Today our excursion was in the morning, it was a visit to the Pressoir Auversois vineyards which run in a narrow strip alongside the railway line, more about van Gogh and other artists followed by a visit to Madame Guinguette to taste local products. A coach then took everyone to Pontoise to meet the boat. Diana went on this excursion by I opted out of the visit, waved the others goodbye and stayed on the boat, it was just on 10am when we cast off and we arriving in Pontoise well before the others were there.
There were interpretation boards in the vineyard which was only about 3 rows wide, this is right beside the railway line so no room for expansion..
There were several painters in the area and van Gogh lived in a property owned by Charles-François Daubigny which was highly decorated and contains some of van Gogh’s possessions.
There are lots of lithograph cartoons on the wall showing some peoples view of all the artists that gathered in the area.
The location of several of van Gogh’s paintings has been established, the latest being his painting of tree roots, the roots are still visible today and since the discovery have an information board beside them.
Off to Madame Guinguette’s to taste a few samples of food, I am not sure these are all local but I suspect she does a good trade from the tourists visiting the town on excursions.
It was then onto the coach to meet up with the boat at Pontoise and a 4 course meal.
Meanwhile back on the boat I had been pleasantly cruising along in the sunshine with the three other guests who didn’t fancy all the walking.
We passed a very large riverside warehouse and loading quay, this was just beyond where the two river channels re-joined and a gravel yard down the dead arm.
After lunch we set sail again passing several moored boat and a few floating drydocks as well as more working quays.
Could this be the commercial ship owners take on a holiday home or maybe a granny flat.
Passed what looks like a working yard with a selection of boats before coming to the junction and round the bend onto the Seine.
We passed lots more laid up boats, lots of smaller commercial boats were turned into homes when they were no longer economical to run due to their small size, a little further on was a new housing development with a long pontoon fronting it.
The locks would be bigger now as would be the boats, Baptiste was not quite as good with the eye of a rope that he thought he was. I am not sure what these brick structures by the lock gates were for.
We moored for the night beside the Patrice Vieljeux park with sports facilities etc. In one corner was a statue of this dancing couple by the American artist Seward Johnson, part of the series Beyond the frame.
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