France – Page 4

— By IanFebruary 24, 2026

Downstream on the Rhône (23/06 – 29/06/25)

Lyon – Vienne – Condrieu – Valence – Écluse Châteauneuf – Avignon The Rhône and its Locks To start with, some information about the mighty Rhône. One of the three big rivers (actually the French would call it a ‘fleuve‘, not a ‘rivière’ – fleuves end…

— By LisetteFebruary 3, 2026

Rowing races and serenaded by frogs (14/06 – 18/06)

Tournus – Mâcon – Belleville-sur-Saône – Jassans-Riottier <Back into catch-up mode! Sections in italics are contributed by the secondary author of each article> Mâcon The entire day’s cruising was uneventful, with a smattering of commercial vessels and large river cruisers passing us in both directions,…

— By IanJuly 12, 2025

A long pause in Tournus (8/06 – 13/06)

Chalon-sur-Saône – Tournus Although there was considerable wind the next morning, we lowered the mast and were resetting the ropes when Andy and Deb (from the barge Molly, against whom we had been rafted through last winter) came over from their boat, coffee cups in…

— By LisetteJune 15, 2025

Cruising into new territory (3/06 – 7/06)

Auxonne – Seurre – Chalon-sur-Saône Seurre Having enjoyed some lovely warm sunny days, we found ourselves cruising Catharina Elisabeth off for the 2025 season under a grey sky. Still, with only two locks to negotiate for our first day, one to exit the derivation from…