Au Revoir Historique Rouen, Bonjour Elbeuf - Wednesday 18th June 2008

Rouen was a lovely stop, with good facilities and the town just a short cycle ride away. We enjoyed the clock tower exhibition with its fantastic panoramic view of the city from the Belfry at the top and had a superb Chinese Meal in Perle d’Asie with Frogs Legs in Garlic as a main course, this is a must if you are ever in France and these are on the menu.
We headed off at 2pm from Rouen, firstly for fuel at the barge 2km downstream (this was a bit of a pantomime - it is a huge floating steel barge with nothing to tie onto until they eventually come out of their office and catch your lines above. They then drop you down a very shaky ladder to climb up to go to the office to pay. No credit cards, only cash. Just as well we already knew this and had been raiding the cash point for the last few days to take enough cash out to fill GG up. Diesel here was 1.82 euros per litre, absolutely outrageous, but they have a monopoly here as there is no other fueling available between here and Paris).
So 880 Euros lighter, we head off the short distance of 15.5nm to Elbeuf at 10 knots (this is the maximum speed you can do at this part of the Seine), arriving at 4pm.
On route, the scenery was lovely with little sleepy villages on each side of the Seine popping out of knowhere. We passed a couple of peniches, but apart from that, the River was quiet.
At 10 euros for an overnight stop here (very basic facilities, electricity and water only), it was aworthwhile stopping place to prepare us for tomorrow and our first Lock at Amfreville.
Elbeuf is 49’17’.76N 001’01’.69E
We will head off tomorrow at 8am to the first Lock, Amfreville which is 16km from Elbeuf, and then to Les Andelys for another overnight stop.