July. Metz to Luxembourg

Lucy’s quick trip to Brighton to Leo & Maia’s pre wedding party in Brighton. Pippa’s eldest, Leo,  will marry in Brazil and only a few will make the journey.

A great time was had by all. 20 of us, a beautiful day, food and a croquet game.

Bill and Pippa, Pippas’ sister, Sally and Roger, Leo and Maria                                        And of course proud proud mum.                

croquet is a very serious game…Pippa is in charge, showing her organisation working skills from the Brighton Dome …but we had great fun, but I am sure there was some cheating going on.!!!

 

The Stallibrass family, ( minus our lovely brother Jim)

Lucy arrives back in Metz with Dawn and Alvin.                                                        Its a long story but Max couldn’t go to the UK with Lucy as his NZ passport was still sitting in a UK passport office somewhere awaiting his visa renewal for UK.                                                                                                                       The weather was consistently variable and we have shown visitors a complete variety of weather conditions and as yet though haven’t had snow!!!!!!!                              ( Shouldn’t have said that, we are not home yet….)

As we have said, Metz is a beautiful town, full of lovely old buildings and a huge Cathederal.

There is an national slalom canoe track off the river,  just by the bridge where we moor.

Max had to endure this party boat, full of Germans that arrived in one night. Great boat, restaurant underneath, bar on top, and then the guests all go off and stay on dry land over night……good boys weekend away we think….

Dawn and Alvin arrive and we plan to head up the Moselle into Luzenbourg where we have heard diesil is about 25c cheaper. So we filled up with 400 litres.

Alvin has very slick handy work with his ropes. ( have to say it didn’t last long!!)

Finally we start to see the vinyards of the Moselle, and small fortified towns along the banks..

LUXEMBOURG

A few big BIG boats and full locks on the way ( 3 abreast in this one)

Only 135m long.

Its all tough going, and Dawn & Alvin have taught us to play “hand and foot”..But cheap diesel, esp when buying over 400litres.

MAX’S BIRTHDAY……64 again...

Last few nights back in Metz before Max drove us to Luxembourg Airport for cheapy flight back to UK.

The boys having an afternoon nap!!!!!!

Sunset and finally the lights in the Fairy style church come on at night.

Corre to Metz, with Wok & Sam

29th June, Wok and Sam arrive to rain and not nice weather. The lovely Captainaire picked them up in his car from Epinal, 50km away as there was no trains,,,, so after landing in Paris at 7am, train to Epinal, Taxi, and to drinks on board at 4.30pm….

In 2 weeks we showed them a good time, including weather ranging from 12 degrees (even put the heater on), rain, and then to sweltering 32 degrees.

We decided to head up from Corre, to Epinal, and towards Toul on the Canal des Vosges. Then join the Moselle River and head up to Metz where they would leave us.

 

 

 

 

All set up for a day fishing…moped with trailer!!!

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                       WE watched this couple, as they were going the same way as us, for about 20 mins.. then they turned around and walked back… we just couldn’t understand what they were about, especially with that outfit and those shoes!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Sam and wok getting ideas off watching young teenagers on the quay side.!!!

Not able to escape the boules game.. Sam showing her style.

 

EPINAL. Epinal was closed due to low water, which was such a shame as its a nice little town with a beautiful but empty marina.   The 2 km branch from the main canal had only about 80 cm of water and was going to be closed for the summer. We passed on by and moored 5 kms up river.  So the next day we cycled back for a nosey, and lunch….. SO   KIWI’s on Tour.. 

BIG BOATS…..

          

These commercial boats are sooo big, and the locks up to 8m deep, and the weather is wonderful !!!!                                             yeh, right!!

Sam is the new window wiper , nipping up onto the cabin top and doing her duty as the wiperblades were stuffed.  Sam also investigating the broken spindle in the microwave..

 

 

Wok’s new style with rope and a broom to hook the bollards..… AND it worked beautifully…all because I had the boathook.

 

Charmes. A quant little village with a small fair and the saturday town brass band.

Wok in the drinks fridge, (a very popular place,)  and The Boys BBQ ing., 

 

TOUL

 

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Amazing frescos on the wall of the Catherderal.

 

 

 

 

Interesting sculptures on roundabouts and verges all around around Toul, from old bikes,  ( could take on in NZ)  that had been there for a while so NOT related to the Tour de France.

Sam met a french man on our pontoon and brought him home for tea!!!

 

 

 

 

France while in Toul , It went straight past the marina. An amazing sight to see. The hour before the bikes came through there was an endless procession of advertising modified vehicles, showering the spectators with freebees. (max only caught a few on camera.. it was all too interesting to glue your face to the camera and of course he and Wok had to catch the free stuff.)

Then the riders zoom through, a coupleout in front and then the big bunch.  5 secs and its all over!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Oh life is good, even if its raining…….

On the way to Metz, another familiar sight.

 

Camper van city by the Marinas.

 

 

METZ. 

An amazing old city, it is so beautiful, with the cobbled central city area, like a lot of French towns, that aren’t designed for the motor car,

 

The Metz Cathedral has one of the highest Naves in the world 44m, and it displays 6496sq metres of stained glass windows.   Its length is 136 m long. Started construction in 1220-1522..and what were we doing in NZ???

 

 

 

Metz is full of old buildings both French and German, and a incredibly huge cathedral. Having been again, like others raided and pillaged over the years, it finally returned French in 1918.

We arrived a couple of days before Bastille Day, July 14th. The French are big on celebrating and we were lucky to witness the Parade of The The French Troups on the sunday. All wonderfully French, full of pomp and ceremony, ( equivalent to Rememberance Day but not so somber,, as its of course a celebration..) When they played the French National Anthem, it bought tears to my eyes and a warmth to the heart as the band just made it sound so good., ( well mayb not for rugby players!!!), Just love the mustache and the pomp of the hats.. ( roll on Inspecter Clouseau )

 

Then the fireworks on the Monday Night. WELL, what can we say. The marina was directly under the show, with the fireworks all over the river Basin,. Thousands of people streaming in to listen to the bands and the the classical music with 25 mins of superb fire works… best we have ever seen.

All the boaters hosed down our canopies as the night started to protect from all the crap that would fall, and also because the French as also very happy setting off fireworks and bangers all over the place. NO HEALTH  & SAFETY crap here!!!!!

Needless to say the boats were absolutely filthy the next day, all covered in soot and bits of cardboard, but we had no burn holes.

Wok and Sam left us after 2 weeks, to discover Spain, and look for better weather.!!!!!!

Great Time …