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.
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