One Year On

Today marks the first anniversary of our departure from UK waters. And it has been quite a year. I know that it is only France and that it is just a hop, a skip and a handful of Tesco's vouchers from the UK. But this trip and this year have been a voyage in the true sense : a long journey of discovery by sea or water.
We have discovered and continue to discover ourselves as individuals and as a family. We have our home with us, but not our friends. We are accepted members of the European community - yet we are foreigners. However we are surrounded by fellow boaters who are literally "in the same boat" and that has created a comfortable community and an excellent support network.

This wonderful home bobbed across the Channel and kept us and our worldly possessions safe and dry; it tested our abilities at every opportunity and rewarded us with the enviable ability to moor up for free in the centre of beautiful towns and cities. And until October we tested the boat to the max.

We moored up in Saint Jean de Losne and did not think that we would be moored up so long. But the truth is that we will not be setting off from this mooring until July when school breaks up and Andy's contract in the UK has finished. It has been a very fruitful stopping point and the boys have thrived. They have impressed their teachers and are growing in confidence with their french. In a complete reversal of roles Callum now sits with me and drills me on my french phonetics and he is a tough teacher! He berates me in French and I promise to do better.

This summer we are heading south : continuing down the Saone to Lyon where we join the mighty Rhone which will take us south towards Avignon, Montpellier and finally Sete on the Mediterranean coast. However, we plan to return to Saint Jean de Losne for the winter. Plenty to see, do, eat and drink en route.

And we will keep you posted of all that happens via this blog.