August
We really enjoyed Toul including the cathedral, ramparts and lovely mediaeval streets. We emerged from the narrow canal system onto the majestic, wide River Moselle bound for Nancy.
Leaving Toul
River Moselle
Liverdun
Chateau at Liverdun
In Nancy we met with Jo and Dave who were holidaying through France to Spain on their super Ducati motorbike. They came a long way to see us and we had a special family time together exploring the beautiful city of Nancy which is renowned for its art nouveau and art deco architecture and enjoyed lunch out in the magnificent Stanislav Square.
Chris with Jo and Dave
Stanislav Square, Nancy
Nancy was the limit of our distance for this season and where we turned for home; back via Toul where we pointed Esme down the River Meuse taking us eventually back to Belgium.
It’s surprising how few boats we’ve seen on what was formerly a busy river and it’s no coincidence that many of the barges are already known to us. At Commercy we unexpectedly met up with Frits and Nell on Shell V, friends from the DBA rallies.
Art Nouveau pharmacy in Commercy
Frits and Nell
We’ve come this way before and it was really good to revisit some favourite haunts and find new ones. We had a good look round St Mihiel and got to know the beautiful work of Ligier Richier, 16th Century sculptor who was born here and created beautiful religious sculptures.
Our next stop was Verdun, worth a week to linger and repeat visits to the WW1 battlefield and the forts. Nine villages were obliterated in the shelling and the ossuary contains the bones of 130,000 unidentified dead. Sobering stuff.
Quai de Londres, Verdun
Fleury, one of nine lost villages
Ossuary de Douamont
Waterfront at Verdun
Later, to cheer us up, Casey May Too (Paul and Dawn), friends from Brugge joined us with new friends Jeff and Dot (Emily Scilla). We all get on like a house on fire so kept company for a couple of weeks as we all headed north.
Another old favourite is the village of Stenay where we went to the Beer Museum again just to check it still tasted as good and the Pizzeria here provided our evening meal. That night we had an big storm and in the morning Esme was covered in leaves and twigs! No damage done….who said autumn had come? The weather now was turning cooler and blustery. At Mouzon we saw the beautiful gothic church with the hermit’s cell. In mediaeval times a religious hermit lived inside a tiny cell and had no contact with the world, being passed prayer requests and food through a small window.
Stenay Lock house
Hermit’s cell, Church at Mouzon
Convent at Mouzon, now home for the elderly
Next was Sedan; for some reason we’ve not explored the city before, so took the chance to see the fort there, the biggest in Europe; an excellent afternoon out where we learnt more about the Franco Prussian wars and the history of Alsace Lorraine.
Esme moored at Sedan
Flood marks near Charleville Mezieres
Lock garden
Along this part of the French Meuse the moorings have repeatedly been damaged by winter floods but a new intitiative has created some excellent new pontoons, making it possible to take our time and enjoy some of the prettiest villages including Joigny, Laifour, Revin and Fumay.
Laifour
Meuse valley near Revin
Fumay is a little slate town, now much diminished by the decline of their industry but there are enough local shops and a weekly market. We spent a week here. One evening a marching band wound its way through the little streets, past the port and the Mairie to the war memorial. A wreath was laid commemorating Liberation Day which for Fumay was 3rd September 1944. It was at precisely 6pm that the Allies arrived to liberate them from German occupation and it’s good to know that they still take the trouble to mark the occasion.
Another jolly party
Fresco of Slate workers, Fumay
Barge meet at Fumay (pic courtesy of Carol Greenwood)
Towards the end of the season, many ships are on their way back to winter ports so by chance there was quite a gathering of barges at Fumay: Sasja and Ekko (Cinclus), Pete and Maria (Quo Vadis), Rocky and Carol (La Tulipe), Michel and Rebecca (‘t Majeur). A good time to catch up, exchange news and share ideas, make future plans. Another important reason to call in here is to stock up on wine from the excellent cave before the winter.
Leaving Toul
River Moselle
Liverdun
Chateau at Liverdun
In Nancy we met with Jo and Dave who were holidaying through France to Spain on their super Ducati motorbike. They came a long way to see us and we had a special family time together exploring the beautiful city of Nancy which is renowned for its art nouveau and art deco architecture and enjoyed lunch out in the magnificent Stanislav Square.
Chris with Jo and Dave
Stanislav Square, Nancy
Nancy was the limit of our distance for this season and where we turned for home; back via Toul where we pointed Esme down the River Meuse taking us eventually back to Belgium.
It’s surprising how few boats we’ve seen on what was formerly a busy river and it’s no coincidence that many of the barges are already known to us. At Commercy we unexpectedly met up with Frits and Nell on Shell V, friends from the DBA rallies.
Art Nouveau pharmacy in Commercy
Frits and Nell
We’ve come this way before and it was really good to revisit some favourite haunts and find new ones. We had a good look round St Mihiel and got to know the beautiful work of Ligier Richier, 16th Century sculptor who was born here and created beautiful religious sculptures.
Our next stop was Verdun, worth a week to linger and repeat visits to the WW1 battlefield and the forts. Nine villages were obliterated in the shelling and the ossuary contains the bones of 130,000 unidentified dead. Sobering stuff.
Quai de Londres, Verdun
Fleury, one of nine lost villages
Ossuary de Douamont
Waterfront at Verdun
Later, to cheer us up, Casey May Too (Paul and Dawn), friends from Brugge joined us with new friends Jeff and Dot (Emily Scilla). We all get on like a house on fire so kept company for a couple of weeks as we all headed north.
Another old favourite is the village of Stenay where we went to the Beer Museum again just to check it still tasted as good and the Pizzeria here provided our evening meal. That night we had an big storm and in the morning Esme was covered in leaves and twigs! No damage done….who said autumn had come? The weather now was turning cooler and blustery. At Mouzon we saw the beautiful gothic church with the hermit’s cell. In mediaeval times a religious hermit lived inside a tiny cell and had no contact with the world, being passed prayer requests and food through a small window.
Stenay Lock house
Hermit’s cell, Church at Mouzon
Convent at Mouzon, now home for the elderly
Next was Sedan; for some reason we’ve not explored the city before, so took the chance to see the fort there, the biggest in Europe; an excellent afternoon out where we learnt more about the Franco Prussian wars and the history of Alsace Lorraine.
Esme moored at Sedan
Flood marks near Charleville Mezieres
Lock garden
Along this part of the French Meuse the moorings have repeatedly been damaged by winter floods but a new intitiative has created some excellent new pontoons, making it possible to take our time and enjoy some of the prettiest villages including Joigny, Laifour, Revin and Fumay.
Laifour
Meuse valley near Revin
Fumay is a little slate town, now much diminished by the decline of their industry but there are enough local shops and a weekly market. We spent a week here. One evening a marching band wound its way through the little streets, past the port and the Mairie to the war memorial. A wreath was laid commemorating Liberation Day which for Fumay was 3rd September 1944. It was at precisely 6pm that the Allies arrived to liberate them from German occupation and it’s good to know that they still take the trouble to mark the occasion.
Another jolly party
Fresco of Slate workers, Fumay
Barge meet at Fumay (pic courtesy of Carol Greenwood)
Towards the end of the season, many ships are on their way back to winter ports so by chance there was quite a gathering of barges at Fumay: Sasja and Ekko (Cinclus), Pete and Maria (Quo Vadis), Rocky and Carol (La Tulipe), Michel and Rebecca (‘t Majeur). A good time to catch up, exchange news and share ideas, make future plans. Another important reason to call in here is to stock up on wine from the excellent cave before the winter.