Well, it's almost March and the Nivernais will be open in a few weeks - time to begin planning - so, yesterday I looked at the charts - first time in months.
the potential plan at this stage ---------- go on the Nivernais (which is just up the river less than a kilometre - beautiful canal - shoot south through Burgundy - then, loop east on the Centre canal - turn north up the Canal de Bourgogne - and back home to Auxerre for the next winter.
It's a good season cruise - but, - there's always a but ------ one has to watch not to get trapped in the Canal de Bourgogne if they close it for low water levels or god knows what - which it was last year - and, I think, the year before - ???? September last year I think - if so - then, that's only a definite full 5 months cruise - 6 if one is lucky.
I'd be able to stop at a couple of special places for maybe ??? 2 weeks at a time - but, stopping for a month or 2 wouldn't be doable - unless I just wanted to STOP - which brings issues for admin probably.
Most places - would be easy to stop for a couple/few days to a week at a time.
Anyway - some of it does look isolated as I have had many friends say - out in the boondocks of Burgundy only passed by girls in tight things (who I can now catch thanks to being on wheels), small children out fishing with grandad and wayward dogs frolicking in the canals.
Daily trips to the patisserie will not be everyday possible - nor ready made meals with great traditional froggie recipes ---------- gad, it's like going bush in Oz really -
The hardest thing for procurement as usual ------- water. Everyone drops back to sea rations when we begin to move.
anyway - here's Auxerre this morning - I notice any local who accidently got out of bed early and walked across the bridge photographed the Cathedral with the moon - so, I thought - I'd better as well - and, a rough map with possible route
then, I made the mistake of looking at the following season - 2022 - wow - at the end of that I'll have been away 3 1/2 years and only barely seen a 5th of France ------------------------- my my, how the years doth slide by
