. We sauntered back to our barge, then off to bed.

Arriving at gorgeous Rochefort en Terre

Every business had a hand made sign of some type of sculpture depicting the type of business they were. The signs were all art work in themselves !

Baker busy at work...

Ice cream shop

Glass blower with final product pictured below

Yep - candle shop

We loved this town !!

Great gargoyle

Whoever said it is a dog's life - did not know this cat....

Toursim office

Jon bought me a beautiful hand made coat with wonderful embroidery on it from this shop

Next we were off to a little town called La Gacilly

Another picture perfect town filled with beautiful flowers

this walkway had lots of steps up a hill, but at the top was really funky garden

Jon's favorite stop (not !)

Yves Rocher cosmetics was founded in La Gacilly

We found a great spot for dinner back in Malestroit

Jon, DIck and Dorothy

My beau and me

My new beau and me

I may never want to leave here now !

Day 15, 9-23-10 “Barge Libje” St Martin

We started off the day with our usual feast at breakfast, then headed into town for market day. This was quite the visual delight with all of the colors and food, and seafood of very variety so fresh most of it was still moving. They had different food carts where they had big copper pans of paella, made crepes and galettes, pastries, and then assorted goods like clothing electronics etc.... The fruits and veggies are all displayed in such a beautiful fashion that it made you just want to sit down and eat an artichoke on the spot! We met up with a man who had lived in New York and Boston, and he enjoyed talking to us about America. Turned out he was Morrocan and sent us home with huge containers of sausages, couscous, stir fried veggies and meat, and a tub of chile sauce. We ate galettes in town along with beer and cider for lunch - then headed back to the barge around 1:00 PM. We set off cruising for St Martin and enjoyed our last day on the canal. We tied up to bank in St Martin for the night around 4:00 PM. We walked for while down to the next lock, then crossed over the canal and walked back the other side on a country path.(Yes, Jon’s pedometer is still working.) We headed to the boulangerie for a loaf of bread, and a snack for me of a chocolate eclair. We got back to the barge for more red wine, then watched a copy of a tv show that was taped on the restoration from when Jane and Ian purchased the barge to its current condition, then some very funny cartoons about sheep. Since we knew there were no restaurants and we knew we would be eating on the boat, Jane had also bought home a smoked chicken from the market, so our last dinner on the barge was a smorgasbord treat of the Morrocan food, smoked chicken, a mixed salad and a beet salad, followed by a cheese tray for dessert. Barging on a canal in France really is a must to enjoy the slow paced life, and really feel like local in the tiny villages. We were sad it was our last night on the barge and with Dick and Dorothy who were headed back to Paris, but we also were looking forward to the rest of our journey.