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.
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