One of the joys of barging is making new friends and meeting old ones. After Damery, we pulled into Mareuil-sur-Aÿ – and found C.A.R.I.B III already there. It belongs to good friends from Florida. We had no idea they’d be there – but were thrilled to see their barge. Especially since there was nowhere to moor. I always feel more comfortable rafting against someone we know. Lon and Pat weren’t onboard – but I knew they wouldn’t be too upset to come back and find Aleau tied alongside.
As the photo shows, we were headed in opposite directions. C.A.R.I.B. III was going downstream. Aleau was headed upstream. Which meant they had already seen the nice mooring spots we had yet to discover. They were leaving the next morning. They suggested that instead of taking their spot (which wasn’t the prettiest) that we go upstream a kilometre where there is a lovely spot. It didn’t have electricity or water – but neither did where they were. If it’s a choice between two spots without services, go to the nicer one. So we did.
By the way, C.A.R.I.B. III stands for Chill And Relax It’s Bargetime (or Beertime) the third.
The next mooring we pulled in here. They were right. It is a gorgeous spot.
A lovely view in all directions. Across the river, we could watch crews tending to the grapes that would make some of the finest Champagne.
As there was no electricity, we weren’t planning to stay very long. But things don’t always work out as planned.
The next morning I turned the key. Nothing. Our engine-start batteries were dead. Again. The previous September, they died on us and had to be replaced. (See Chapter 171.) And that wasn’t the first time. (See Chapter 140.) We would now be on our fourth set of engine-start batteries in as many years. If we could get them.
There was no battery store anywhere nearby. Ordering online was the only option. Except what do I put in the line that says ‘Delivery Address?’ I don’t think ‘Between the 250th and 260th tree on the Left Bank south of Lock 13 on the Marne’ would be accepted as a valid shipping address.
One of the design problems with Aleau is the same batteries are used to start both the engine and the generator. That should never be done. With the engine-start batteries dead, we couldn’t run the generator. Our ‘domestic batteries’ were supplying electricity to keep the fridge running and the lights on. But having them drop below 70 percent could damage them – permanently. We needed to run the generator to charge them. But we couldn’t start the generator. Time was running out.
And then the gods smiled on us. Twice. Good friends on another barge – who we hadn’t seen since they left Paris ahead of us – happened to be moored not too far away. And they had a spare battery. Not strong enough to start our engine – but good enough to get our generator running. And they had a scooter onboard. Pete offered to hold the heavy battery between his feet and ride the 25 kilometres to where we were stranded.
Successs! We now had a working generator – and thus, electricity. We could turn on the stove and use our oven. To celebrate, Jeannie cooked dinner for Pete and Tess – served on the aft-deck.
While the fear of damaging our domestic batteries had passed, we still couldn’t go anywhere. We couldn’t start our engine. As I searched for a solution, we explored Mareuil-sur-Aÿ.
Needless to say, it was all about Champagne.
It seemed like there were nothing but Champagne houses in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. And some of them were huge.
An index to the town map listed them.
Keep in mind that list above is just for houses located in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. There are towns every few kilometres along this stretch of the Marne – and each one of them is home to a large number of Champagne houses.
The owners of some of these houses seemed to be doing well. Their ‘house’ afforded them a very nice house.
The Champagne business is booming.
We benefitted from the Champagne business. Over lunch at a local bistro (Okay, the only bistro in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ), we began speaking to a lovely couple at the next table. We mentioned that we were stranded – and with no way to order batteries, we would remain stranded. They quickly offered to let us use their address for shipping – and when the batteries arrived, they would put them in their car and deliver them to Aleau. I keep saying, over and over again, how overwhelmed I am by the kindness the people of France have shown us.
It didn’t end there. Turns out Sylvain owns a vineyard – with his grapes being used to make Champagne. Of course. What else would grapes from this part of France be used for? After dropping off the batteries, he said he’d show me his vineyard. But first, he gave me a tour of his home.
It is energy self-sufficient – with solar panels and heat pumps supplying all his needs.
Then, a look inside. It began with his wine rack. The rack couldn’t hold everything. The cardboard boxes around it are all full. (Don’t forget, this is France.)
Sylvain is not just a vigneron. He is also an artist. I admired his mixed-media three-dimensional painting of a vineyard.
And of some U.S. scenes.
Of course, it was his vineyard that Sylvain really wanted to show me.
Sylvain showed me the difference between a Pinot Noir leaf and a Chardonnay leaf. (I’ll pretend I still remember.)
Sylvain is also growing truffles. Given that they grow underground and it takes seven years to grow them, there are no photos to share with you.
Wine is so important here, bottles are even used to hold flower boxes.
There was all sorts of activity going on when I got back to Aleau. Two hotel barges were arriving – almost simultaneously. That’s C’est la Vie – which rescued us when we encountered our first sloping lock last summer. (See Chapter 169.)
And then came Serenity.
With two, very cute, full-time guests.
On the other side of the river, another cute pair.
I can’t say who’s sitting on the eggs as mother and father take turns.
To keep people from getting too close, the town has put up a fence.
If we had to be stranded without water and electricity for a week, I can’t think of a nicer spot than where we were – Between the 250th and 260th tree on the Left Bank south of Lock 13 on the Marne’
Below is Lock 13 – with a vineyard behind it. We never got any closer. We have to turn around and go back down the Marne.
