Practical Boat Owner – September 2019

AIN

JURA

FRANCE

SAÔNE-

ET-LOIRE

RHÔNE

N

Auxonne

St Jean

de Losne

Seurre

Verdun-

sur-Doubs

Pontallier-

sur-Saône

Tournus

Mâcon

Belleville

Trévoux

River

Saône

River

Saône

Canal du

Centre

Canal du

Rhône au Rhin

Canal de

Bourgogne

Doubs

River

Rhône

Ain

Seille

Chalon-

sur-Saône

Dijon

Lyon

nautical miles

020

Bay of

Biscay

English

Channel

Mediterranean Sea

FRANCE

BELGIUM

SPAIN

Cherbourg

Brest

Bordeaux

Nantes Dijon

St Valery-

sur-Somme

Marseille

Paris

River

Rhône

Lyon

Port

St Louis

Avignon

Pontallier-

sur-Saône

River

Saône

Arles

Tournon

re-occur frequently on menus during the
next couple of weeks.
Pontallier is an attractive town, but
beyond a boulangerie there were few
shops. However, having been in the
canals for almost two months, it was
wonderful to have a weed-free swim in
clean river water.
The next day we motored the short
distance to Auxonne, where Rory and
Lindsey picked up their car and my wife
Janie and friend Janet joined me.
After witnessing the hire boat skippers
coming alongside, we moved from the
town pontoon to the slightly more
expensive marina where I could safely
leave my boat!
With its medieval architecture, shops,

cafes and restaurants, plus two

supermarkets within walking distance,

Auxonne was a great place to spend a

few days.

It was a hot summer, and I was grateful

for the ladders at Auxonne marina, where I

had several cooling swims a day.

On leaving Auxonne our first port of call

was St Jean de Losne, a historic waterway

axis where Keppel had happily over-

wintered a few years ago. This time we

moored against the quay for a free night

and enjoyed dinner in the vine-covered

garden at Bistro la Cotiniere.

St Jean de Losne has an interesting little

canal history museum. It’s hard to believe

that within photographic era history the

men helmed, puffing away on pipes, while

their wives towed them!

The following day we dropped down to

Seurre (under engine, that is; not

Janie-power), which I’d avoid in future, as

there was little shade in the expensive

marina, and no shops or restaurants in

the town.

Pretty Verdun-sur-Doubs, on the other

hand, was an attractive little town with

restaurants and shops. The captainerie

(harbourmaster’s office) does beverages

and snacks too. It pelted with rain on our

arrival, and I don’t think I’ve ever

welcomed a deluge so much. The

temperature dropped to the mid-20s. Bliss!

The following morning, with an air

temperature lower than the warm river

water, we peered out the

MAIN A typically

pretty countryside

mooring on the

banks of the

Somme en route to

the Saône

LEFT The Saône

joins the Rhône

at Lyon

BELOW LEFT The

famous Van Gogh

cafe in Arles, a

town delightfully

free of tourist

hoards

SAÔNE AND RHÔNE

➜

‘I’ve never welcomed a deluge so much – the

temperature dropped to the mid-20s. Bliss!’

Ph

ot

os

:^ R

ic

ha

rd

H

ar

e