Jassand and Ars
The water levels on the Saone River between Chalon and Lyon have been altered by various works such as lock replacements. As a result, the old river bank is now high and dry, a good place for grazing cattle or having picnics but leaving many towns with handsome stone quays with rings and bollards high and dry and useless as stopping places for boats. Some have installed pontoons in the deeper water, often with power and water available. One such place was the tiny town of Jassans-Riottier and here we stopped after leaving Macon.
Near Jassans is the tiny town of Ars, which became known through the work of the "Cure of Ars", St John Vianney, who ministered to its people for 41 years and who drew many pilgrims there during his lifetime because of his wisdom and goodness. As we had for 10 years lived in the Parish of St John Vianney in Canberra, we were keen to see the village so cycled the 7 kilometres there and were able to see where he lived and died.
Back at the boat David suffered the first theft of his life when five 12- 14 year boys climbed onto Anja and stole his phone. David had been looking up something on it put it down in the cabin to see what they were doing. They asked retrospectively for permission to come aboard to look more closely and he agreed expecting them to stay on deck, but they trooped into the cabin, asking lots of questions and playing with the wheel. Very soon we were too uncomfortable with this and bade them farewell. David then wanted to go back to what he had been doing and we immediately realised that they had lifted his phone. He grabbed his bike to catch up with them but they were long gone. The gendarmes were called and looked around but really there was never any hope of finding them with the phone as they would have secreted it I am sure- and in fact perhaps only one of them knew anything about it.
We usually would not let strangers aboard our boat but were lulled by the age of the kids into dropping our usual guard. Never again - a lesson learned the hard way. The theft made our lives difficult in many ways because this was a very smart phone being used for much else beside making phone calls (i.e. posting these blog entries).
Photos show: Swan with babies Ars Basilica John Vianney's kitchen
plus some others: Hospital at Chalon sur Saone (on the island) Macon bridge (14th Century) at night Very large ship turning near us
Town of Travaux Over laden barge almost sinking The River Saone
Best Regards, Penny and Dave
