One more to go

In Corre we were received by a Danish couple - Niels & Solveig. They had started their journey last spring, had sailed over 2.000 km and had many experiences. So many that they had gone to winter harbor already in September to digest the impressions. Now they were preparing for the journey home.

During the evening black clouds pulled up from the south and during the night there was thunderstorms with heavy rain showers.

It was still raining when we woke up the next morning. It was cold. We stayed one more day in Corre, washed clothes, cleaned the shelter, read, planned the route on the Saône and had a print made of the new vignette we had bought online.

The next day we headed out on the Saône, which flows into the Rhône near Lyon and with a length of 400 kilometers is France's longest tributary.

In the first 100 kilometers it is also called Petit Saône. Here it is narrow, but still much wider than the Canal des Vosges, which we just came from.

The first day we sailed the whole 50 kilometers and walked through the 6 locks and reached the town of Scey-sur-Saône.

Pia had had a slight toothache at the departure. During the day, it developed so strongly that treatment was needed. After a very positive acquaintance with the French health system, he managed to get penicillin treatment after a few hours. By a strange coincidence of coincidences, she also got an appointment with a dentist on Monday morning and already in the morning we were light and sailed on.

In front of us waited two tunnels - both a little longer than the tunnel that had given us such big problems and a few ugly scratches on the Canal de Meuse. But now we were well prepared. The lanterns were on and the chartplotter was off. Pia stood in the bow with a fully charged powerful searchlight and we both had a flashlight in reserve in case of problems with the beacon. Some time before the opening we reduced the speed, determined not to put it down inside the tunnel. We took a deep breath and sailed in through the opening. Our preparations were thorough, good, and proper; but also completely and utterly superfluous. Both tunnels were almost bathed in light and were completely uncomplicated to sail through. The passage was actually a bit reminiscent of childhood walks in the tubs of Tivoli.

The river became wider the longer we came down it. On the shore, the landscape changed between green dense forests, fields and well-kept houses with gardens with their own bridge down to the river.

On a narrowing we again saw a rudder which an experienced river sailor had explained to us was a swamp beaver or Myocastor Coypus as it is called in Latin. The swamp beaver was introduced from South America in 1926. Here it was named Nutria and adds not only name but also fur to the Nutria fur. Living conditions in Europe are fine and today the concentration is in some places higher than in the country of origin South America. The canal authorities are less enthusiastic about the species' spread. The swamp beaver causes major damage to the river and canal system and is considered so harmful that it must be hunted all year round. 

From Gray it continued towards Auxonne - a garrison town where, among other things, Napoleon started his military career.

The next day Mikkel and Marianne signed up. They had flown from Copenhagen to Lyon early in the morning and rose 8 hours later on board the Heron.

Later in the day, more visitors both endure.

- "Just one of those days", said the Australian Harbor Master Roy frustrated to us as he passed by.

- “You should be happy. It is good business ”, we replied.

- "Yeah, but they're all French and I do not speak a word of French", he replied and went out to receive the next boat, which also had a French stern flag.

It had become hot - really hot - 33 degrees in the shade and sun from a completely blue sky. It was most comfortable to stay on the boat out on the river. Therefore, we took a few nice stretches the next 4 days. Sailed 4-6 hours every day, visited Verdun-sur-les Doubs, Tournus, Trevuoux, so that the mountains of the Central Massif appear and bathe in the river whenever possible.

On the fourth day we ended with the almost 10 kilometer long stretch through Lyon and breathed the small cozy and luxurious marina close to the mouth of the Rhône.

In the evening we were out to see Lyon - France's third largest city, beautiful and impressive and very different from other big cities in Europe. After visiting over a dozen small and small towns in France, it was strange to be in a big city again. Here it buzzes with life, profits and resources. A stark contrast to many of the small towns struggling with decay and a declining population. 

After lunch the next day we said goodbye to Mikkel & Marianne, who flew home to Copenhagen.

Now it's only a little over 300 kilometers on Rhône that separates us from the Mediterranean.

One more to go