In Dole, but not "on the dole"
The subject is an Australian joke, because in Australia, unemployment benefits are referred to as "the dole".
Back in St Jean de Losne, the batteries were delivered as promised.
We had to fit Anja into the smallest spot ever. We went in ever so slowly and had to fold the rudder "hard over" to squeeze into the small space between two boats. When tied up at the dock, there was less than 10 centimeters at each end of the boat! We had been promised someone to help me lift out the old (over 50Kg each) batteries and lift in the new. Instead, we had the owner of the business plus two other men, so the lifting part went very smoothly. All part of the service and no charge. Once David had them in place and connected up we set off for the next part of our trip along the Canal du Rhone au Rhin. As its name suggests this canal provides a route between the Rhine and the Rhone, via the Saone which joins the Rhone at Lyon.
The canal was proposed in the 18th century but not completed until 1833 because of the political events in France in the meantime. In many places, the route is on the Doubs River, then moves into a canalised section. So far it is spectacular, with steep limestone cliffs on one side and forests and fields on the other.
The towns are mostly very small and David is feeling deprived as we have not had baguettes for two days, despite him covering vast distances on his bicycle in search of the elusive bread. Tomorrow looks equally doubtful.
Moorings are also quite difficult to find. One day we anchored in the river just off the canal. The weather has become very hot- yesterday climbed to over 37 degrees and today has started hotter- so our proximity to the river is very welcome as we can swim (or in Penny's case, dip).
The main town on the beginning of the canal has been Dole. It is very old and has a spectacular position, rising high above the river. It was the capital of French Compte before it was absorbed into France in 1678. It had a university back in the 15th century, moved to Besancon after the French takeover.
Louis Pasteur is deservedly its proudest son and is celebrated with monuments, streets and a Museum located in his childhood home. Whereas many scientists seem to have come from a line of learned men, his father was a tanner who went to nightschool so that he could help his children with their homework.
Today we rode about 9kms return to see the Grottes d'Osselle which have been a tourist destination for centuries and a hiding place during the French Revolution. They extend for over 15 kilometres but we explored only about 1300 metres of them. The temperature down there was 13 degrees, a welcome interlude on such a hot day. Skeletons of huge bears, over 40,000 years old, were on display.
An interesting feature of this canal is that most locks are automatic. At the first lock we were issued with a controller which operates the locks. As we approach, we turn it on and press the button to announce our arrival. As long as there is not already a boat in the lock, traffic lights tell us that our presence has been registered and in time, give us the green light to enter. Today we used our controller to operate a waterfall, an artistic feature at each end of a tunnel. As we approached, we pressed the button and the water stopped falling to let us through. Ahead we could see a display of moving lights and the waterfall at the other end, which stopped once we were close.
Best Regards,
Penny and Dave
