We enjoyed our 3 days in Montargis, it is really a beautiful ‘Little Venice’. We did lots of cycling and had a lovely meal out on Tuesday night at Aux Nouvelles Baguettes D’Or (Thai/Chinese).
To start with we had Salade Thai de Calamar (Spicy Calamari/Pineapple salad), Boulettes de crabe frit (Crab‘s balls), Nems (Spring Rolls) and then Gambas Grilles au sel et poivre (Salt & Pepper Prawns)/ Canard saute au basilic (Duck with Basil), served with Cantonese Rice and Noodles. We finished off with Banana Fritters flambéed with Grand Marnier/Kir Glace and a Cognac for the Captain. The meal was really excellent and at the end we were given a complimentary Chinese Liquer in a little glass. We both knew what was coming as when I was in France a few years back, a certain person who will remain nameless knicked 2 of them from a restaurant! When the little glasses are filled up, if you look into them you see a naked man or woman, they are hilarious!
We set off this morning at 9.15am, with the weather really hot, not a cloud in the sky. The scenery was again just beautiful with not much activity on the waterways, we only passed 2 boats which were going in the opposite direction.
The locks were really manageable, with the first 2 being lassoed from aboard, then we went through a chain of 4 locks almost together each with just short of 4 metres rise. These were automatic (a laser beam sensor picks your presence up, prepares the lock and then opens the doors for you, you then secure yourself and you lift a blue rod ashore up to start the lock through) . Thankfully there was a lock-keeper who dropped a pole down for your lines, secured them for you, dropped the line back down to you, started the automated lock, and then he got on his moped and travelled to the next one, and so on! He missed the middle one for us and we had to do it ourselves, with me climbing the very dirty ladder, with my clean shorts on which are now filthy! - he was chatting to his pal - so no beer for him (we give a can of beer to all lock-keepers in the locks and sweeties to the kids/female lock-keepers).
We stopped at 12.30 just before the next huge 5.12m rise lock at Montbuoy, going ashore for a refreshment before going through. Again, the lock-keeper had a huge hook on a line to take our line up, thank the lord, I had visions of me climbing the slimey ladder with our rope, it was a daunting thought, believe me!
The last lock was 4.94m rise, our last one for the day, hooray. We arrived at Chatillon Coligny at 2.15pm travelling 13.41 nm at a speed of 4-5 knots, and tied up on a finger in the Port de Plaisance.
Chatillon Coligny is 47’49’.090N 002’50’.656E.
To start with we had Salade Thai de Calamar (Spicy Calamari/Pineapple salad), Boulettes de crabe frit (Crab‘s balls), Nems (Spring Rolls) and then Gambas Grilles au sel et poivre (Salt & Pepper Prawns)/ Canard saute au basilic (Duck with Basil), served with Cantonese Rice and Noodles. We finished off with Banana Fritters flambéed with Grand Marnier/Kir Glace and a Cognac for the Captain. The meal was really excellent and at the end we were given a complimentary Chinese Liquer in a little glass. We both knew what was coming as when I was in France a few years back, a certain person who will remain nameless knicked 2 of them from a restaurant! When the little glasses are filled up, if you look into them you see a naked man or woman, they are hilarious!
We set off this morning at 9.15am, with the weather really hot, not a cloud in the sky. The scenery was again just beautiful with not much activity on the waterways, we only passed 2 boats which were going in the opposite direction.
The locks were really manageable, with the first 2 being lassoed from aboard, then we went through a chain of 4 locks almost together each with just short of 4 metres rise. These were automatic (a laser beam sensor picks your presence up, prepares the lock and then opens the doors for you, you then secure yourself and you lift a blue rod ashore up to start the lock through) . Thankfully there was a lock-keeper who dropped a pole down for your lines, secured them for you, dropped the line back down to you, started the automated lock, and then he got on his moped and travelled to the next one, and so on! He missed the middle one for us and we had to do it ourselves, with me climbing the very dirty ladder, with my clean shorts on which are now filthy! - he was chatting to his pal - so no beer for him (we give a can of beer to all lock-keepers in the locks and sweeties to the kids/female lock-keepers).
We stopped at 12.30 just before the next huge 5.12m rise lock at Montbuoy, going ashore for a refreshment before going through. Again, the lock-keeper had a huge hook on a line to take our line up, thank the lord, I had visions of me climbing the slimey ladder with our rope, it was a daunting thought, believe me!
The last lock was 4.94m rise, our last one for the day, hooray. We arrived at Chatillon Coligny at 2.15pm travelling 13.41 nm at a speed of 4-5 knots, and tied up on a finger in the Port de Plaisance.
Chatillon Coligny is 47’49’.090N 002’50’.656E.
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