It probably goes without saying that since were were intent on departure no matter what, the morning didn't actually dawn, it just broke with a sort of a splutter like a big tap with an air bubble in it.
We would get underway immediately we thought, but after a month of lying doing nothing, to the casual observer the boat resembled something not unlike a mound of mud, a side effect of the work happening on the harbour surrounds, and really we should make an attempt to clean it. Since the use of a hose to wash boats is generally prohibited, it seemed like a good idea to stall this particular task until the last possible moment, to minimise inconvenience in the event of eviction. As is often the case though, a kindly blind eye was turned, perhaps out of sympathy or a complete lack of understanding as to why anyone would want to be scrubbing their boat in the rain and cold.
As a small compensation, I did have warm water in the bucket, and as added incentive to actually get underway, Robin and Ron had arranged to meet us for lunch in Saint-Jean-des-Losne. A long afternoon sitting in the warmth of a worker's cafe was a perfect antidote for a cold morning standing in the rain.
Peering through the bleak in the evening light it was almost impossible to equate this place with the clear blue skies and heat we had experienced here last year. The trees that has provided such welcome shade were gone, the sunny restaurants now just bare decks washed by the featureless grey sky.
But it matters little, come rain hail or shine, and there is little chance of shine, tomorrow we are cruising again and with Ron and Robin in tow.
1 comment
From the look of the photo you might well have been lunching at Cafe National. Morgan had been there a couple of days earlier......small world indeed.
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