2024 August: Something I will never do again

At least, I hope not…

Let’s catch you up to date first before I explain. In the last post, we were in Niederviller, where we had a small repair done and had one last dinner at our favorite French restaurant, Auberge du Tannenheim.

And watch the beautiful sunset across the fields from our deck.

We took off slowly the next morning, hoping Dagmar and Peter would catch up with us. Since the bridges on this particular canal are so low, we had to drive with the top down in the heat.

We landed at a small harbor off the main canal in Port Houillon for the night. It was a popular place for people renting boats, and the harbor did not disappoint us with more entertainment. Lutz to the rescue—they dropped their rental bike in the canal!

That night, the temperature dropped, but I was prepared.

So far, we’ve been able to handle the up-and-down locks when we are the only boat in the lock. It’s easier to hold the ship steady going down locks. We were beginning our accent up-locks. We can steady our boat in the back of the lock to manage the title wave that floods the lock from the front.

This lock was one of the highest locks so far. Fifteen meters high!

Later in the day, we anchored on the side of the canal and rode our bikes through the wilderness, following the old canal, where a portion of these locks were replaced by the huge one we had just left.

The remnants of the old canal remain. They still had the old canal stations along the way.

The next morning, the Black Pearl brought us Dagmar and Peter, our traveling companions! It took them about a week to catch up.

However, the trip up the locks with two boats became more challenging. We were in the front, and the water flooded the canal in torrents. This was the beginning of the end for me. Keeping the Virus safe and losing control of our boat in the locks was a big concern.

The next day, we had to get on our way so we could watch the soccer game using Peter’s satellite. Sadly, Germany lost, but we’re hoping for France now.

According to the Germans, we were on the Canal of Wild Pigs, but I never saw a pig. Due to the torturous lock situation, I’m considering a new name. Although the scenery was amazing and green, there was still rain, and our bimini was down due to low bridges.

After 18 difficult up-locks, rain, and cold, we landed in Nancy.

By this time, Alena, Dagmar’s daughter from Berlin, had arrived. Since she had never seen Nancy and our time was short, a city train ride was the perfect opportunity to see the city.

Downtown is spectacular and filled with so much history.

The art nouveau was everywhere,

and downtown homes were spectacular.

I especially love the original gates to the city and the quaint cafes along the walking streets.

However, my favorite place to visit in this town is the Art Nouveau Museum de L’Ecole de Nancy.

During this visit, I was fascinated with the stained glasswork throughout the house.

ok, so I got carried away…

one more…

The intricate doors inside

And out!

The gardens were very impressive. 

It was sad to leave this beautiful museum. The accompanying free audio guide has so much to listen to, but Nancy at night was calling. In the evening, Nancy lights up!

There was a spectacular light show.

It is something to see if you are in the area.

We enjoyed our stay in Nancy, but the up-locks were calling us (not me). These up-locks lifted us to the top of the French Vogesen Mountains, and we had more trouble holding Virus steady in the locks.

Here we go with another day of 18 locks, less than a mile apart. I dreaded each one. We went first and secured ourselves against the flood that gushed through the gate.

It must have been during the last few locks that Virus started rocking so hard, and it was difficult to hold the ropes due to the flooding water rushing in. The Virus hit the side, and one of the ropes on our fenders snapped and frayed. I had a nightmare that evening that I was alone on the boat, and the lock doors opened, and I could not control the ship. Yikes.

I dislocated my right thumb in March after a fall, and now I believe I did it again. After several days of riding the waves, it has once again become difficult to use and is in constant pain. After days of straining with the ropes, someone got the great idea for us to leave 30 minutes early and go alone through the locks, and then the Black Pearl would follow.

Duh, ok, so what a difference. But I’m still not going down this canal ever again, and I still have nightmares. and my thumb still hurts!

We stayed a few nights along the canal while heading to Epinal. The city of Charmes was so pretty, but it had many closed businesses and decayed homes left abandoned.

In Nomexy, we had an idlic spot in the shade.

The Canal of Pigs is beautiful (except for the up-locks) with very little traffic and miles of countryside. We were treated to a special dinner from Peter. He caught fresh cod from a fishing trip in Norway, and what a treat!

Epinal was a great town to visit. We stayed near the park with rafting, surfing, and kayaking clubs.

It’s pretty cool entertainment. Click here to see a video of a surfer!

We said our goodbyes to Alena after she fixed her flat tire and sent her safely back to Berlin. This harbor had a restaurant and great entertainment. These guys were really good. He played the drums with his feet. Click here for a sample of their music.

Of course, a bike tour to town was in order.

A city wall once surrounded the town, but parts of the walls remain—a walk in the moat for sure.

The tour was worth the walk.

There was a beautiful Nunery/church and garden. The unique sites were wonderful, but the city again revealed closed shops and homes needing repair.

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That evening, we were entertained with fireworks celebrating Frances’s independence from Germany.

We enjoyed our two days of exploring Epinal but still had another 14-up-locks for the day. By this time, I had peace of mind about the locks since we were going one at a time. My right hand was still difficult to use, but my left worked great! I could view the scenery and…

take in the art along the way.

After several hours of taking turns going up in the locks, Peter called to say something was wrong with his boat. We waited for him to catch up, and his engine was heating up. We secured him to the side of the canal and headed to the next harbor, twenty minutes away, to find a mechanic.

Peter let the engine cool and drove his boat slowly to the harbor an hour away. A couple of mechanics arrived that evening to check on the Black Pearl. His impeller was kaput. With a temporary repair, he was advised to drive slowly the next day to the mechanics’ harbor so they could repair the boat.

In the meantime, we decided to ride our bikes to a nearby bakery housed in an old metal factory.

The place was incredible. It had housing for the employees, a park, and even a swimming pool. It is also a small hotel now so you can have a cool experience.

The bakery was the boomb: tasty treats and homemade bread.

I had homemade blueberry ice cream.

Lutz had a slice of rhubarb pie, just like his mom used to bake.

Back to the boat, it was time to celebrate Dagmar’s birthday! What a spread. Her favorite and mine, salad!

The next day, we were in luck. The locks were going down, so we got to go together—calm and easy. Peter drove very slowly as we followed him to the repair harbor. Once again, I could enjoy the scenery and take it all in. We even went through a turn bridge that had to be moved by hand. Crazy! That’s his full-time job!

Wonderful old villas along the way. Many looked as if they were abandoned.

Some were manicured to a tee!

We arrived in Corre safely on Friday. The weather was ninety degrees, and there was no wind, but there was a washing machine, showers, and a super restaurant. This harbor was the end of the Canal of Pigs and the beginning of the Saone River. Up to this point we’ve been through 170 locks.

The coolest place was in the restaurant, and what a treat. The food was amazing. I stuck with salmon, while the others had fish and chips. The next day. after cleaning the inside of the boat and Lutz washing all our clothes, we decided it was still too hot to cook and that we should try the restaurant again. I had curried chicken.

The rest of the crew had mussels or, as my father would call them, segual food.

Since the mechanics and spare parts were supposed to arrive on Monday, we decided to take off slowly on the beautiful Saone River and wait for Peter’s report on his repairs. We ended up in a small harbor three hours away and finally had a breeze. It was nothing spectacular but a shady place, pouring rain for about twenty minutes.

We left the next morning and drove three more hours to Port Sur Saône. It’s a beautiful little city and a great harboring spot. We were right on the end, with a slight breeze and a view of an old Roman bridge. The news from Peter was not good. He would have to wait for parts in the harbor for another four days.

We are slowly moving on as the Black Pearl waits for repair. I’ve had many relaxing moments on our new canal, the Saône, and have decided to rename the Canal of Wild Pigs the Canal from Hell. As it stands now, I will never choose to make this same trip again, regardless of the beauty along the way. But one thing I will do again and again is make this luscious Cream Caramel Custard. It is fabulous. It is so easy and comes out perfect every time.

Fave recipe: Cream Caramel Custard

This is my new go-to for a delicious dessert using the store top! Adaptable for every dietary need!

Fave resources: The Cook’n Coach Resource

My resource page contains much information about movies, books, medical research, and more. Check it out; I am sure there is something there for you.