In the Fall of 1988 Mary Lou and I along with our friends Don and Julie Dahlgren decided to spend one week cruising on the Canal du Nivernais in Burgundy, France on a self-drive boat.
http://www.ruelmain.co.uk/French Maps/Canal du Nivernais.htm
Although neither Don nor I had much experience in the maritime world, let alone navigating through a narrow canal system with 15 to 20 tiny and sometimes crowded locks, we were assured by the owners that is was so easy "that even a cave man could do it", even an American cave man apparently. The speed limit on the canal was 3.7 mph. Well, that was good enough for us, so after a quick trip to the Super Marche for provisions including a case of the ever popular Aligote, we set off due east with Don at the helm, shouting “ahoy!” and “avast!”, to join one of the loveliest canals in the whole of France.
Getting through the locks, with our craft (now re-named L’Escargot,) was always a group effort with each of us helping the lock keeper with the necessary pulling of ropes and cranking of wheels. Bikes were used along the tow paths to take us up to the nearest village and the local boulangerie for our morning croissants.
As the quiet countryside floats by there is simply nothing quite like a snail-paced tour through the heart of France. There are numerous websites out there for planning a self-drive barge trip through France. It is one of the most unique and beautiful travel experiences out there. Enjoy the video!
