Part 2: Navigating Houseboats along the Saone River
Monday came early as we got up before dawn to catch a taxi to the train station. A quick stop at Starbucks ensured that we had our caffeine fix for the four-hour train ride ahead. At the train station, we met up with out boating friends – 9 other people – who we would be spending the next week with. The train journey started underground, but soon transitioned to scenic countryside views as we traveled above ground to the town of Vesoul.
Upon arriving in Vesoul, we needed to wait a few hours for the bus ride to the town of Saône. Here, we wandered into a local bar for snacks and drinks. The bar owner, an intriguing character who doubled as a boxing referee, shared tales of his upcoming trip to Atlantic City to officiate a match. His pride was evident as he showcased photographs of himself refereeing legends like Joe Frazier.
After lunch, the very short bus ride took us to the town of Saône, where we needed to walk about ~1-mile with luggage to the Locaboat office in Port Plaisance. With the two boats not yet scheduled to be ready, (5 people – 2 couples and a single – on one boat and 6 people – 3 couples – on the other), we stopped in town at a nearby grocery store to stock up on supplies, which were conveniently delivered to the marina later. Following a detailed briefing, we discovered that no restaurants were open in the town, and so, Take0out pizza became the obvious choice. Using the bicycles provided with the boat, we rode back into town and picked up our dinner.
As evening set in, conversations flowed, memories were shared, and toasts were raised to our recently departed close friends – Rick and Cliff—friends whose presence was dearly missed. The night ended on a comfortable note, thanks to the heated boat connected to shore power, ensuring we stayed warm despite the chill outside.
On Tuesday, our adventures began with a delightful breakfast of coffee and baguettes. We organized our day and set off from our base, ready to tackle our first lock. Navigating the lock was quite the procedure: turn a pole hanging by cable over the water, wait for the green light indicating that the lock was ready for your boat to proceed in, motor in, secure the boat with ropes around the bollards, lift a pole ringing a bell, and then watch as the locks close and the water levels adjust. Once the gate open and we receive the “proceed” green light, we retrieved our ropes and continued. Luckily, the locks are all long enough to accommodate our two boats nose-to-tail at the same time.
Soon, we encountered an impressive tunnel cutting through a mountain, stretching 630 meters long and just big enough for our boats traveling one-way.. Emerging from it felt like stepping into another world. After a few more locks, we saw sheep, chickens, and a donkey before stopping at a nature reserve near the town of Soing for lunch on the boats. Roc and Terry biked into the local town searching for restaurants, but unfortunately came back with no candidates. Therefore, we ventured further, through another tunnel and several locks, until we reached a campground past the town of Savonyeaux. Terry and his wife, Elaine, biked into town (population 206) for a bit of grocery shopping, and we wrapped up the evening with a lovely home-made spaghetti dinner and some socializing.
On Wednesday, the morning started with a hearty breakfast of eggs, potatoes, and bacon. This time, our boat led the group downriver, navigating locks and floodgates, passing picturesque riverside homes and other boats. We stopped at a summer beach, finding a restaurant willing to seat all eleven of us. Lunch at Restaurant de la Place was leisurely and excellent. After returning to the boat, we took the lock to the other side of the weir (with a set of turbines to generate the town’s electricity) and relocated onto the main quay in the large town (population 6,000) of Gray, France. Here they are set up for boat hookup to electricity and water for a nominal charge. We explored the town’s church (also called Notre Dame) and old medical castle of which only the crenellated tower and ramparts remain until we got dinner at a local restaurant.
Thursday, May 8 is Victory Europe Day and a holiday in France! We leave the town of Gray after a brief breakfast ashore and set off south, downriver again today. With fewer locks today, but deeper drops as we move down river, we traveled to the big town of Pontallier (population 18,600 and known to the world for its production of absinthe) and docked at a pontoon amidst the Victory Europe celebrations. We arranged dinner in a local restaurant’s private room that was simply outstanding.
On Friday, we awoke and assembled a big breakfast on board, which set the mood for sailing to Auxonne (river marker 233). This ancient town featured a statue of Napoleon Bonaparte since he schooled at the Artillery School there, a castle with a moat, and the local Notre Dame church from the 13th century. Lunchtime was at a food truck on the river’s steps and dinner on the boat was capped by hors d’oeuvres of liver pate and a round of card games.
Saturday morning, we kicked off the day with first coffee on the boat followed by second coffee in town and a bakery visit for croissants. Sailing to Saint Jean de Losne, a commune and small town at the confluence of the Stone River and the Burgundy Canal. We docked at the town quay and enjoyed lunch at a dock restaurant, indulging in sole meunière, filet albettes, ice cream, and crème brûlée. The afternoon included exploring the town, buying postcards, visiting the local Barge Museum (Musee de la Batedllerie), and finishing the day with charcuterie and more card games.
Sunday began with a quiet breakfast on the boat and marked the beginning of our return trip upriver, beginning at river marker 214. Going upriver through the locks is a bit more difficult since the boat enters at the lower level and reaching the bollards in the lock with the ropes is a challenge. We chose to negotiate this by dropping off 1 person just before the lock and positioning then above us on the lock to secure our ropes. MJ skillfully executed this for the first time and secured our ropes and managing our first lock operation as the water rose. Drinks that night were at Les Mariners in Laq Pontellier and were delightful. This was followed by dinner at La Guinguette de Pontellier under river-side trees featuring beef ribeye steak.
Monday’s start was uneventful until we came upon a boat stranded aground in the shallows. We made an hour-long attempt to assist the stranded couple, although ultimately unsuccessful. We then traveled to Lamarche but could not find a suitable docking spot, so we moved to Mantoche a town of 451 people. There, we made lunch reservations at La Capitainerie, and enjoyed exploring the small town. Surprisingly, the stranded couple finally showed-up getting out of the shallows by reducing their boat’s weight by pumping all of their stored fresh water overboard! That night we had dinner on the boat followed by drinks and competitive games of backgammon.
Tuesday morning we had arranged an early breakfast back at La Capitainerie by Chef Christoff before leaving to travel to Gray and securing an empty spot on the quay. Shopping for final groceries, getting drinks at La Gringos Bar, buying postage stamps, and making dinner reservations made for a productive day. That night we had a very French dinner at Au Mastroquet which was exquisite, and closed out the day with nightcaps back on the boats.
Wednesday morning started with bacon and French toast, and marked our last breakfast with our friends, Peter and Nikki, who had to leave 2-days early for a planned family obligation. We dropped them off near the bus station in Gray and continued our journey upriver. After navigating the first lock, intense fog engulfed us briefly, but we continued along slowly and safely. Since we made record time, we took a detour to a dead-end branch of the river to the docks of Soing (population 565), docking there on the town’s park and enjoying local lunch time treats, (the restaurant was open this time). That evening, a food trailer selling homemade pizzas showed up meaning that no cooking required that night.
Thursday morning began with a leisurely breakfast of bacon and eggs before preceded along our final day’s journey to Pont Scey Sur Saone. Herons, wheat fields, maize, sugar beets, lily pads, and birds all accompanied our beautiful last-day voyage. We arrived at the base by noon, prepared a meal of sausages, green beans, and ratatouille, and initiated packing. Dinner that night was at La Deux Ports, a local restaurant that opened for us and which was a culinary delight. That night, champagne toasts were made celebrating each other and our trip.
Friday was hectic as we officially checked in the boats and departing at 9 am for trains and cars to Paris. We took a taxi to Vesoul, and from there, negotiated four different trains to reach the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Despite a slight delay, we reached the Airport Hilton and confirmed bookings with Air France on the next day, before relaxing for the evening.
Saturday morning, we had a quick breakfast before repacking and taking the CDGVAL airport train to the terminal for our flight back to Atlanta. After a brief layover in Atlanta, we flew home to Melbourne, Florida before taking an Uber home and ending our houseboating in France adventure.