france: A Busy Thursday, 6/14/12

I was to meet Stephane at 10 AM. When I woke up I glanced at my watch...9 AM. I needed to get a move on. It was a sunny morning and I know the road well enough to relax and enjoy the scenery. As I pulled into Stephane's yard, I glanced at the car clock...9:06 AM.

Oops. It must have been 8 AM when I woke up.

Rather than bother Stephane, I decided to find the second Verze lavoir on my own. That turned out to be pretty easy.

I then decided to follow a lane through the vineyards ...and found a small field of poppies. I didn't stick around after taking a picture... the lane wasn't big enough for me and one of the enjambeurs, if some farmer came by to spray his vineyard.

After a bowl of coffee, Stephane and I headed off to Macon. We had some shopping to do and a quick visit to the dentist where the last stitches from my extracted tooth were removed.

I wanted to get pictures of roundabouts, or rotaries, so I let Stephane drive, but then my phone rang.

Elisabeth was calling to say we had a reservation for a boat ride that afternoon...I needed to race home for a bite of lunch before Elisabeth and I would be heading towards Tournus.

It was a relatively small boat with only 9 passengers, 1 dog, and the operator/guide. We began on the Seille River, which is about 2.5 meters higher than the Saone River (a meter is a yardstick plus about 3 inches) and headed for a barricade.

The building on shore had once been a mill which had used the barricade as as a dam to produce power. The water had been held back by fir strips that would swell when wet and therefore form a tight wall.

Nice weeping willow...and notice the yellow water lilies...

Because people wanted access to the larger Saone River, they built a canal with a lock.

One man has the job of opening and closing the lock. (He is almost lost in the tree, but look carefully and you will see him below.)

He gets an assistant in the summer...an assistant who obviously hadn't developed the same muscle power yet.

We headed towards the original barricade, but from the other side.

This is the area where most people swim in the summer. (I felt really lucky to have clear Lake George.)

There is a color difference in the water where the two rivers join.

Our guide explained that people like to fish for the sellure and that a friend of his had caught one weighing 100 kilograms. It had been about 2.5 meters long!

Closer to the barricade it was much shallower as the swirling water deposited mud and silt.

the Saone side of what was once a dam with vertically placed fir strips

We observed several pairs of swans and then followed a blue heron back to the lock.

After that we had a leisurely ride along the Seille. Beyond trees, brush and water lilies there wasn't much to see, but...

I did happen to catch a fisherman raising his net and I'd never seen someone fishing in this way before.

It had been a pleasant hour and a half, but then it was time to head home.

Elisabeth spotted the lavoir. It looked elegant with its Roman columns, but inside was a disappointment. The basin bottom needed repair and there was only a trickle of water running through.

Later we stopped for pictures of a chateau and noticed another lavoir in the field below the road.

lavoir

On our way home we also noticed a line of antique cars following us. They were in the wrong location for a picture so Elisabeth stepped on the gas, speeding ahead until she found a place on the other side of the road so I could take pictures out the passenger window as the cars caught up to us and passed on by.

I just happen to see this car as being the "cutest."

It was a clear day. From a hill we could see snow capped Mont Blanc...

We reached Blanot in time for the weekly market. Carolyn was there with her grocery truck. She speaks English quite well.

When Mirelle came along and spoke with me in English, there was some kidding about which language to use.

Then we moved on to see Mathilde who was setting up her table for selling vegetables. She and Pierre have the small farm in town.

While we waited, Elisabeth and I checked out the garden. I saw a huge snail in with the strawberries. Elisabeth gave it a heave-ho onto the road. I'm sure that toss cracked its shell. Seeing the size of that snail, I thought it was no wonder the French decided to eat escargot!

Home to put away groceries and catch a quick meal.

Then I walked down the hill to meet Elisabeth again. We were off to the mairie, or town hall, see the exhibition of art work and pottery that had been created in workshops throughout the year.

A group who had been learning country dances were also there. Elisabeth wanted me to join in, but I was wearing crocs...not good foot support for cavorting.

Then Annie from the exercise class I've been attending with Anne called out my name. When that didn't move me, she came over and pulled me into the dance.

Elisabeth was delighted and had fun taking pictures with my camera! My ankles held up for one dance.