First Day cruising  Monday April 30, 2012


Today is the first day of our cruising trip we leave from Ravieres about 9:30 after a European breakfast. The weather has not been so good light rain and cloudy that would be not be same this morning when we started our trip it was cloudy and no rain. The decision is to get off the barge and get some exercise between the locks. The rain managed to stop for some time and several of us got off the barge before we dropped to the next level of the canal, it is only about 1 -2 k between the locks so in 1 day we can walk for about 4 miles. The boat stopped we boarded without damaging ourselves that is a saying the captain always says. That days lunch would be beef bourgione once again pared with great wine and cheeses. The beef bourgione was prepared as good as Julia Childs would have done. After heading down the canal we would stop at a small town called Ancy-lefranc , here we could be driven to the famous Abbaye Fonatenay. This is the only remaining monastery in the world built according to the will of St. Bernard. It is located in a forest surrounded by trees and lovely gardens. The abbay is privately owned and open for tours. After the tour I chose to walk to the small town to explore its streets. I wandered up to the church where there was a sign that pointed to a panoramic view, I hesitated and finally went ½ way up and turned around. I was hoping to get back to see the aerial view of the famous Italian palace. After arriving back on the boat it was time to prepare for another exquisite dinner. Tonight’s dinner would be stuffed chicken legs with sweetpotato sauce and many other dishes of course paired with fine wines.