Back from our short (and delicious) visit to Dijon, it was time to move on. We were headed downstream on the Seine. Once past the Statue of Liberty, all would be new. At least to us. We waved to the Lady as we passed – and said we’d be back in a month.
We were headed to the Oise, a busy river that flows into the Seine. It’s more than 50 kilometres from Arsenal. Doing it all at once would make for a long day – especially since we didn’t know where we’d moor when we got there. Fortunately, a good friend who lives on an old commercial barge half-way to the Oise said we could raft against him for the night.
We got an unexpected treat. Our friend’s wife – and a friend of hers – put on a concert for Jeannie.
The soothing sounds of the harps were quite a contrast to noise of the shipyards and loading docks we passed by the next morning.
It was late in the day by the time we arrived at Conflans-Sainte-Honorine – the junction of the Seine and the Oise. Our timing was good. We were able to moor where we really shouldn’t have been – squeezed in-between two parts of a shipyard. That large object in front of Aleau is a floating dry-dock. The small tug has a big bumper at its bow. When the floating dry-dock is lowered into the river by filling the tanks on either side with water, the tug will push the waiting boat into the (now wet) dry-dock. Then water is pumped out of the reservoirs on either side – and the dry-dock floats into the position it is in the photo.
As all work had stopped for the day – in front and behind us – it turned out to be a comfortable spot to spend the night. And the only one we could find. (If it looks like we had room behind us, we didn’t. Cables from what was behind us extended all the way to Aleau’s stern. It really was a tight fit.)
As we left the next morning, we saw other floating dry-docks in use.
The sun was shining brightly as we went upstream on the Oise. It was a beautiful day to be on the water.
As we cruised along, a group of swans headed towards Aleau. We put our engine full-astern and came to a stop. I don’t think they would have let us pass without paying a toll – a handful of corn-flakes.
Our destination – at least for a few days – was the marina at Cergy. Except we were too big to fit in.
We lucked out. The pontoon on the Oise was available. It had water, electricity, and a locked gate.
Those umbrellas just above Aleau? A restaurant. We’re never going to burn off the calories we consume if they keep putting the restaurants so close to us.
Cergy is a beautiful spot – combining old with new.
Cergy has more restaurants than I could count. Just when I thought I had seen them all, I would spot another one.
We had to start trying them – if only for an afternoon drink.
For dinner, this one caught our eye.
That’s Jeannie – waiting patiently for me to finish taking pictures instead of sitting down and eating.
You can see on the Menu board what we had. Crème de Courgettes, Médaillon de Veau, Pavé de Thon – topped off with an absolutely delicious Salade de Fraises.
Back onboard Aleau, we watched as large commercials approached us…
…and felt Aleau rock as they passed.
Although I knew where we were, I decided to go to MarineTraffic.com to see what it showed when Aleau was typed in. Yup, it knows where we are.
Reassured that were moored where I thought we were, we watched as the sun set over Cergy.
