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Back In The Boots
  • SQUIRREL TALES
May – Jun 2019

Back In The Boots

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  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler
    Gondola making ... all done by handChurch of San Giorgio MaggioreBasilica di Santa Maria della Salute1A very quiet corner of VeniceA shortcut back to the apartment ... crossing the Grand Canal by traghetto

    Our Last Day In Venice

    May 27, 2019 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    Ma Nature had a big say in today's plans ... she rained on our morning so we had some quality 'inside' time. The rain stopped in the early afternoon allowing for 'outside' time and we were able to tick off the remaining items circled on our map.

    The weather was a little grey and dreary with a few showers while we were out but not enough to slow us down. We leave Venice tomorrow and we were on a mission to experience as much of this wonderful city as possible.    Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler
    Leaving Venice
    From the trainThe view from our window, no canals anywhere in sight

    Arrivederci Venezia

    May 28, 2019 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    Goodbye Venice. It's been fun but there are more adventures to have ... just not today.

    Today was a 'transit' day. Check out of the apartment, catch a vaporetto (water bus) to the train station and then a couple of hours hurtling across the Italian countryside.

    Destination: Bolzano, gateway to the Dolomites mountain range in the Italian Alps.    Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler
    Duomo di Bolzano, aka Dom Maria HimmelfahrtThe medieval shopping street, Via dei Portici ... or Laubengasse if you prefer names in GermanPunishing Grumpy Toe with a 10km walk in the surrounding hills ... and earning beerCastel RoncoloBolzano brewery ... we earned a beer

    Gateway To The Dolomites

    May 29, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Bolzano is a fascinating contradiction ... an Italian city with a German accent and an Austrian flair. For centuries Bolzano was a place of trade on the coach route between Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the town is a melting pot of cultures.

    Place names and sights around the town are written in both Italian and German but we didn't hear very much spoken Italian as we explored the medieval centre. The cafes and restaurants predominantly offer one cuisine or the other but some appeared to offer pasta, pizza, alpine cheese and dark seeded bread.

    Bolzano's most famous resident Ötzi the Iceman (circa 3300 BC) lives in one of the museums ... we didn't visit him. The weather was good and spending the afternoon inside had no appeal.

    Instead we squeezed Grumpy Toe back into a shoe and walked the long way to Castel Roncolo, aka Schloss Runkelstein. We were rewarded with great views and a stop at the local brewery on our way back.    Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler
    Look familiar ??? Mr FitBody waiting (again) for Ms OfficeBody to catch up (again)
    11From the topOn the way back down the other sideSquirrel !!!! Courtesy of a creative chainsaw in a pine forest.Our mountain (GPS tracking) 😀

    Through The Gateway

    May 30, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We're going to put "conquer a mountain" on the Bucket List simply so we can cross it off after today's efforts. It wasn't the biggest mountain and we had some help but our feet were on the top of it so we're claiming it as ours.

    Help Pt 1 was getting from Bolzano to Soprabolzano on the Renon plateau. This was easily achieved via a 12 minute spectacularly scenic ride in a cable car ... technically it's a gondola ropeway but regardless of what it's called, it's a very civilised way to gain 950m elevation. Grumpy Toe was grateful.

    Help Pt 2 was an equally spectacular scenic trundle on the historic narrow-gauge railway which runs across the Renon plateau to Collalbo.

    Help Pt 3 was a local bus to Tre Vie, which is a busy ski area in winter but in summer it's a hiking paradise. It was standing room only on the bus. Grumpy Toe was very happy for the winding ride which gained us another 400m elevation.

    From Tre Vie there was an option for Help Pt 4 ... another cable car which would deposit us closer to the top, leaving only a final few hundred metres to walk. Grumpy Toe was tempted but we decided to walk up from Tre Vie. We were the only ones who didn't get off the bus and join the queue for the cable car.

    A couple of hours later, after 6km of uphill all the way, we were eating our packed lunch on Corno del Renon with 360 degree views ... we've nominated it for Best Lunch Spot So Far. The weather was clear, the visibility was amazing but it was a little cold ... we trudged through some small patches of snow and ice to get our view and the breeze sent chilled air our way.

    After drinking in the view and taking lots of photos which don't do it justice, we walked back down the other side of the mountain through pine forests and mountain pastures. It was a slightly longer walk (8km downhill all the way) but the scenery was just as spectacular as on the way up. The trail continued all the way down to the Renon plateau, or even further to Bolzano in the valley a long way below us but Grumpy Toe had morphed into Angry Toe after such a long descent. We arrived at the Tre Vie bus stop and reversed the transport process to get back down to Bolzano.    Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler

    On A Train ... Arriving In France

    May 31, 2019 in France ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    It was a long day ... 3 trains, 3 countries and many hours sitting in a seat with things zooshing past the window at hundreds of kilometres per hour.

    We left the hybrid Italian/German city of Bolzano this morning and have arrived in the hybrid French/German city of Strasbourg tonight. We found our apartment, found some food for a late dinner and then our heads found the pillow. We'll explore tomorrow.Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler
    From the Barrage Vauban
    Maison des Tanneurs ... former tannery, circa 1570On the streets1Maison Kemmerzell ... very old, very well preservedA very tall cathedralOn the streets2Palais de Rohan

    Tourist Mode In Strasbourg

    June 1, 2019 in France ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Today we operated in full Tourist Mode and joined the throngs of annoying people who wander around historic places using the 'self guided walking tour' ... constantly stopping to take photos AND juggling the audio handset AND trying to follow the map with the numbered 'sights' on it AND listen to the appropriate info when standing somewhere near we thought we should be. FYI, if you have fumble-fingers when entering the number into the handset and accidentally enter 3 digits instead of 2, the language changes from English to something completely unrecognisable 😀😀

    We spent most of the day in the historic centre of the city on the Grande Île (large island) ... the entire island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Half-timbered medieval buildings, grand and imposing [former] private homes, canals and the Petite France quarter, and a cathedral so tall that it's impossible to fit it into a single picture unless you stand on the other side of town or own a drone. Christmas gift idea ?!?!?

    The weather was gorgeous and the crowds weren't too bad ... you only have to step one or two streets off the main tourist path to have the place to yourself. We ticked off all the numbered sights on the tourist map, returned the handsets to the Tourist Info Office and steered our cobble-weary feet towards the closest brasserie.    Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler
    Strasbourg, Petite France canal lock - then and now
    Out of the tourist zone, hunting for the remnants of the original city wallsLunch stop

    Where Have All The Tourists Gone?

    June 2, 2019 in France ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    We must have missed the memo advising tourists that Strasbourg is not the place to be on a Sunday ... the streets were comparitively empty and most of the shops were closed. We had intended to actively avoid the tourist and shopping areas anyway but no need, there were very few people to avoid.

    Taking advantage of free entry into all museums on the first Sunday of the month, we wandered into Palais de Rohan to gaze at the sumptuous interior of the state apartments. This section of the palais is actually the Decorative Arts Museum but we were primarily there to see the gilt.

    Also on our To Do list was to find the very small remaining section of the original city walls. They were on the other side of the river and well out of the main tourist zone so there were no signs, plaques or information boards ... just a few metres of old stone wall almost invisible behind scaffolding and restoration equipment.

    We spent the afternoon walking along the river, enjoying the gorgeous weather and bouncing from cafe to brasserie to cafe. A very relaxing non-tourist day.    Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler
    1Obernai
    Obernai againStill ObernaiObernai ... or perhaps one of the other villages ... nah, reasonably certain it's ObernaiMedieval wheelie bins in BarrBarrMother Nature doing her best to intimidate usAndlauA village in a valley. Which one? Your guess is as good as ours ... but we think it's AndlauThis is definitely in Ammerschwihr

    Road Trip ... Alsace (#1)

    June 3, 2019 in France ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    This morning we picked up a hire car in Strasbourg and everything seems wrong. The steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car, all cars are driving on the wrong side of the road, everyone drives around a roundabout in the wrong direction and the road signs have the wrong words on them. We have some adjusting to do ... and quickly 😀

    Our plan is to tour the Alsace region for a couple of days. Our expectation is a plethora of charming villages full of half timbered houses on narrow cobbled streets ... with tubs, pots and window boxes full of flowers. And wine, lots of wine.

    Day 1 absolutely met those expectations. We walked around some villages and poked our noses into their business, others were drive-through tourism with pics taken from the car window while our feet recovered from the cobbles of the previous village.

    The weather wasn't kind to us in the middle of the day but we avoided the heavy rain while having a long lazy lunch inside.

    After leaving Strasbourg this morning, we crossed Obernai, Barr, Mittelbergheim and Andlau off the village list before checking into our accommodation at Ammerschwihr. This is base camp for our Alsace adventure.    Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler
    Riquewihr
    RiquewihrWhizzing past villages and vineyardsHaut-Koenigsbourg castleMedieval garden ... Haut-Koenigsbourg castleFormerly the fortified walls and defensive ditch (possibly filled with water) ... BergheimBergheimHunawihrKayserbergKayserberg

    Road Trip ... Alsace (#2)

    June 4, 2019 in France ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    A day of Alsace touring, after a lazy morning and a very slow start. Similar to yesterday we explored some areas on foot and were drive-by tourists in other areas.

    After rummaging around in Riquewihr for a couple of hours and then gawping at Haut-Koenigsbourg castle we buzzed through the villages of Bergheim, Ribeauville and Hunawihr before heading to Kayserberg for dinner.

    There's lots to see and everything is pretty, scenic, lovely, etc etc but by the end of the day we'd had our fill of half timbered buildings. And cobbled streets ... enough of them for a while too.

    We're going to expand our horizons tomorrow and range further afield than the quaint villages.    Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler
    Colmar
    The area known as Little Venice in ColmarLook who we found

    Road Trip ... Alsace (#3)

    June 5, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Our determination to avoid quaint villages, half timbered buildings and cobbles took us to Colmar ... the 'capital' of the Alsace region. Guess what we found there ?!?!

    We checked the tourist info, found 3 things that we thought might be nice to see and tracked them down. Tick, tick, tick ... then we found a fantastic cafe and had a very very long lunch.

    Interesting fact ... the guy who designed the Statue of Liberty was born in Colmar.
    Interesting sight ... there is a replica of the Statue of Liberty in Colmar in his honour.
    It's in the middle of a roundabout and we're much better at negotiating the roundabouts in the wrong direction now so we went looking for it.

    An afternoon drive through the countryside in a easterly direction brought us to the banks of the Rhine River. We promised the hire company that we wouldn't take the car outside France so we only got to look at Germany across the water. We didn't immediately spot any half timbered buildings, maybe Germany is the place for us 😀    Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler
    1So many vines
    Boats on the Burgundy Canal ... this will be us tomorrowAuxerreAuxerreAuxerre

    Road Trip ... The Last Leg

    June 6, 2019 in France ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    With barely a glance at the half timbered houses in our rear vision mirror we set off for a very picturesque journey to our next destination and a new adventure. Purposely avoiding toll roads and motorways we zigged and zagged through the countryside for a couple of hundred kilometres to Auxerre. Rolling green hills, lots of vineyards and, bonus, villages with houses made of stone 😀

    We got into Auxerre with plenty of time to wander around the old town and riverside. At this time of year the sun doesn't set until after 9.30pm, it's lovely to roam the streets when there are less people out 'n' about.    Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler

    All Aboard

    June 7, 2019 in France ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    There has been trains, planes and automobiles ... and now we're adding 'canal boat' as a holiday mode of transport. We had a bit of a kerfuffle getting to the port this morning. We were originally meeting the boat at Tonnerre but a minor problem with the boat meant we had to meet it at Saint Florentin instead. The boat company sent us a timetable yesterday for the local bus which would get us to our new starting point.

    Changing our transport plans should have been as easy as catching a different bus but no such luck. Apparently the bus simply doesn't run if no one contacts the bus company by 5.00pm the previous afternoon to advise that they want to catch it ... and we discovered this well after 5.00pm yesterday.

    Thinking that surely someone, somewhere must want to catch a bus hence the bus would be running today, we asked the hotel reception to ring the bus company this morning to check if the driver was intending to get out of bed. She confirmed that the bus existed and would be at the identified stop at the appropriate time. We were there well in advance of said time and we were still there over an hour later. Perhaps the message to pick up passengers was lost in translation but there's only one bus opportunity each day and today wasn't our lucky day. We rang the boat company to share our plight with them and they very helpfully arranged for a private car to collect us from the bus stop.

    It started raining just as we stepped out of the car at the port and there was no immediate sign of our boat. A very friendly couple from the UK invited us all to join them for a cup of tea on their boat to wait out the rain or until our boat materialised, whichever happened first. As luck would have it, the two coincided and before long we were getting our 10 minute lesson in diesel motors, generators, boat steering, lock navigation and rope tying.

    The explanations were in Franglish so at the end we knew about as much as we did at the beginning ... and then we were let loose on our own for the next 5 days. Hope nothing gets in our way, we don't really know how to steer and there's no hand brake.    Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler
    Getting some final tips in Franglish before the boat rep left us at the first lock
    We're off ...Our first solo lock1We have no idea what we're doing but we're looking good1Best seat on The TubMoored for our first night on The Tub

    Novices

    June 7, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    After 10 minutes of instruction from the boat company representative we signed for the keys to 'Celeste', a 14m long floating tub with a dodgy steering system. The rep went with us from the port at Saint Florentin to the first canal lock to help us get accustomed to the boat .... a distance of approximately 100m. It's amazing how much desperate learning you can cram into 100m but there's a heck of a lot that you don't know if, like us, you've never been in control of a canal boat. Perhaps the word 'control' gives the wrong impression at this stage of our journey.

    Armed with maps and manuals in three languages we waved goodbye to the boat rep mid-afternoon and set off on our own down the Canal de Bourgogne. We had the canal to ourselves which was a very good thing as we tried to get the hang of keeping a giant bath tub travelling in the direction we wanted it to go. It was very easy to over-correct when The Tub started to wander off-track and we had a hilarious stretch of slow-mo chicaning and drift sliding down the canal, at one point almost ending in the opposite direction to where we should have been. The lock-keepers must have been laughing themselves silly as The Tub weaved it's way into the locks, bouncing off the walls on both sides with the extremely inexperienced crew getting themselves tangled in the ropes.

    When we weren't giggling at our own ineptitude or making unhelpful navigation suggestions, we were slowly wobbling down the canal to the sound of birds and lapping water. We didn't go very far on our first outing ... just through a couple of locks until we found a nice spot to tie up and start tucking into our pre-delivered supplies. This is going to be a very relaxing part of our holiday ... just as long as there are no icebergs to run into Titanic-style.    Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler
    Argh ... the lock opened to reveal oncoming traffic and we still aren't very good at steering
    The Tub securely moored, eventually, at Brienon-sur-ArmanconBrienon-sur-ArmanconLe Grand Lavoir, Brienon-sur-Armancon ... built in the 1700's for use by washerwomen and tripe-dealersEither we're very slow or he's speeding ... our money is on the former rather than the latter

    Advanced Beginners

    June 8, 2019 in France ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Our first full day on the water and, like yesterday, we didn't travel very far. By the time we moored for the evening, we had only covered a collective distance of about 18km. We're going to have to step up the pace a little to avoid a cannonball run on the last day of our boat hire.

    The locks on the Canal operate from 9.00am so super-early starts aren't an option ... we're very pleased with this arrangement. It also suits us that the locks don't operate for an hour from 12.00pm so we're forced to tie up somewhere scenic and enjoy the quiet peacefulness, which is only disturbed by the sounds of our own munching.

    This morning we needed a few things to supplement our munching plans so we stopped at Brienon-sur-Armancon after negotiating our first lock for the day. The simple task of dropping by the shops is not a quick activity in The Tub. Finding a place to tie up; checking that it isn't too shallow and we'd be beaching rather than mooring; throwing ropes ashore to tie down; someone leaping off the boat to actually tie the ropes to something; getting the front of The Tub tied down; bringing the back around and securing the back rope; adjusting the front rope; putting out the 'gang plank' ... it's a major exercise with all hands required on deck ... and it didn't necessarily happen in the order described or without several attempts. After all, we're still learning 😁😁    Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler
    Traffic on the River Yonne
    The locks on the river are much bigger than the ones on the canals1Mr FitBody abandoned shipPootling down the deviation canalFrom the distance, only our umbrella can be seen pootling down the canalHere comes the 'up' lock surgeCruisin' pastFrom the upper deck of The Tub

    Competent

    June 9, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    In an unbiased self-assessment of our Tub steering and navigation skills we rated ourselves as 'competent' and ready for today's new experiences. Full of breakfast and bravado, we headed towards our first 'up' lock. So far all locks have been 'down' locks i.e. the lock is full of water when we enter and The Tub is gently lowered down to the next level as the water is drained from the lock. All we had to do was keep The Tub steady with a guiding rope at the front and back.

    For the rest of our journey all locks will be the opposite ... we pootle into the empty lock and The Tub will be raised up to the next level as the lock fills. We'd been warned about what to expect in the 'up' locks, especially the movement of the boat as the water surges in to fill the lock. Our Franglish instructions stressed the requirement to secure The Tub in the lock to avoid being whoosed backwards with the surge and then forwards as the water hits the rear lock gate. We were a little nervy as we approached the lock but forgot about the pending surges as we encountered an undisclosed challenge ... how do we secure the ropes to the bollards when they're 8 feet above our heads ?????

    We added 'leaping from the roof of The Tub onto the top of a lock wall' to our rapidly expanding list of skills.

    Once through the lock we turned left, leaving the Canal de Bourgogne and joining the River Yonne where our newly acquired steering competency came to the fore ... there were other boats, currents and bridges across the river with big yellow diamonds indicating which arch we needed to pass under. Pleased to report there were no collisions or close calls.

    After a stint on the river, we bounced back into a deviation canal where Mr FitBody took one of the bikes off The Tub. He scooted along the tow path while the remaining Lemmonds manned (and wo-manned) The Tub. He met us at the next locks so we weren't one deck-hand down for roof-leaping and rope-tying duties.

    We covered a reasonable distance today and got through 7 locks but it was slow-going when we had to wait for locks to operate for the oncoming traffic before it was our turn ... especially the larger locks on the River Yonne. At one lock we had enough waiting time to set up a banquet of snacks and have drinks on the upper deck ... we were happy to wait.    Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler
    Good morning .... this was the last we saw of the sky for most of the morning
    Pootling through Auxerre2The lock keepers dog is very used to getting snacks from every passing boat ... we had nothing for himSome bridges are a little on the low sideCanal du Nivernais and the River Yonne, separated by a stone wall at Champs-sur-Yonne

    Proficient

    June 10, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We had the luck of the locks with us today and we blasted through 9 locks in record time. Almost all of them were in our favour when we got to them so we could chug straight in without waiting for locks to empty or for other boats to come through. We have refined our wall leaping and rope tying but that doesn't mean we didn't make hilarious mistakes ... like lasso-ing a family member instead of the bollard ... and then the same family member lasso-ing herself !!!! 😂😂😂😂

    The best part about the favourable lock conditions was it meant less time outside the cabin of the The Tub in the unfavourable weather conditions. It was very cold and very wet for most of the morning. Ms OfficeBody has been wearing sandals whenever possible in the last two weeks to give Grumpy Toe a long rest but with the cold weather she has been forced to endure the horror of wearing socks with her sandals !!! Luckily there are only 3 people in this country who witnessed this footwear atrocity and they are sworn to delete all photos.

    We pootled into Auxerre in the rain and were thankful that we'd explored the town last week when we returned the hire car. The port was 4 and 5 boats deep in some parts, all moored side by side and tied to each other. We are now quite good at controlling The Tub but parallel parking is a big ask. We kept pootling and just enjoyed the views through the drizzling rain.

    After Auxerre we left the River Yonne and entered the Canal du Nivernais ... then we dropped back into the Yonne ... and then back into the Nivernais again ... and back 'n' forth for the rest of the day. The rain stopped, the sky cleared a little, the socks came off and we enjoyed lovely scenery as we made our way to Champs-sur-Yonne for our overnight mooring.    Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler
    Cruising
    Mother Nature threatening to exert her authorityVincellesVincellesVincelottesVincelottesWaiting for the lock surge

    Experts

    June 11, 2019 in France ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Yesterday's dream run with the locks put us in a great position for a cruisy day, pardon the pun. We had a very late start (well past the 9.00am kick off for the lock keepers) but only had a handful of locks to tackle and we're moving faster now that we know what we're doing. The Canal du Nivernais and the River Yonne have gone their separate ways, today was all canal. A lunch stop and village stop rounded out our day before we pulled in to Cravant as our mooring point for the night. We've got the hang of how to keep The Tub under control, or at least give the impression that we've got it under control, so all this stopping and starting is much easier and efficient than it was when we set off last week.

    It's our last night on The Tub and we tied up at the port rather than camping along the edge of the canal like we have on previous evenings. This is the first time we've moored with shore power and unlimited water. Long hot showers and kettle boiling without having to run the generator ... what a luxury.

    Our onboard supplies are running very low so we walked into Cravant to have dinner. There's only one cafe/brasserie in the village and they only have 4 things on the menu ... 2 entrees and 2 main courses. Deciding what to order was pretty easy but they had a slightly larger choice of beers, that's when thinking got hard.

    By the time we got back to The Tub the little port has filled up and boats were double-parked. The guy behind us had given The Tub a serious nudge while jostling into place and almost dislodged our front mooring peg. Perhaps he'd only received 5 minutes of Franglish instructions when he hired his boat.    Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler
    An early morning guest on our gang plank
    Centuries ago this was the moat around the villageThe one and only brasserie in townThe donjon, aka the keep of the 13th century castle

    First In, Last Out

    June 12, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    The advantage of being the first boat to arrive at a port is you get to pick the best mooring point.
    The disadvantage is you could then be hemmed in by the later arriving boats who moor where they can, even if it means tying up to another boat.
    You can't leave until they do so don't moor overnight in a small port if you have to be underway by a set time the next day.

    Being in the middle of the huddle didn't bother us this morning. We've paced our trip well so we don't have a mad dash to the finish line this afternoon. We had plenty of time to wander around Cravant before eventually heading out at about 11.00am for the last leg.    Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler
    Cruisin'
    Our [almost] last lock on the embranchment canalComing in to Accolay1AccolayAccolay1The patisserie is definitely closedEvery village still has a washhouseThe End ... coming into the port at Vermenton1Precision parking, we didn't even nudge the boat behind usOnto our next adventure

    The Last Leg

    June 12, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Our final day on The Tub was the easiest and not just because we know what we're doing. We only had one lock to get through on the Canal du Nivernais before turning onto an 'embranchment' canal towards Vermenton. This last canal was quiet and peaceful, back to the sounds of lapping water and birds which we'd been missing on the busier Nivernais canal and River Yonne.

    We tied up at Accolay and gathered all remaining food supplies from the cupboards to cobble together a lunch of sorts. It was hardly a gastronomic delight but it was very colourful and almost all food groups were represented.

    It was then only a short pootle to the port at Vermenton in the afternoon where we demonstrated our excellent Tub driving skills and nailed a perfect parallel park in an almost-not-quite-big-enough space on our first attempt. Pity there wasn't anyone there to act as an independent witness ... you'll just have to trust our account of the event.

    We've loved every aspect of our Tub experience. Sure, we may have preferred to not have had the occasional rain storm or the rather chilly weather but the rain only dampened the deck, not our enjoyment of the adventure. Bonus, we earned an honourary scout badge (self-awarded) for rope tying 😀😀

    After packing up and leaving The Tub in a very clean state, with a few new rub marks and gashes on the bumpers, we dragged our bags around the corner to the train station.

    Next stop: Paris    Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler

    Le Gai Paris

    June 12, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Arrived ... tackled the Paris metro system ... with luggage ... found our accommodation ... phew !!!!

    We're in Montmartre, just around the corner from the Moulin Rouge. The area is full of restaurants, cabarets and theatres.

    We must be getting old ... we just had dinner and went to bed.    Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler
    Get up very early and enjoy a solitary view of Paris from Sacré-Cœur
    Montmartre landmark #1 - Moulin RougeMontmartre landmark #2 - Basilique du Sacré-CœurThis business has been making chocolate and other yummy things since 1761On the streets of Montmartre1A vineyard in the middle of a cityLe Mur des Je t'aime ... "I love you" written in 250 languagesStreet artFrom the rooftop terrace of our accommodation

    Montmartre

    June 13, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    A day of roaming and exploring with no specific agenda.

    Once the haunt and muse of artists and other creative folk, Montmartre is simultaneously quaint, quirky and cosmopolitan ... and a very popular spot for tourists.

    When we found a place with a large group of people gathered around a tour guide we occasionally hovered on the edge of the crowd for a few minutes to hear what the guide was saying. Much of it was "Van Gogh ate here" and "Renoir slept there" or talk about a particular building which featured in a famous painting.

    Here are some pics from our day.    Read more

  • SQUIRREL TALESBack In The BootsTraveler
    1Our Lady of Paris without a roof

    Penultimate Paris

    June 14, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    We went our separate ways on the second to last day of our holiday. Mr FitBody was keen to spend some time at Musée de l'Armée (Army Museum) so he tootled off after breakfast to get his fill while Ms OfficeBody and the senior Lemmonds has a leisurely day wandering around the Le Marais district.

    We all met mid-afternoon for a cruise on the Seine. After our success with The Tub we were tempted to offer to drive the tourist boat 😀😀

    And then it was time to head back to our accommodation and, sadly, start thinking about packing to come home. All good things must come to an end.    Read more

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