After being on the move for 6 months, we arrived back at our winter port in Brugge on 29th September. With still a month until we would depart for Melbourne, we decide to catch the train to Paris for a few days.
Leaving Ghent, next stop Brugge
Paris Sojourn
Travelling with our friends Ann and Julie we stayed in a previously untried, small hotel in the 6th Arrondissement The ‘2 Continents’ on the Rue Jacob would have been one we would recommend, or even return to again, if they had a lift to service each of the floors. But it did not, so to Peter’s horror we were forced to drag our 1 small case up 2 floors to our room.
Thankfully we were just around the corner from the Cafe de Paris on the Rue de Buci., which we quickly made our way to for a reviving refreshment
The next day the 3 ladies minus Peter braved the torrential rain to experience a walking tour through Montmartre. I did a walking tour last year with a company ‘Paris Walks’ and highly recommend their informative tours.
Van Gogh lived here with his brother , the last few years of his lifeGypsum was mined in Montmartre . The steep stairways were built over the original minesThe cafe where Renoir painted Bal du moulin de GaletteBal de moulin de GaletteRenoir’s abode is now a museumWere Picasso livedStatue of St. Denis, patron saint of France and Paris. Yes he lost his head, but picked it up and walked up the mountain, preaching all the way
Our other activities include a little shopping (of course), dinner at a few of our favourite restaurants and a lot of walking!
The wall of love in MontmarterBon MarcheLunch at La Samaritan With all the rain the Seine was running fast!Local colour at Cafe de Flore
Back to Brugge we quickly settled into the lifestyle of the port. Market days are Wednesday and Saturday, with the oblatory coffee and cake afterwards. Tuesday morning is an exercise class at the local community centre, Thursday evening is drinks at one of the local bars. Then there are dinner dates and shopping, not to mention boat cleaning and maintenance. Not a moment to spare!
But then I have meandered away from the main subject, which is a wrap up of our summer adventure
Leaving Brugge on the 17th April we navigated into France via the Ghent Oostende canal to the Bovenshelde which then becomes the Escault. We then turned eastward onto the Canal Enemy Blaton Perone which after Mons becomes the Canal de Centre. A short stint on the Charleroi Bruxelles canal took us to the Sambre, then to the Meuse. As the locks at the top of the Meuse were closed due to flooding, we turned onto the Canal des Ardennes at Pont au Bar. Oh by the way we had left Belgium and entered France at Givet on the Meuse. Just past Asfeld the Canal des Ardennes becomes the Canal Lateral a l’Ainse. At Berry au Bar we turned southward onto the Canal de l’Aisne a la Marne. that took us to the Canal Lateral a la Marne. At Vitry we entered the Canal de la Marne ua Rhine, which we basically followed all the way to Strasbourg. The return journey saw us have a short stint on the Saar, then down the Moselle to the Rhine. We navigated on the Rhine into the Netherlands at Bijland. At this point the Rhine is renamed the Waal. We left the Waal after Rotterdam and continued back to Bruges via Zeeland.
Seasonal Stats
This journey involved,
324 engine hours
2,347 kms
449 locks
10 tunnels
28 lifting bridges
1 boat lift (Strepy Thieu)
2 incline plane (Arzvilliers incline plane)
131 ports
1,496 litres fuel
The weather has been kind to us, but we are looking forward to returning to MelbourneFarewell Brugge, until 2025
Karen’s Travel Blog 
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