Ivan and I are now back in Australia after our 15 month break from work. This post includes information for anyone wanting to live on a boat in France including the cost of living, how to get a long-term visa and how to buy a boat. It also includes our last few weeks in France where we travelled up the Saone River to a beautiful town called Dole, caught up with friends and spent time getting Laura ready to sell. Anybody want to buy a boat?
The Burgundy Canal is heaven on earth (Part 2)
This is Part II of our voyage in Laura the boat down the Burgundy Canal, where we travel from Montbard to St-Jean-de-Losne. During this voyage Ivan and I visited many ancient villages including Chateauneuf-en-Auxois, which has been designated as one of the most beautiful villages in France, travelled through lush countryside, ate fresh blackberries, apples and plums straight from the tree and travelled through a tunnel over 3km long. We also visited the city of Dijon, birthplace of Dijon mustard and Gustave Eiffel (Eiffel tower).
The Burgundy Canal is heaven on earth (part 1)
The Burgundy Canal (or Canal de Bourgogne) is known as one of the most beautiful canals in the world. There are many reasons for this reputation. Picture meandering slowly on a boat through lush farmland, through acres of sunflowers, stopping at ancient stone villages to visit a chateau or two, eating delicious seasonal food and…
Travelling up the Yonne River from Joigny to Auxerre
Our adventure on the canals of France continues, but not for much longer as we’ll be heading to Australia soon. In this post we travelled up the Yonne River, celebrated Bastille Day in Joigny, and then continued until we reached the magnificent city of Auxerre.
Sens – the best place to be in a flood
What happens in France when you have months of steady rain followed by a week of heavy rain? Ivan and I and a heap of other people on boats found out – a flood. And for us, that meant the Yonne River was closed to all boat traffic and we had to stay put. Luckily, when the river suddenly closed we just happened to be located in a fabulous city called Sens. And this is where we stayed on Laura the boat for three weeks. Oh well! Or, as the French say, tant pis! We certainly made the most of the wonderful town of Sens.
Our first voyage on the Seine River
Continuing north on the Canal du Loing we stopped at the towns of Moret-sur-Loing and St Mammes, which is where the canal joins the Seine River. Here we caught up with some dear boating friends, experienced the giant commercial barges which traverse the Seine and witnessed one of the craziest sports ever – water jousting. We also saw some geese that may have been lost.
Slow and steady means we’ll get there when we get there
Ivan and I have been cruising at our just-faster-than-walking pace in Laura the boat along the Canal du Briare and the Canal du Loing in France. We visited many ancient towns and travelled through gorgeous green countryside where cuckoos abound. This is definitely life in the slow lane.
Meandering gently along the Canal du Briare
Ivan and I are continuing our break from work on the Canal du Briare. We’re living aboard Laura the boat and travelling along the canals and rivers of France. In this post, you’ll hear about our favourite village, see ancient ingenuity that makes frogs sing, as well as Ivan’s experience rescuing a baby deer. What…
Taking our time along the Canal latéral à la Loire
Our travels along the Canal latéral à la Loire took us to the Sancerre wine region and across a famous canal bridge. We spent a night in a 650 year old chateau and a night parked right next to a nuclear power plant. We also visited one of France’s most beautiful villages. This country is nothing if not diverse!
The leisurely life cruising the canals from Roanne to Nevers
It’s great to be back on the canals cruising again after the winter break in Roanne. Spring has sprung, the weather is getting a bit warmer and we’re loving the freedom of life on board Laura our canal boat. For us, there’s no better way to explore the beautiful country of France than via the…
Farewell to our winter port of Roanne
And we’re off! After five months spending winter in Roanne, Ivan and I are once again exploring the inland waterways of France in our canal boat Laura. Whilst it’s great to be back cruising, I’ll admit I shed a few tears as we said goodbye to Roanne. We’ve made some wonderful friends over winter and…
Shaking off winter with a bike trip along the Canal du Midi
A few weeks ago, Ivan and I decided we needed a change of scenery to see if we could track down some warm weather. So we grabbed our bikes, left Laura the boat in the Port of Roanne and headed to the south of France to cycle along the Canal du Midi. It was also…
Skiing in Bansko and visiting some special villages in France
Ivan and I and our French canal boat Laura have been in Roanne since the canals closed for winter. Despite having a boat that can’t go anywhere, life is never boring. We went skiing in Bansko in Bulgaria plus we visited the beautiful French towns of Beaune, Paray le Monial and le Puy en Velay….
Christmas in Colmar and an unforgettable New Year in Germany
We joined my brother and his family for Christmas in Colmar, a fairy tale town in France. Then we all headed over to Germany for the most insane fireworks display for New Years. We visited a few famous cities, tackled a weird toilet and experienced another fairy tale village where Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was filmed. Our niece Erinn turned 20 and to celebrate Ivan dressed up as her childhood nightmare.
The port of Roanne was a good choice for winter
When you live on a canal boat in France, an important decision is where to spend the winter. We’re very glad we chose Roanne.
Our first trip to Italy was wonderful
We loved Italy. A country with rich history, beautiful food and architecture and friendly people. What’s not to love? It was our first visit to this wonderful country. We saw the sights but the best part was catching up with my brother Geoff and his family who flew in from Australia. Ahhhh family.
Time to head out west for some travel in France
The temperature in France has dropped to single digits, there’s Christmas decorations everywhere and the canals are now closed for the winter. Ivan and I and our canal boat Laura have settled into our winter mooring spot, which is the port of Roanne, where we will stay until April next year. During the winter months…
Getting ready for winter in the Port of Roanne
And just like that, the canal cruising season for 2023 is over. The weather is colder and the locks are closing for their winter maintenance. So what does that mean for Ivan and I and our boat Laura? It means spending the winter in Roanne. We arrived here a week or so ago but of…
Life is good on the Canal du Centre
Whilst we still have mostly warm days of 26+ degrees, there’s definitely a change in the air. The nights are getting down to single digits, the mornings are chilly and the sun doesn’t rise properly until nearly 8am. So Ivan and I are heading south to spend winter in the marina in Roanne. This means…
More canal cruising, a dungeon and then time to migrate south for the winter
Cruising on the French canals means plenty of discoveries in rural areas that are rich with history. It also means peaceful nights under the stars. The weather is still warm but trending down so we’re starting to enact our winter plans.
Back into the groove of French canal boat life
After travelling to Edinburgh and Denmark we were happy to be back to life in the slow lane on Laura our French canal boat. We had our first boat visitors, found our favourite village so far and saw a Salvador Dali exhibition in a tiny regional town.
And now we’re off to Denmark to sail a Dragonfly Boat
For a long time Ivan has wanted to sail a Dragonfly boat, so we headed to Denmark to fulfil his dream. There we discovered incredible sailing, friendly people and we fell in love with regional Denmark.
The Edinburgh Tattoo has been ticked off the bucket list
I have loved the Edinburgh Tattoo ever since I was a child watching it on TV. So Ivan and I headed over to Scotland from France for the big event, caught up with family and met a wonderfully crazy cat woman.
Sightseeing on the French canals via bikes
The weather was perfect for a bike ride along the Saone River where we saw some fat, happy, intelligent cows. Another lovely day in the French countryside.
Auxonne – a border town made famous by Napoleon
Auxonne was once an important border town and now it’s still a great little village. Napoleon Bonaparte did his military training here and we met adventurers on other boats living their best lives.
Covering old ground with new discoveries on the Doubs River
We’re heading back down the Doubs River. Normally, backtracking is not much fun, but in France there is so much to see. We made some new friends, discovered the French tradition of the apero, had home-made sloe gin with Steve and made an amazing discovery on the Doubs River.
How to use an automatic lock
Using an automatic lock is simple, but there’s not a lot of information out there. Here’s a step by step guide. Also, it’s been cold on the canals of France and Ali and Ivan aren’t set up for the cold. To stay warm, Ali has invented a practical yet stylish new look she likes to call “Canal Chic”.
The cat with three legs that stole my heart
This is the story of possibly the bravest most resilient cat in France. She has three legs and a deformed ear but her cuteness and affectionate personality will melt your heart. She broke mine when she left.
Besançon – a friendly city with incredible history
The city of Besancon was filled with interesting things to see and friendly locals. We made some lovely new friends and had a haircut that led to a round of applause from the other customers.
Dole is a very pretty little town
The next stop on our canal boat journey was a gorgeous little town called Dole where we celebrated Bastille Day.
Living on the French canals
There’s so much to do when you live on the French canals. There’s villages and history to explore, and traveling is a joy. But don’t be stupid (like us) and ignore the weather warnings.
Beautiful Dijon
Dijon is the capital of the Burgundy region and has a beautiful city centre.
Adventures on the French Canals
And we’re off! Time to explore the waterways of France in our boat Laura.
The Adorable Village of St-Jean-de-Losne
St-Jean-de-Losne is a gorgeous little village with a big marina. It’s perfect for canal boats.
Back on the canal boat
We returned to the boat after 2 weeks in the camping car. It was time to stock up so that our adventures could begin. What was the number one priority in the pantry for Australians? Vegemite of course.
Meandering in the Camping Car
Our two week camping car adventure featured visits to Roanne, Macon and Bourg-en-Bresse where we celebrated Ivan’s birthday with a very special lunch.
The Stunning French Alpes
We visited the alpine region of France in the camping car. The scenery was stunning! We had our first and last fondue which proved that there is such as thing as too much cheese.
Oingt – Sorry, How Do You Pronounce That?
Oingt is a beautiful village in the heart of the Beaujolais region with a very unusual pronunciation. English speakers will appreciate this, especially if you are as immature as we are.
Camping Car Adventures in France
We hired a camping car to have a look at some different spots that we’d be unlikely to visit on the boat.
Lyon – What a Delight!
There was so much to do in Lyon and it’s well worth a visit. It’s also the gastronomy capital of the world.
How Could You Not Love Paris?
We visited Paris for a few days after arriving in France and spent the time reacquainting ourselves with this beautiful city.
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