Shangri La at Decize marina
Decize
Tuesday 19th June
The marina at Decize turned out to be very good, and not as expensive as I had been expecting. 10 Euros per night including electricity and water and wifi. This time the wifi actually worked! Well on our PCs and my mobile. But would simply NOT work on Karen’s Iphone. Nice clean ablutions and showers and washing machine and dryer.
Just a pity that right next to it is a very bleak looking hospital and industrial area. On the good side there was an Intermarche (with petrol station) only a couple of hundred metres away.
There was also an hotel/restaurant right there next to the Capitainerie.
Lock from Canal Lateral a la Loire into Decize
Decize is also situated at the confluence of 3 waterways – the River Loire, the Canal Lateral a la Loire and the Nivernais Canal. To get by boat from the one canal to the other one must go through the marina at Decize, through 2 locks and along the Loire for a very short stretch. Has we been sticking to our original intentions to go to Paris we would have continued along the Canal Lateral a la Loire. The Nivernais anyway would not have been an option for us as we would not be able to pass through the tunnels.
Loire and lock into Decize
On the boat selling side of things, there had been some interest through Rene of Schepenkring (the broker via which we originally bought Shangri La), and someone was supposed to come and view the boat. Unfortunately, they changed their mind – not sure why.
Decize walking tour – brass plaques
As usual we visited the Tourist Information and got their leaflet with the self-guided walking tour, following the brass plaques on the road. We did this – enjoyable, but one French village is starting to look the same as all the others.
Decize old town walk
The weather was hotting up. But before it got too hot I managed to get a second coat of white paint on the coach top, as well as painting the foredeck area with the non-slip grey deck paint. Shangri La is looking in very good shape.
Foredeck painting
Interestingly, we had moored up here right next to a very similar Valkkruiser. They looked so alike, tho the other one was a touch bigger.
Twin Valkkruisers at Decize
And for Karen’s views on our travels, visit her blog here
My love of boats goes back to my early years when I went on holiday with my parents to Knysna in the Cape.
We stayed at a hotel on stilts, and I played in rowing boats and little motor boats on the lagoon.