Thursday, August 28, - Friday, August 29, 2025 – St Jean de Losne

 

Thursday, August 28, 2025 –  Longecourt to St Jean de Losne

All 3 tucked into an écluse

Tham enters the lock before us around 9:30am. It’s bigger than Juniper and the éclusier tells them to let us pass once through the écluse so we can share écluses with the two boats that were waiting below the écluse. All three boats have English speakers on board who are pleasant and help each other. The couple on the Le Boat are from Australia and have purchased the boat.  Being the last of the three we had nothing to tie a sternline to and Joan's bow line couldn't keep us from moving backward. We had to keep a close eye of the sill on the uphill end of the écluse. If our stern hangs up on that as the water goes out, it wouldn't be a pretty sight.

The éclusier informs us we’ll stop for lunch after écluse 74 Brazey. No bollards, but two wood poles gets the sailboat and Le Boat and our bow secured to shore. We pound a stake in for our stern. After lunch we finish our our cruising day to Saint Jean around 2:15.

The sill we had to make sure we were clear of as the water level lowers

Joan’s right eye has been itching for the past week plus; and today started tearing and getting pressure in the sinus below. Time to get it checked. Nathalie at Blanquarts recommends going to the local Medical House. It's a short walk. The young doc is the receptionist and billing department as well. He takes Joan as a walk-in after patients with appointments. It’s a short wait! He speaks pretty good English, but we use the phone to translate a little. The exam and writing of prescriptions go quickly. His bill, 30 euros. We pay him and he gives us a facture for Joan's insurance company. We walk around the corner to the pharmacy and they are out of one of the prescriptions. He tries to call the doc about a substitute, but no answer. His colleague says we need to go back and talk to the doc. We walk into the waiting room, a mom with two young boys are waiting. The doc comes to get them and Joan asks if he has just a moment, the mom is very gracious about our interruption. Doc makes a note on the prescription confirming the substitute med and we’re off back to the pharmacy and get the replacement. My charge at the pharmacy is 26 euros so far. They also give me paperwork for our insurance. Fingers crossed one or all of these helps!!

Friday, August 29, 2025 – St Jean de Losne

Joan's dessert at lunch

Trip to the pharmacy for the eye drops to fulfill the prescription is 23 euros. Less than 100 euros all total. We spend the day provisioning, washing clothes and general housekeeping. Michael’s favorite lunch spot is open so we make a point to go. They were closed earlier in August when we first arrived. Another wonderful lunch – wine, gazpacho soup, Joan has salmon and Michael has pork chop. Dessert tops us off.  Happy to say by the end of the day there is some improvement in Joan’s eye.