Besançon to Ranchot

A mixture of old and new - part of the old town wall and a modern water sculpture - Besançon photo by Joan

An early start day (for us) as we were shooting for what would normally be a two day run. The sun was out and Besançon was not yet fully awake as we made our way around the cite one last time. Going down is so much easier than going up in the ecluses.

We prepare to lock around a barrage - abandoned factory in the background - photo by Joan

As we motor in the lock wall is easy to reach, instead of trying to lasso a bollard you can hardly see over your head. With at least half of the ecluses up when we arrived and the fact that we were going downstream on the Doubs we made really good time, arriving in Ranchot in the early afternoon and finding we had the entire port to ourselves.

Yet another ecluse to get us around another barrage. - photo by Joan

A few minutes later the first boat arrived - and as is the standard practice aboard Juniper, Joan and I got onto the quay to greet the new arrival and offer to take their lines. Ranchot has a bit more current running through than it looks like and the boat we were greeting was having a difficult time, they were quite happy to have our assistance. Once they were secured we returned to our books, then a bike ride out via the bike trail and back to the boat via back roads.

Our retired French teachers from Campaign - share a bottle of champagne with us.

A few minutes after returning Michael (pronounced Michele), from the hire boat we had helped, came over to invite us to have some Champaign with them in 20 minutes. The hire boat crew were all retired teachers from the Champaign region of France. While we had been cycling so had Jean Marie – but he had noticed the forest we had just gone through plus lots of wet weather and now sun – mushroom conditions. He’d found some of the biggest, greenest fungi I had ever seen. After cleaning them, with his special knife, and cooking them – they also became probably the best mushrooms I have ever had. Food, drink and conversation went on till well after dark. It turns out this was their first time chartering a boat and we were their for their first landing – it was great for all of us.

Jean-Marie showing off a few of the mushrooms he's gathered. Now cleaning them with his special knife.

Last time we were in Ranchot it was a Kiwi boat rescuing us, as there was no room at the quay. When they saw us arrive, they quickly got the boats that were already there to shuffle enough to create a hole for us. That also was a late night.

Morning fog greeted us the next morning as we head back to Dole - photo by Joan