Canal is open and we're cruising

Great to be on the barge and moving again.
I've cruised 24 locks upstream from Dijon, all the lock keepers seemed happy to be back at their stations and turning the handles.
It's pleasant to have some small talk with them about how the winter went and what has happened. Quite often comparing how much wood each other had to burn to keep the house warm; what work has and hasn't been done on the canal; and how is Mrs Jones.
The canal is still quite, but there some hotel boats already on the move which is a good sign.
I passed the barge La Reine Pedauque with Captain Max on board, he's been running that barge for the last 25 years, very skilled pilot. He turned the 120 footer at the port of Plombiere les Dijon, which is great fun to watch. The barge only has a 110 HP DK4, but at least he has hydraulic steering now, which makes things a bit easier for him.
I'll see his barge all through the summer.
By the way the lock at Plombiere is very easy to pass going up the canal, but coming down it can be quite difficult, as the round shaped port seems to create a slight whirlpool current, and when you're already turning a tight right to get into the lock, the stern is caught by the current and pulled out to the left. So if you are not careful you end up completely askew just as you enter the lock. Have fun.
I enjoyed arriving at Pont de Pany, as it marks the entrance to the main part of Valley Ouche. The canal is very pretty all the way up to Escommes. Passing though Gissey sur Ouche, I still look at the old cafe beside the canal with great regrets and fond memories of Emmie, the previous owner. Did we have some great fun, food and wine in there before! Last I heard, he was living in Corsica. The cafe was sold just a couple of years ago and is now a private home. France is loosing the traditional bars and cafes at an alarming rate. It's turning the country villages into ghosts towns, with everyone living inside the television box and not talking to one another.
Yesterday I passed through La Bussiere sur Ouche, had to smile, the Abbey has just been bought by an English family, some of the locals are upset and against the idea. What they forget is that the Abbey is falling to bits, and if no one puts money into it soon, you'll be visiting a ruin. Good luck to the new owners, hope the new plan is a success (and if you need to employ anyone, gardener etc I'm your man :)