It is April 17th. We woke up to a heavy layer of frost covering Aleau. It has been like this every morning for weeks. By now, most bargees would normally be out on the pontoon sanding and painting – getting their barges “ship shape” for the summer cruising season. In warmer times, some of them would have finished their spring chores by now and already be out there cruising the canals of France. Not this year. The pontoons are quiet as bargees wait for warmer weather to begin painting.
It is not a big deal. Bargees are used to adjusting their schedules to accommodate the weather. Too windy and it’s not safe to navigate between the pontoons of the Port de Plaisance and venture onto the waterways. Too much rain and there’s the chance of water levels rising and making it too dangerous to venture out on some rivers. (See Chap. 94) Not enough rain and low water-levels could force some canals to close. That’s life on a barge. We adjust.
The never-ending morning frost has had a devastating effect on our neighbours. We are in the heart of the Burgundy region of France – home to the best wines in the world. (Bargees moored farther to the south in the Bordeaux region will tell you the vineyards around them are the best. Having had more than one bottle of Crémant de Bourgogne, I will argue that ours are far superior. But I digress.)
As you can read in the two articles below, vineyards have been decimated. About a third of France’s wine crop has been ruined. (That figure is from an article written days ago. I can only imagine what is happening as this cold wave continues.)
All we can do is hope the weather warms up soon. It is heartbreaking to see an industry so vital to this part of France so damaged.