France and Switzerland 2014 - Day 5

Monday, August 4, 2014

We haven't had any internet to speak of all week so I've been writing everyday but saving to a word document:

It's starting to get hard writing what's happening each day because I don't want to take the time to stop and write for fear I will miss something! I try to write in the evening but I find I’m too tired so I wait until the morning and then I’m afraid I’ll forget something. I don’t want to spend more time documenting than experiencing but then I know how wonderful it is to have the journal of our travels to relish in the future. Oh, the dilemmas of the very fortunate. Oy vey!

So day 5: The activity for the morning was visiting an Abbey. At the last minute, I decided to stay on the barge with Susan and Werner. That left Rick and Kyle to explore with Jim, our guide. Learning of Werner’s interest in tools, on the way back to the barge, they checked out what can only be described as the French version of the places visited on American Pickers.

When they returned, Susan, Werner, and I joined Rick to go “tool shopping.” We drove through

amazing fields of sunflowers to our destination. It was an amazing collection of ancient barns filled to the brim with every kind of stuff. Clothing, household items, old photos and cameras, newish and oldish furniture, farm implements, garage sale-like toys, and every kind of tool imaginable. After much deliberation, Werner chose 7 or 8 items that made him very happy.

When we returned to the barge, we were served a delightful lunch of quiche and salads. At each moment, it feels like things can’t get better!

The rest of the afternoon was spent sitting on the deck watching the bucolic scene passing by, taking lots of pictures, dozing, and in Susan and Kyle’s case, taking a

bike ride on the tow path. A 50 minute ride through a tunnel broke up the views of the countryside and provided a “much needed break from the beauty.” Ha!

In the late afternoon, Abby served us drinks. I had a Kir which I’ve enjoyed in the past in the U.S. but somehow it tasted better floating on a barge in Burgundy which the drink had its origin!

The barge was parked for the night around in a lovely little inlet. Cedric and Jim invited us to play the French version of Bocce called Petanque. I have the worst hand-eye coordination ever but decided to be a good sport and try. Cedric and I were a team facing Jim and Rick. I sucked but we made a come from behind victory. Kyle and Susan returned just as we were finishing so we played another round with Susan and I as a team against Rick and Jim.  Susan must have been really good because we won again!

Dinner was served at 7:30. It was unbelievable! The starter was crawfish risotto and miracle upon miracles, I tried it and loved it! We spent time on deck in the twilight before retiring to our cabins. What a life!