This has been a better than originally expected stop here, the facilities are not great, the showers are appalling (Jim had one and told me to use the one on board GG!) but it is only 10 euros per night and that includes electricity (we got the last electricity slot, the majority of this marina has no electricity supply, only a couple of pontoons). A very unhappy Croatian boat travelling from London to Dubrovnik through the canals arrived shortly after we did and ended up on a pontoon with no supply. He also needed diesel and the pump was not working and had to syphon fuel from another boat into jerry cans and then into his boat (there must have been about 30 jerry cans on the go!). The owner was extremely unhappy and disgusted with the facilities offered here and left early the next day heading straight for Paris.
On Tuesday, we discovered an excellent E.Leclerc supermarket 15 minutes cycle ride towards Poissy which sold not only food, but electricial goods, jewellery and garden furniture and we managed to get a couple of wind screen shields to keep the sun off GG at 1 euro 47c each as well as a pair of ladies tights which we cut up and taped across the bedroom hatches to stop the flies and mosquitoes coming in, so that we could open them for some air at night.! Improvising or what!
It has suddenly, over the last week or so, become extremely hot, as we move further towards Paris, and right now, we would welcome a little rain, believe it or not…..
There was also a lovely little bar 20 minutes walk from the marina which we discovered by accident and we had a few beers/wines there in the evenings and it was dirt cheap!
On Wednesday, we cycled to Poissy, a beautiful little town about 20 minutes by bike, where we eventually found an internet café to update the blog among other things. There are many shops and restaurants here and we had a nice lunch in Café De La Paix of Jambon Grillee Provencal with Gratin Dauphinoise followed by Fresh Strawberries/Il Flotante, at a fixed price of 12 euros each for 2 courses, which is quite reasonable for France!
We needed a replacement hydraulic piston for the cockpit door which was not critical and we were planning on waiting to arrive in Paris to sort this, but when surfing the German website on the internet, we discovered that their French agent was in Poissy, what a co-incidence. Jim cycled to their offices and they were so helpful, ordering the part on Thursday and it arrived on Friday from Germany, plus they delivered it to us at the marina themselves. Now that is what I call service!
I am sure you are all wondering what the ‘Donkey Willy’ sausages tasted like, well let me just say that although I have never tasted one, I can only presume that these tasted identical to them! They were the most awful sausages I have ever encountered and they ended up in the bin. If you are ever in France, never buy Andouille Saucisson, or order them on any menu, you will regret it!
We left at 1.30pm on Friday, with the weather a bit overcast, after the part was delivered and Jim fitted it, heading the very short distance to Andresy, through one more lock. The lock was smaller than the huge ones we had already encountered, but still not easy to lock through, nevertheless, we are getting used to them and by the time we reach Paris next week we will no doubt be perfect at them, and then the styles of the locks will change and we will be back to square one!
We passed Poissy and the Point de Poissy on route and arrived at 3pm at Andresy, only 8km upstream. The pontoon, which is behind the beautiful Ile De Nancy was occupied by a beautiful French boat called Baladin and we rafted against her. There were plenty more stopping places alongside the whole of Andresy, but they do not have electricity, and as we are planning on staying here until Monday, then it is better if we are connected. We managed to get the bikes ashore, across the French boat, and when the couple eventually surfaced (we think they were having a siesta), they seemed happy enough for us to be there.
We plan on staying here until Monday as we are close to the neighbouring town of Conflans St. Honorine and want to explore there too plus as this mooring place is free, it makes sense to see it from here rather than move there by boat and pay mooring fees. Our bikes have come in so handy, don’t know what we would do without them!
Andresy is 48’58’.602N 002’03’.400E and we have travelled 1087NM to this point.
On Tuesday, we discovered an excellent E.Leclerc supermarket 15 minutes cycle ride towards Poissy which sold not only food, but electricial goods, jewellery and garden furniture and we managed to get a couple of wind screen shields to keep the sun off GG at 1 euro 47c each as well as a pair of ladies tights which we cut up and taped across the bedroom hatches to stop the flies and mosquitoes coming in, so that we could open them for some air at night.! Improvising or what!
It has suddenly, over the last week or so, become extremely hot, as we move further towards Paris, and right now, we would welcome a little rain, believe it or not…..
There was also a lovely little bar 20 minutes walk from the marina which we discovered by accident and we had a few beers/wines there in the evenings and it was dirt cheap!
On Wednesday, we cycled to Poissy, a beautiful little town about 20 minutes by bike, where we eventually found an internet café to update the blog among other things. There are many shops and restaurants here and we had a nice lunch in Café De La Paix of Jambon Grillee Provencal with Gratin Dauphinoise followed by Fresh Strawberries/Il Flotante, at a fixed price of 12 euros each for 2 courses, which is quite reasonable for France!
We needed a replacement hydraulic piston for the cockpit door which was not critical and we were planning on waiting to arrive in Paris to sort this, but when surfing the German website on the internet, we discovered that their French agent was in Poissy, what a co-incidence. Jim cycled to their offices and they were so helpful, ordering the part on Thursday and it arrived on Friday from Germany, plus they delivered it to us at the marina themselves. Now that is what I call service!
I am sure you are all wondering what the ‘Donkey Willy’ sausages tasted like, well let me just say that although I have never tasted one, I can only presume that these tasted identical to them! They were the most awful sausages I have ever encountered and they ended up in the bin. If you are ever in France, never buy Andouille Saucisson, or order them on any menu, you will regret it!
We left at 1.30pm on Friday, with the weather a bit overcast, after the part was delivered and Jim fitted it, heading the very short distance to Andresy, through one more lock. The lock was smaller than the huge ones we had already encountered, but still not easy to lock through, nevertheless, we are getting used to them and by the time we reach Paris next week we will no doubt be perfect at them, and then the styles of the locks will change and we will be back to square one!
We passed Poissy and the Point de Poissy on route and arrived at 3pm at Andresy, only 8km upstream. The pontoon, which is behind the beautiful Ile De Nancy was occupied by a beautiful French boat called Baladin and we rafted against her. There were plenty more stopping places alongside the whole of Andresy, but they do not have electricity, and as we are planning on staying here until Monday, then it is better if we are connected. We managed to get the bikes ashore, across the French boat, and when the couple eventually surfaced (we think they were having a siesta), they seemed happy enough for us to be there.
We plan on staying here until Monday as we are close to the neighbouring town of Conflans St. Honorine and want to explore there too plus as this mooring place is free, it makes sense to see it from here rather than move there by boat and pay mooring fees. Our bikes have come in so handy, don’t know what we would do without them!
Andresy is 48’58’.602N 002’03’.400E and we have travelled 1087NM to this point.
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