Gray back to Auxonne

With our steering system leaking and increased flutter in our rudder shaking the entire boat at certain rpms, we decided to call this year’s trip over and slowly head back to St. Jean de Losne to get ready for winter.

A bit of French humor - Window painting at dog groomer's storefront

With this decision made we took Sunday to explore the city of Gray. Of course being Sunday everything was closed but it was a beautiful walk around a completely deserted city. While in the church Joan noticed that there was going to be a concert that evening to raise funds for the pipe organ – it seemed like a good way to spend the early evening, so we cut our tour a bit short the grab a bite to eat then return to the Notre Dame Basilica for a concert performed on the pipe organ that was installed in the 1600’s. Accompanying the organ were a hautboise and trompette (oboe and trumpet).

Notre Dame Basillica - where we attended the Organ, hautboise and trompette concert

The acoustics were great as was the entire concert. They did a bit better than they planned, having to enlarge the seating area a couple of times. It looked like they made over 2,000€ toward the maintenance of this amazing instrument.

Monday was predicted to be cold and wet – sounds like a day to stay inside, rather than go boating, so we spent the day reading, a bit of cleaning, taking on water and when the weather cleared walking back into town to tour the Chateau (built in 1777 by the Count of Provence – who later became Louis XVIII) and it’s Museum Baron Martin. The chateau is built to take advantage to castle walls and a single tower left from a castle built in the 1300’s.

Parvis Tower - built as part of a castle in Gray 1200's

The chateau is now an art museum though an effort is made to furnish the rooms with furniture from the 1700’s. A nice dry place to spend a few hours and a chance to get off the boat for a walk.

An old work barge abandoned along the Soâne River

Tuesday was looking like partial sun so it was time to head back downstream. Of course on our return trip the boat is behaving better, but still leaking fluid, plus we still have a window we have to figure out how to retrieve. Tuesday and Wednesday nights we spent in a little marina in the town of Pontailler-sur-Saône. 

The marine at Pontailler-sur-Saône Juniper is the beautiful boat with laundry hanging in the sunshine

The field next to the marina - we're never very far from agriculture along the Saône

The trip down was beautiful and we had time to kick back and do a bit more boat cleaning. There isn’t much to see or do in Pontailler-sur Saône other than getting groceries, a bit of walking and visiting with other boaters at the dock.

On the Saône we have to locate the "Dongle" hanging somewhere before the canal and give it a twist to activate the ecluse.

Wednesday was another sunny day and a short run back to Auxonne where we will spend a few days waiting till it’s time to continue down the Saône to St. Jean de Losne to pull Juniper out of the water and then catch a train for Paris.