On our way

Saint Jean de Losne to Dole

We seem to have coordinated with the beginning of summer in France. Warming up nicely.

We had an easy run up to St Jean de Losne yesterday, and found Saskia swarming with workers and cleaners. Like all boatyards, I suppose, this one also operates on the last-minute principle. Eventually they finished and we unloaded and settled in, with a foray to Casino for last minute items.

This morning there was a slight delay when it emerged that in their hurry, the team had tripped an emergency cut-off switch, and the engine wouldn’t start. But then we were away, through the first lock of the season.

Out onto the Saone for an easy run up to St Symphorien, then into the Canal du Rhône a Rhin. At the first lock they give you a remote to operate the others - it usually works, though we had to phone for help a couple of time - and a man with a van arrived quite quickly.


So here we are at Dole, a pretty town. But there we discovered a big frustration - our hitherto always reliable laptop is refusing to recognize the WiFi hotspot generated by the iPhone. I’m afraid this rather limits the photos we can upload today... but there are a few, as you can see.

Soon after we arrived there was a cacaphony of car horns, as young men (mostly) careered around town, apparently celebrating the result of some football match. Then just across the Canal a group of hot-air balloons took off. A rather Fellini-esque end to the evening.

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