2008 France - Belgium

A few weeks driving on the wrong side of the road

Thank goodness everything on the boat was dry and the slightly opened windows had kept the air flowing and there wasn’t any mildew inside. We had been worried as the shipyard had been put up for sale following one of the partners having a stroke. The boats had been craned back onto the canal on March 15 and Courlis looked very lonely way quite a way down the canal.

Now we headed off on a journey by car to visit friends in France and to see the Chateaux in the Loire Valley. Kevin is getting very proficient driving on the right hand side of the road. What a lovely time we had visiting Marion and Roger in Fontenoy Le Chateauu, a beautiful town on the Canal de Vosges.We had a fantatic view from our bedroom window.

Marion prepared Duck a la Orange and the next night a lovely lamb roast. We called in to St Jean de Losne which is like a home to us as we wintered here twice and visited each year by boat or car. We spoke to Annie and Paul who were on their barge with a charter with American guests.

We traveled through the wine area in the Loire. The vines of Sancerre made a great sight from the town on the top of the hill.It was early spring and the shoots were just stating to grow. We had some very tasty Pouilly Fume from the area.

Then it was onto Chantal and Claude,s home where we stayed the night. A great time was had by us all frequently using the dictionary when we didn’t know the French or English word.Our bedroom had a lovely old 4 poster bed.

We visited the Brisson Chateau which had a demonstration of old machines which hurled rocks used for attacking chateau walls.


Sully sur Loire Chateau is surrounded by a large moat connected to the river and extensive gardens. It is always difficult getting photos of them as they are so large.

The tapestries in the chateau were beautiful.



The chateau in Gian is a huge hunting museum. I have never seen so many trophies of animals before.

On the way to Orleans we called in for MacDonalds as I wanted to use the internet to find a motel. We had something to eat and the burger I had must have been made a long time as I ended up with food poisoning. Kevin nursed me all night with the hospital address ready to put into Tom Tom. The next morning I improved and we decide to head back to the boat.

It had been very cold in April but May saw the start of sunny days. The next few days were spent stocking up the boat while we had the car. We returned the car without a dent after 2200k. The GPS is invaluable in finding places in cities especially when a road is only one way. Many times Samantha had to recalculate but we always arrived at our destination.

We started the cleaning and paintingwhich was a little harder than if we were on hardstand as planned. Thankfully the weather stayed sunny. We fitted in time for dinner - al fresco style with Bill who was back at Pont a Bar with his barge Sullis. Note the garden surroundings.

This morning the 11th we left Pont a Bar with Courlis looking spick and span in her new coat of paint and the fenders cleaned and replaced. Thankfully locking was easy as we were going down the Meuse and made good time. There aren’t many boats travelling yet and we were always in the locks by ourselves.

The girls rang for Mothers day, it was great to talk with them all and find out what was going on at home. It seems the Eagles and Dockers are going through a bad patch, Underbelly has been taped for Kevin, everyone had been out for a nice vietnamese meal which we miss over here. Kevin is also yearning for a meat pie and although the French food is great it is difficult to get a quick meal of fish and chips down at the local shop if one does not feel like cooking.

Tomorrow we will spend the day in Givet, then it is over the border and into Belgium.

2008 France

Perth to France

Our 2008 adventure started with Air Malaysia to Charles de Gaule airport , Paris. An 18 hour trip via Kuala Lumpur. The airlines have devised ways to keep passengers busy on long flights by serving snacks, sweets and drinks in plastic sealed packages which take a lot of energy and a sharp instrument( which we cant take on board) to open. The movies were good and the service excellent.

ANZAC SERVICE - VILLERS BRETTONNEAUX

Arriving at the Europcar desk we organised the car pick up and drove away in a brand new VW with only 6k on the clock. This year is the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. The Australian soldiers were instrumental in liberating Villers Bretonneaux near Amien and turning the tide of the war. The battle was on 25th April 1918. The Australian Government had organised a dawn Anzac service at the Australian War Memorial at Villers Bretonneaux . We drove to Amien finding our way using Samantha alias Tom –Tom the GPS. What a lot of marriages these must save. Up north here it is still cool and the street flowers which are mainly tulips and pansies are magnificent. The streets of Amien had more tulips and daffodils than we see in the whole of Araluen.

We met Oliver at the motel and went off the have a drink and a meal. Once again we find it is a small world, at dinner we met Ken Keesing, a Rottnest Volunteer Guide who was with a tour group of Australians here for the Anzac ceremony. Soon it was time for bed with the alarm set for 3.15am in time to catch one of the buses provided to get people out to the memorial. How moving it was to travel through the dark out to the memorial, which was bathed in bright light at the top of the hill.


We had read Birdsong, Far from Home and parts of the Great War before coming over this year and seeing the terrain and the mud brought back the horror we experienced as we read the books. Many of the passengers on board had on the medals of their great grandfathers or grandfathers or great uncles and were looking forward to finding their cross or their name on the wall of the memorial which commemorates the 11000 Australian soldiers who fought in France or Flanders and have no known grave.

Fortunately the bus dropped us off at the gate and returned to the end of a long line of about 50 buses. At the memorial gates we were given a programme and badge in the shape of Australia with the French and Australian flag on it and made our way by torchlight through the paths beside the white crosses.

There were about 5000 people at the service and when the last post was played by the trumpeter high up in the tower of the memorial it echoed in the dawn air and the birds began to sing just as the sun came up. What a moving time it was.

After the ceremony the wall was thronged in people searching for names and attaching a poppy when one was recognised.




We met Ken again
























and spoke to a lady from Lesmurdie who was wearing her grandfathers medals. She had with her a photo of her grandmother which her grandfather had carried with him during the 4 years he was at the Front. On the back he wrote each battle he was in including Villers Bretonneaux. Remarkably he survived to return to Australia where apparently he never spoke of the war but worked tirelessly for the RSL.



On the way out we wandered among the crosses. Some had the names of a soldier inscribed on the cross others with no name and the inscription ‘Known only to God’.

Some had an Australian flag planted at the base or a photograph put there by relatives.








The next day we attended the French Australian ceremony at the memorial at 11am. This is held each year by the people of Villers Bretonneaux to thank the Australian Soldiers. About 4000 were at this ceremony. Villers Bretonneaux has a very good museum commemorating Australians and New Zealanders. We also went on a bus tour around the area of Hamel.

After lunch at the Cafe Kangaroo and a drive past the Villers Brettonneaux Maire (Town Hall) complete with kangaroos on the lawn we left for Pont a Bar.