Day 6 - Chalon Sur Saone to Seurre

Just a few things I wanted to write about before getting to today’s adventures…..  First, it is shocking to me that everyone in France smokes.  Young people, old people, everyone!  I can’t help but wonder why this is in 2012. 

Second….we had been told by everyone that in Paris, people would refuse to speak English but that wouldn’t be the case in the small towns.  We have found that to be the exact opposite.  Nearly everyone we encountered in Paris spoke some English and were more than willing to do so.  However in the small towns, most people don’t speak a word of English.  I speak almost no French at all and I probably know twice as much of the language as David does!

Third… the French people have not been, by and large, rude or condescending.  They have been friendly and kind of apologetic when we have communication issues.  We, in turn, try to use what little French we know, always saying “Merci” and “Sil vous plais”. 

Fourth…the food.  So far, we haven’t had a bad meal yet.  Strangely, there are many pizza restaurants and other kinds of restaurants that also have an extensive pizza menu.  And the pizza is quite good!  We’ve seen, but not yet tried, Chinese, Turkish and Moroccan food as well.  However, I’ve been in a chicken mood for the past two days but haven’t seen “poullet” on the menues!  Nor is there nearly as much in the supermarket as at home.

Fifth.....There are a lot of restaurants that are open for lunch but at dinner only for drinking.  People seem to hang out in bars and then eat late!

Back to our trip.   So, we got up early this morning and I made French toast for myself (David didn’t want any) and he had cold cereal.  It was very cold this morning but we couldn’t figure out how to get the heat to work.  Or it wasn’t working.  It was a very gray and overcast day outside, but David only wanted to steer from on top, so I sat inside the boat wrapped in a blanket.  There were very few other boats on the river and the river is nice and wide at this point, so we have easy traveling.  We went through one lock in the morning with two other boats.  It was a very fast lock, and I didn’t think the other boats were secured well against the side walls.

Leaving Chalon sur Saone

Bridge outside of Chalon

Scenery along the way

We reached our destination for the day, Seurre, by a little after noon.  We found an almost empty dock where we tied up and went to pay the “Captainierre”.  The gentleman was there but the office was closed.  I asked if he spoke English and he said, “No.  No roast beef!” and we all laughed.  He did let us use the bathrooms and we indicated we’d be back later.   

Our boat in the Seurre marina.  All the boats there left before we did. 

Path to the Captainierre

We went up into town and found a restaurant where I had a hamburger and fries (delicious!!!) and David had what looked like French bread pizza without the sauce.  Then we wandered around town for a while and headed back toward the boat to pay for the night, but it was still closed.  

Lunch!

We then found the tourist information office and asked about the two or three museums in Seurre.  She gave me a map and sent us next door to the first museum.  It was pretty interesting.  There were three floors and one of them explained how this region had many saddle makers and wood carvers (many years ago) but there was not enough work so they began working together to create artificial limbs!  (not sure why there’d be more work in that industry, but….) .  We left and tried to find the other museums on the map but could not.  I again went into the tourist bureau to ask and it turned out all three museums were on the three floors we had just seen.  We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto!  

On the streets of Seurre 

Artificial limbs on display at the museum

 

At the museum

This barge was making a U-turn in the river

We wandered around the streets of the town but hardly any stores were open on a Monday.  Finally, at about 3:00, we decided to untie the Vivaldi and head to the next town we’d be going to.  I guess we were lucky that the Captainierre was closed and we didn’t already pay for the night!

I was snuggled in reading while David drove in the rain (he could have come inside but he didn't want to) 

We left Seurre around 3:00 and got to St. Jean de Losny by 5:15.  We found a place to dock at LeBoat, where we'd rented twice before.  For 15 euros we can spend the night and have hot showers there too!  Also, it's in a quiet marina where the water will be calm and quiet.  We briefly explored this town, but there's nothing of note here either.  And it's raining again!  We did find a grocery store and decided to cook our own dinner tonite.  We bought fish and we'd already bought fingerling potatoes and salad ingredients, so hopefully we'll have a delicious treat.  Earlier in Seurre, at a patisserie, we bought two different pastries, so we're set for the night! 

St. Jean de Losny (above and below - both sides of the Saone River) 

 

While we were in the supermarket, we were looking for bread crumbs to put on the fish but we couldn’t find them.  David finally asked a store clerk for help but she couldn’t understand what we wanted.  Finally, I held the fish in my hand and said, “Le pain (the bread) – sprinkle, sprinkle” and gestured sprinkling something on the fish.  Immediately, she knew what we wanted!

Our dinner of fish, potatoes and salad was delicious, and ended with a cherry tart we’d bought in Seurre.  It started pouring outside while we were eating so we were glad we didn’t have to walk back from a restaurant in the rain!  After dinner and dishes, I decided to shower on the boat, even though there were showers available to us at the dock.  Of course I no sooner got in and all wet and we ran out of hot water.  I had to go up to the dock shower in the rain after all!  

Our dinner!

Our dessert!

This boat was at the marina.  We took the picture cause I always call my bed on the boat "my nest"