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 really enjoyed our time in this beautiful part of the world. The weather as we said farewell could not have been more perfect.
Lots to do
Before we headed off we had plenty to do. And not just the normal maintenance to get the boat ready for the upcoming cruising season. There were plenty of social events and sight seeing and even a visit to a local school.
A speaking engagement
One of our French friends is a teacher and she asked us to speak to two of her English classes. We talked to the year 10 and 11 students about our lives in Australia and also what life is like on our boat in France. The students got to taste Australian Vegemite and Tim Tams and no surprises as to which food they liked best (hint, Tim Tams are chocolate). We also gave out prizes of Australian souvenirs for the best questions. The kids were absolutely lovely and very polite and plenty of them now want to visit Australia. But we had to convince them that the place is not overrun with spiders!
A group bike ride
A few of us from the port decided to head to the next village on our bikes for lunch. We had a magical day and the weather was clear, although a tad chilly. I must admit, it was easier riding the 15km to the restaurant than the 15km home. Maybe the 3 course meal and the glass or two of wine had something to do with it.
We also did some local sight seeing with our friends from the port. The little village of Iguerande is very cute and has an oil press that still makes oil from nuts and olives using the ancient method. It’s been in the Le Blanc family for generations and their oils are sold all over the world.
A visit from my Aunt
My wonderful Aunty Beanie came to visit us for a few days. We had a lovely time with her showing off the sights of Roanne including the Chateau de la Roche and the nearby village of Villerest.
A visit from Toowoomba friends
Our friends the O’Sullivans and the Starks from our hometown of Toowoomba were on holiday in Europe. So Ivan and I popped on the train to Lyon to catch up with them for lunch. It was wonderful to see them and to hear all the local news. Three hours went by in a flash.
Now that’s a wine cave!
A few of us from the port were invited to a very special dinner at a friend’s house in the next village. Cora and Thierry have a beautiful home that was built in the 1600s. Thierry cooked a delicious five course meal with matching wines. Thierry is a wine connoisseur and he gave us a tasting tour of his cellar. The wines were extraordinary! Some of his wines are more than 50 years old.
Thierry has a gun rack with some very cool guns including pistols, old rifles and an ancient luger that his grandfather liberated from a German soldier in World War I.
Farewelling our friends
There were of course many farewell catch ups with the people we have met in Roanne. We had afternoon tea at our friend Corine’s house with her sister Evelyne and her chihuahua Sipie. Ivan was given a very special gift of a captain’s hat! Does that mean he’s in charge on the boat now? I was given a gorgeous bag handmade by Evelyne. We are so fortunate to have met these two beautiful ladies and of course dear little Sipie!
There were also lots of catch up on our friend’s boats. Winter in Roanne has been incredibly social!
We also had many visitors on our boat Laura. Little Ruby (below) was rescued as a tiny pup from the canals by Jean-Philippe and has lived with him ever since. He goes everywhere with her and they are so cute together!
A voyage on an old barge
Our friend Marc invited us for a trip to the next village on his 100 year old Dutch barge. It was a wonderful experience to travel on such a gorgeous and historical boat. It’s a massive 22 metres long.
So many farewells
And of course we had our Roanne Port Monday night darts finale at the Baxo Bar. Darts! Can you believe it? If you’d told me a year ago that we’d be playing darts I wouldn’t have believed you. I love darts now and Ivan is actually pretty good.
And we had our final Thursday night drinks at L’Authentique with all the people living on boats in the Roanne Port. Ahhh, good times.
Winter in Roanne was fantastic
So now you can probably see why saying goodbye to Roanne wasn’t easy, and why I shed a few tears as we left. Before this trip we had no idea what winter on a canal boat in France would be like. We knew the canals would be closed and our boat would have to stay put. We knew it would be cold, and we thought it would be lonely. And to be honest we were both dreading winter after such a wonderful time cruising the canals of France from June to November last year. Instead, our winter in Roanne has turned into a highlight. We made so many wonderful friends and had amazing experiences. Winter in Roanne will be something for us to remember always.
Setting off with family and friends
So now we’re cruising again. We left Roanne with a fully laden boat including our friends Evelyne, Corine and Sipie the dog who travelled with us to the next town. We also had a wonderful visit from my brother Steve and his family who stayed with us for ten days.
Our next post will be about our travels together including visiting tiny villages on the boat and our experience of staying in a 500 year old house in Nevers. One final picture of us leaving Roanne in Laura the boat with 6 adults, 2 children, 6 bikes and a dog. Thank you Roanne for such a wonderful experience xxx.
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