On May 8, we left Arsenal to begin our cruising for 2023. We headed downstream and had one last look at Paris from the Seine. Our last peek at this magnificent city until we return in October.
Then it was time to make a U-Turn and head upstream. We got off the Seine and onto the Marne at the Chinese restaurant. (If you’ve forgotten, it’s on Chapter 178.)
Once again, we entered a tunnel. Not quite as spectacular as the one on the Canal St. Martin. And much shorter. We followed a commercial – something that we would end up doing frequently over the summer.
Along the Marne, as on the Seine, we saw former commercial barges transformed into private homes. Some were quite luxurious.
Our first overnight stop was Nogent-sur-Marne where we took on fuel – for Aleau and for us. Once again, we could moor within metres of our table.
It was a very wet day when we moored the next morning in Lagny-sur-Marne – 20 kilometres and 3.5 hours upstream from Nogent-sur-Marne.
The rain didn’t dampen our enthusiasm. After being tied up (for Aleau, literally – for us, just figuratively) for seven months, it was a joy to be exploring parts of France we had never seen.
The rain didn’t deter us or the people of Lagny-sur-Marne from getting outside.
As usual, the market was our first stop. In Lagny-sur-Marne, it’s held every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
Fortunately for us, most of it was indoors.
As Jeannie found more nutritious staples, I checked out the desserts.
The indoor part of the market was reserved for food. If you wanted anything else, you – and the vendors – had to brave the weather.
By the end of the day, I think this mattress would have better been described as a sponge.
I am always noticing differences between life in France and Canada. Sometimes, there appears to be a dichotomy. Caring for children is an example. Every town spends a lot of money providing elaborate playgrounds. (Even the Arsenal marina has a few.). The one below is in Lagny-sur-Marne.
The dichotomy is French parents don’t hover. There are no ‘helicopter’ parents. Children are left to their own devices – even if that includes falling – while parents chat with each other on a bench. I’m sure they really are watching – but they do so from a distance. There were neither children nor parents in this playground when we were there. It was just too wet a day. But not too wet to keep us from continuing our voyage up the Marne.