French Waterways Extravaganza

04/07/2026

Our night at Ampuis produced two carp weighing in at around 28lb each which was a nice surprise, given how close we were to the passing cruise ships.

There had been a distinct absence of other pleasure craft on the river thus far and we were hopeful that we would be able to sneak onto one of the more sheltered pontoons an hour or two downstream. But this is the Rhone so you can guess what happened - the only two other boats coming upstream were occupying those two moorings so, eight hours later and with the darkness drawing in, we had no choice but to return to the concrete landing pad at Tournon. There would be no fishing tonight. Being the gateway to the vineyards of Crozes-Hermitage, this is one of the most popular halts for the cruise ships and we were very soon boxed in on all sides with umpteen curious faces peering in. At least we were able to lower the blinds on this particular goldfish bowl.

In the morning, I ventured out for a baguette and popped into the local convenience store for some bits and bobs. I was just about to leave when the catering manager from one of the cruise ships approached the shopkeeper in a bit of a panic. He was pointing at her somewhat depleted stock of overripe bananas and immediately it was evident he didn't speak French and the shopkeeper didn't speak English. I offered to translate and it transpired that his passengers (almost exclusively Chinese) had in a single day consumed all of the bananas and bean sprouts intended to last for the entirety of the five day cruise and he was desparate to replenish supplies at any cost but had no means of transport to visit the big stores out of town. With a little bit of teamwork, the shopkeeper was able to pursuade her own suppliers to step in and, within 20 minutes, the catering manager was breathing a huge sigh of relief as the crates of produce were loaded into his kitchens.

After all that excitement, it was time for us to take stock of where we were. We were much further south of where we had planned to be at this point and this first period of cruising was drawing to a close, so we decided to return to an arm of the old Rhône above Valence, a peaceful backwater tucked away from the navigation channel left behind when the course of the old river was diverted to create the locks and hydro-electricity plants.

The temperature was soaring, as were Richard's aspirations for catching a Rhone carp or two. Duly refreshed from three days in splendid isolation and seven carp up to 29lb later, we were ready to rejoin society.

We took to the pavements of Valence on France's annual festival of music. Communities the length and breadth of France from the tiniest hamlet to the biggest cities come out in force to celebrate music in all its forms. Our early start in search of a suitable vantage point paid off and, from our seats on a shady terrace in front of one of the many stages which had been erected around the town, we watched a series of performances from jazz to rock to rap. Brilliant! Equally entertaining was the people-watching, thanks to being in the midst of the crowds constantly on the move between the various stages. A great day out and a fitting end to this voyage. To be continued in August.

19/06/2026

And we're back on the mighty Rhône!

Lyon sits at the confluence of the Saône and the Rhône and its huge commercial ports often herald the beginning (or end) of the freight routes, particularly for the barges specially adapted to carry vinyl chloride, the base chemical for the manufacture of PVC.

The gateway to the Rhône at Lyon is the Pierre-Bénite lock. We announced our arrival to the control centre, prompting them to retrieve our details from 2024 and log in our itinerary for this summer. You may recall that our journey on the Rhône in 2024 was arduous to say the least, when we were battling the current upstream at 2177 m3/second. In comparison, cruising downstream in a current of only 529m3/second was a relative breeze.

We spent our first night on a pontoon at Chasse-sur-Rhône. Here two men were "fishing" with a huge magnet. On our arrival, their haul consisted of numerous small items of scrap metal and a pedestrian barrier covered in mud and w**d. There was then a flurry of excitement as the magnet latched onto something too big for them to pull up easily. I loaned them my swimming goggles so one of them could investigate at closer quarters. Emerging from the depths, he confirmed it was a Honda motorbike, retrieval of which would have to be postponed until they could secure appropriate equipment. Richard's catch that night was another catfish, which some might consider to be the scrap metal equivalent of the river fish world.

Moving on, we paused for lunch in Vienne beside the Roman temple of Augustus and Livia, complete with grazing cow sculpture donated by Yoplait to mark its 50th anniversary. I doubt that will have the same longevity as the temple!.

That evening we were lucky to have the pontoon at Ampuis all to ourselves. The mooring is nestled at the foot of the Château of Ampuis, a former fortress transformed into a residential château in the course of the 15th century. It is reputed that it was in this very residence that, for the first time in France, important dinner guests were served a new poultry delicacy called turkey. The château is now home to the prestigious wine producer E. Guigal. Since Roman times, vines have been growing on the steep slopes behind Ampuis on narrow terraces sustained by tiny stone walls and exposed directly to the southern sun, hence the region's name, the Côte-Rôtie or "roasted slopes". After our own exposure to that same southern sun, we retired to a nearby hostelry for a cold glass of viognier and a craft beer.

17/06/2026

17/06/2026

Arriving at Lyon on the Saône is quite an experience. First we passed the picturesque Ile de Barbe opposite the pretty disused lock, then we rediscovered France's third biggest city from a particularly privileged perspective, cheek by jowl with its water taxis and its fifteen bridges.

When we were last here in 2024, we explored the traboules (the hidden passageways used by the silk traders to run their precious fabrics through the city protected from the rain) and sampled the quirky specialities of the traditional Lyon bistrots (such as deep fried tripe, pike dumplings and chitterling sausages). This time, as well as reacquainting ourselves with its bustling squares, beautiful fountains and pavement cafés, we immersed ourselves in other rare pleasures, such as taking in the joys of a New Orleans influenced jazz band in the depths of an intimate basement cavern club and treating our tastebuds to the delights of the best Indian restaurant we have found in France over the last 5 years.

Lyon has so much to offer, a wonderful city which we would recommend most highly as a long weekend destination. This will certainly not be our last visit.

14/06/2026

We have had a lovely week on the lower Saône as we descend towards Lyon. Conscious that we may not revisit this river for some considerable time, Richard was keen to mark the occasion with a memorable fish or two.

Our first stop was Crêches-sur-Saône. Initially our plan was simply to replenish our fresh water tank at a pontoon beside a campsite and have a cool drink at the neighbouring bar. We received such a warm welcome here at what emerged to be the hub of the local community, right in the heartland of the production of St. Véran and Pouilly-Fuissé wines, that it seemed rude not to stay and sample these delights for a night or two. Plenty of wine, music and laughter. There was also some activity on the rods here - although a couple were lost, equally a couple were caught at 33lb and 28lb.

Leaving there, we delighted in an unexpectedly perfect Sunday: a walk beneath the cathedral arch of some 170 plane trees adorning the banks of the tiny Canal des Echudes at Thoissey, where it felt as if time had stood still; then slipping onto the mooring at Saint-Didier-sur-Chalaronne, just as the previous occupant vacated, with plenty of time to bask in the balm of the afternoon sunshine and enjoy a relaxed apéritif listening to some of our favourite music before a wonderful dining experience at the excellent Restaurant du Pont. It doesn't get much better than that.

Onward via Belleville and Montmerle to Trévoux, formerly the capital of what once was the independent principality of Dombes with its own Parliament until 1762. Now home to the ateliers and galleries of local artists, we couldn't resist a painting of a red squirrel which immortalises the little furry creatures that live at the bottom of our garden and never cease to fascinate us with their agility.

The quest for a prize carp wasn't progressing as well as Richard had hoped. At St Bernard, we endeavoured to tuck ourselves into a bend on a wider stretch of the river with the objective of sheltering the rods from the wash of the passing cruise ships. This tactic enjoyed limited success in the form of a large catfish. We would have stayed a second night had we not been put off by the mysterious disapperance of Richard's markers whilst we were out visiting the local attractions.

We tried our hand further downstream at Albigny, now merely a stone's throw from Lyon. Another catfish put in an unwanted appearance and a carp was lost. Could that have been the big one that got away?

09/06/2026

It feels as if we've covered a lot of ground over the last week. You may recall we spent a few days in Cuisery last year, so we were delighted to renew our acquaintance with Captain Eric in the port and I couldn't wait to return to the little book town perched up on the hill. Whilst I immersed myself in the poetry of Louis Aragon, Richard trawled the recently-added vinyl sections in the hope of unearthing a rare gem. It was not to be that day, so he turned his attention to the serious business of carp fishing.

His new campaign had begun in earnest with four carp to 31 lb. With the late May mini-heatwave, the water temperature in this shallow river was increasing and had fooled the fish into spawning mode, so we rejoined the cooler waters of the river Saône in search of a mooring around the Pont d'Uchizy. This materialised in the form of a couple of lopsided metal posts in the midst of a w**d bed right on the edge of the shipping channel. The combination of the wash created by the passing cruise ships and 6 carps to 32lb in close succession made for quite a turbulent night! A change in the weather ushered in storms with spectacular skies, followed by rainbows and a glorious freshness and calm. Simply beautiful.

It was time to make our way to Macon ahead of our appointment with the boatyard in relation to the inoperative stern thruster. We also had unfinished business with the town of Macon itself. When we last passed through, it was a Monday in August 2024 and nearly everywhere was closed, so we were looking forward to a voyage of discovery.

Full of anticipation, we walked into town. Everything felt starkly familiar. It was now a Wednesday in June. The only noticeable changes were that the little tourist train was running (with nobody on it) and some shops were open (with nobody in them). Yet again, the town seemed almost devoid of people. Undeterred, we strolled on. Having revisited the café under the plane trees in the pleasant square behind the hotel de ville, the medieval wooden house with its suggestive carvings and the all-important record shop, we found ourselves in a backstreet and were drawn onward by the sound of laughter and chinking glasses which drifted on the air. We stumbled across a little cave à vins called Racines, a tiny establishment run by a young sommelier specialising in the wines of Burgundy and Beaujolais where we passed an extremely pleasant hour or so in his very capable hands and in the company of some delicious wines. A memorable experience.

I wish the same could be said of the service we got from the boatyard in the days that followed. Let's not go there - we'd got used to navigating without the aid of the stern thruster very quickly and that's the way it will stay for now!

02/06/2026

Nil Satis Nisi Optimum ventures forth again. We hope you will join us as we begin our 2026 cruises on the Saône, the Rhône and onwards towards the Camargue.

Our next chapter begins at Pont de Vaux, a little port at the end of a tiny side canal off the Saône, about 100 km north of Lyon. We left the boat here last September, entrusting her to the team at Scite Plaisance to carry out a service and to winterize her when the time came. All this went according to plan but, in late Spring, we were notified that the port company and its workshop had gone into liquidation and basic administrative functions had been assumed by the local Mairie until a buyer could be found. Naturally, we were hoping they would still have the keys we had left with them and were relieved to find the captain of the port was still in situ when we arrived. However, there were no mechanics to advise us as to the extent of the steps needed to de-winterise. We did what we would normally do, but managed to flood the back hold from a swim shower system we didn't realise was connected to the internal water circuit. At least it was just water and entailed no more than a bit of unexpected bailing!

It will never cease to amaze me how dirty a boat can get just by sitting in a port but two days of intensive care had her ship shape and Bristol fashion, ready to grace the waterways once again. So we cast off and inched out of our mooring, only to discover the stern thruster was out of action. Although not crucial for navigation - these are an option for ease rather than necessity - we had thought this would have been covered in the servicing. At midday the captain agreed to arrange for a visiting mechanic to come and take a look but, a three hour French lunch later, the outcome was that it needed to be looked at elsewhere.

Somewhat frustrated, we hoped we still had enough time to get to our destination for the day and pointed our nose toward the Saône. How wonderful it felt to be cruising, the sun on our faces and the breeze in our hair, the vast expanse of the river stretching out before us and the lush countryside rolling out on each side! We exchanged a wave with the skipper of a double-width commercial barge as our paths crossed in a narrow stretch of the shipping channel and were soon gliding onto the river Seille, a tributary of the Saône which we have visited twice before. We thought our luck was in when we saw the lock gates were open and the lock keeper beckoning us to enter. He was a friendly soul and we chatted as he took our lines. Another boat was on its way so we would need to wait and lock through together. Ordinarily this would have been fine but, with this courtesy delay, it was going to be touch and go whether we could cover the next 12km of river and pass through the next lock before it closed at 7pm.

We're not much for rushing when we're out on the water - the slow pace and taking in the scenery is more than part of the attraction - but occasionally needs must. I could see Richard grimace as he increased the revs, not wanting to create too much wake nor to burn too much fuel! The clock was ticking down as we traced the twists and turns of this pretty waterway and, at ten to seven, the lock channel came into view.

Horror of horrors: the gates were closed and there were people milling around; perhaps a boat was coming down and we'd be stuck here for the night. I jumped off onto the pontoon and ran up to take a closer look. A boat had just passed through, so the lock was against us. Ten minutes to empty the lock, steer our boat in and go up - the race was on!

The group of sightseers watched nonchalently in the still-searing heat as I ran like a mad thing up and down and from side to side, closing gates and opening sluices to empty the lock, let the boat in and then refill it, with not one of them offering an ounce of assistance. As the church bells chimed the hour, Nil Satis emerged from the lock, graceful as a swan, whilst I collapsed quietly into a dishevelled heap. We had arrived at Cuisery.