Canal archive

Please don’t get anxious about your anxiety take all of the above recommendations as a very dear friend used to say - a nod and a smile takes you miles.

Basel was the scene of a few firsts for myself and my year mates from school. We went on a school trip, by coach to Natters in Austria. First time we encountered Duvets, first time the toilet was the two foot places and squat. All this on the top floor of what is now a very posh hotel by the Central Park in Basel. An eye opener for a fourteen year old.

It’s hit and miss with April but our first cruise that started in Amsterdam in April it was absolutely freezing but by the time we reached the end of the cruise eleven days later it was positively balmy.

We’ve had several Scenic birthday cakes over the years one evening in L’mour we sat with another couple and two at the table, DH and the opposite lady both had birthdays. The restaurant manager arranged for one cake that evening and another the next evening.

Stock your wallet up for a visit to Madrid, wonderful shopping city oh and of course everything Spanish. Toledo steel is beautiful. About the only place in Spain I have yet to visit is the Alhambra.

Just getting my brain scrambled, I thought it was about time I tried to understand American Football. Not doing to well so far but only a few minutes in. A drop of Bushmills helps.

Your right even earlier I would say as it’s the really old style divers suite.

Because of the flooding the sediment ‘problem’ seems to have become the norm both in Europe and here and I would say a slightly new phenomenon. There has been a challenge with concrete (sickness) in the U.K. in the past has this been the same in Europe? Naturally locks flex, there usually built that way, I must admit the sheer size of them is amazing but they work.

katrust.org.uk Found this in our archive can you believe in a canal! No date will try to check when next in.

Excuse the pun but where water is concerned your working in a very “fluid” environment regardless of how well something has been constructed water has this way of inveigling its way into areas it’s not supposed to and upsetting the most expert design in an extremely short period of time, hence the necessity for regular maintenance, even the smallest check can involve divers.

Mind you I’d be in trouble I couldn’t spell it if I’d been in a ‘coffee’ house or not!

The rivers and canal systems across Europe including the U.K. have had annual maintenance closures for eons including Roman times when evidentially any odd local Legion could be used as manpower. Englands system had an annual stoppage but how they managed to find the manpower across the system in the short time allowed seems to me a bit of a mystery, and especially at harvest time during canal building no farm workers could be employed.

Franski you’ll love it the Portuguese are wonderfully friendly people and the Spanish can be just a tad excitable. Both countries wines and food are superb, try real Spanish tapas and paella. Salamanca is one of Spains most heritage cities it’s beautiful.

Scenic did quite a lot of cycling and at least twice had to hire more bikes because so many felt energetic. We didn’t see any barges but I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some. Four of us hired on the Canal du Nivernais in 2022 some of the French villages were having a hard time recovering from Covid but the French were very happy to see us it’s lovely doing DIY or some of the beautiful hotel barges may be more your style or just go all out on a big in ‘’ boat.

It’s not all wine by a long way. The last picture is squeezing under the Napolian Bridge with a wing part from Bristol bound for Toulouse in the distance. I would certainly repeat this trip as Bordeaux now has the old submarine pens turned into a son-a luminaire show which is supposed to be superb. The middle picture was a yacht race in the estuary we were up on the top deck cheering on the winners, the top picture was on deck and I cannot remember their name but they did make a lot of noise, excellent outfits, something to do with hunting. We went on Scenics 11day cruise there was a lot of wine there always is in France but also much excellent music and super food.

Pity about the lack of snow as from what I gather it’s the snow that saves the future low water levels.

Good luck to them it’s a beautiful superb area of France to explore we’ve been with Scenic and would do the cruise again.

When we first started our river cruising experiences the Australian company Scenic had been cruising for only a few years. The majority of passengers were Australians, Canadians and English a few New Zealander’s and the occasional South Asian. Since Scenics push in the U.S. more Americans have discovered the company. When we started it was pre ‘all inclusive,’ and Butlers only on the top deck. This caused a bit of a flurry when booking our next cruise when it was ‘all inclusive’ my DH was convinced I’d got it wrong. Yes it is an Australian company whose boss I believe lives in Switzerland. They also do land tours, which is how they started, crikey I sound like an advert, maybe I should get a handout!

We’ve done the Saone with Scenic on their Saone and Rhône cruise, and with Scenic on their Dordogne, Garonne and Gironde cruise. Equally as beautiful as the rest of France just subtly different waiting for you to explore.

Really, but then even we had a police drug sniffer dog through our Narrowboat it was because we were providing the power for the microphone for the King when he was Prince at an event he was more interested in the boat and the dog discovered where all the food especially the confectionery was kept.

Rebel54 it’s not a case of ‘no one cares’ it’s more that on river cruises regardless of which company you use, they actually care enough to realise that it’s your holiday so that gentle acceptance of your requirements is uppermost rather than the frantic security that seems, sadly to be a needed on ocean cruises. Just step back and enjoy.

It would seem that NY had the foresight to initiate a super sized water system and I expect it’s been looked after. Poor old London Town is suffering with an outdated Victorian system that has been relied on without upgrade or financial input for far too many years. Across the world we have relied on superb Victorian engineers but I have a sneaking regard for the Georgian engineers and the forward thinking money men/women who supported them without them where would we be.

Rouen Cathedral usually closed on Mondays, and Scenic picnic baskets are superb.

A bit like the Mary Rose sunk in the 1500s and raised from the Solent now on display in Portsmouth dockyard, very interesting. At the time even King Charles dived on the wreck.

It is amazing how many lorry loads can be removed from the roads if navigable waterways and barges are used and although our navigable waterways are tiddly compared with Europe it would be the same here if the powers that be would take the plunge 🤪