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Before we left the hotel, we took advantage of their wonderful continental breakfast in the garden. The buffet was beautifully
presented--meats, cheese, fruits, and of course, wonderful pastries. The kids enjoyed listening to all the different languages--French,
German, and Italian.
We drove the 25km to Vermenton and arrived at Burgundy Cruisers just as they were leaving
for lunch. The owners of Burgundy Cruisers, Steve and Zoe, directed us to a restaurant in town we enjoyed a light lunch.
The kids were able to experience their first croque monsieurs, Christopher ate all of his while Patrick picked around the
edges. Patrick obviously did not buy our explanation that it was just like a grilled cheese sandwich.
We had
Burgundy Cruisers provision the boat with the basics such as bread, butter, water, eggs, and wine (of course!). We still
needed food so we drove the 25 km to Avallon where we found a supermarket and bought groceries.
We drove back
to Vermenton and checked out the boat. Wow, was it wonderful. We did not expect to have a boat so clean, well maintained,
and equipped. We finished up the paper work and prepared to set off with Steve for our familiarization cruise.
Steve explained everything we needed to know and showed us a manual that covered everything we needed just in case we
forgot what he told us. My favorite part of the demo was when Steve showed Julie how to climb down into the bilge to check
the engine water and oil.
Steve also spent a lot of time talking about the towns and villages along the way.
He recommended restaurants and sites as well as giving a bit of a history lesson on the canal. Also on board was also an
informal guide of the villages along the way and what services they offered.
Soon we started up the motor and
were ready to leave the quay. There is a large turning basin at Vermenton and we turned around and began to head down the
embranchment towards the Canal du Nivernais. I must admit that steering a canal boat is a little different than a sail boat.
After fishtailing down the canal for a few hundred meters, I have an a new found appreciation for those that man the helm
of supertankers. I eventually got the hang of it. The key to steering the boat is anticipation as everything happens very
slowly when steering.
Steve got us to the first lock which we managed pretty well. Of course locking down is
much easier than locking up, but more about that later. Steve then left us on our own to return to his office.
We were finally on our own on a canal boat in Burgundy. Our two years of wishing, investigating and planning had finally
paid off. Let the adventure begin!
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