Court Short

James and Claire Short, Adventures at Sea!
24 July, 2018
Chaumont

We took our bikes to see Chaumont and spent the first part of the sightseeing trip pushing them uphill!   At the top of a hill, this medieval town - now the administrative capital of Haut-Marne - is a mix of new and ancient.  The Basilica of St John the Baptist with its Tree of […]

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23 July, 2018
From cereals to sunflowers

We’re now moving into sunflower countryside but a little too early yet to see them in their full glory.  We’ve visited an ancient church at Vignory with Carolignian knave and enjoyed Joinville, town of flowers.   Something to see at every stop on the way.

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21 July, 2018
Canals in pictures

Just enough clearance   Lifting bridge Canal bridge over the Marne

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21 July, 2018
From champagne to cereal

The scenery is changing and we are now very definitely out of the vineyards.  We’ve also had our first real rain while travelling which made rope handling slightly heavier work!  The locks are coming thick and fast and we foolishly looked in the book to see when they eased up!  Suffice to say the fitness […]

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19 July, 2018
We’re locked out!

Our most energetic day yet!  Eleven locks, a change of canals - we’re now on the Canal de Champagne and Bourgogne - a distance of 15nm and a climb of 26 metres pulling a 10tonne boat has finished us off!!  There must be a better way of travelling ..... ah yes, there is .... it’s […]

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17 July, 2018
Magnificent Memorial at Dormans

The Marne Memorial at Dormans was built in 1921 to commemorate the two Battles of the Marne in WWl.  It’s size quite took us by surprise and what we had thought would be a short visit turned out to be much longer as we read all about the construction of the building and the history […]

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14 July, 2018
Champagne

What an amazing experience.  We have been so lucky in our timings for this trip.  We arrived in the heart of Champagne country to find Milena (a friend from our time with the Suzie Too Rally in the Caribbean) offering to take us to see her son in law’s winery in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger.  Vincent showed […]

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8 July, 2018
A ‘Short’ shortcut!

After all these years I should have known better!   To avoid a very long uphill bike ride to the American Aisne Marne WWl Memorial Monument at Chateau-Thierry, James had found a shorter route that would bring us to the monument via a back entrance.   Some route!  We found ourselves pushing the bikes up […]

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5 July, 2018
Graduation

Despite the attractions of Poincy we moved on and were not disappointed.   Iles les Meldeuses was so quiet and undisturbed we felt we had the whole river to ourselves.   The little village was sleepy (probably an exaggeration!) but the local shop provided superb croissants.   Then on to another birdsong filled mooring at […]

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4 July, 2018
5nm, no locks ... paradise!

  Just 5 miles from Meaux, tucked among the trees, is an idyllic little stop called Poincy.   Famed in our guide for the Michelin starred Moulin de Poincy, complete with Helipad, we poked our heads in and found it had been closed for the last 5 years so a cheap night in!!  Add to […]

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    This site is the Blog from James and Claire Short

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