North To Artaix

The second day aboard the Festina Tarde saw us in a pre sailing mode. We went grocery shopping for provisions, and did all the pre launch preparations. After lunch we would be steaming? Sailing? Driving? Barging? North to Artaix. Our destination would be a picnic grounds near Artaix where the semi annual barge owners picnic and Autumn Fol de Rol would be held.

The first day we barged through several canal locks until we overnighted near the town of Iguarande. Vail, Colorado bargers Eric and Suki were already tied up, it was an excellent opportunity to meet them and their son and his wife who were visiting. Jim BBQ’ed (the other beef) duck breasts for dinner. Duck is a very dense and flavorful food; I came home with a new respect for this meat. In Paris I had several Duck Confit dinners. It is a new love affair that has added only 3 inches to my waistline.

In the morning we were greeted with a fresh baguette and croissants courtesy of Erick’s son who had mountain biked to the nearest Boulangerie. This errand of mercy was equal to finding a cold beer at a fifth alarm.

We hiked to town and saw a small, hand made olive oil factory. Every small French town has a WW1 memorial with the names of the villagers who fell in that war. The numbers make you realize what a devastating experience that war was.

The afternoon found us barging to Artaix where we joined Tom and Trish who had already tied up their barge. Going through the canal locks is a tricky and delicate operation, not the least tricky is arriving while the lock keepers are not on a 96. These guys have longer lunches than firemen. Mary Neil judiciously used the gift of a bottle of wine to grease the locks and their keepers. Good move Mary!

We arrived at Artaix near noon, Tom and Trish had set up a table and chairs on shore. Eric and Suki had put some cheese and baguette on the table, and in what my wife called a “Gourmet Magazine Moment” out of nowhere suddenly appeared a couple of kinds of cheese, proscuitto, figs, white asparagus, cold duck (no not the alcoholic kind from our youth) breast with cherry sauce, French rolls, olives, cucumbers, assorted pastries, condiments and of course wine and some mineral water.

The eight of us were now fortified for the pre picnic work party. It had been a busy couple of days and the evening ahead would end with a giant bonfire and Tom toasting Baileys Irish Cream to the gods of barge safety.

More than 40 barge people had trekked to the Artaix picnic. It was a fitting end to our introduction to barge life and barge people. I cannot convey how impressed we were with both.

Bon Voyage