France

Chateau Neuf, Burgundy Canal

In the spring of 2004, having spent time in Devon recovering some of her youthful strength and beauty, Ruda declared herself ready to travel, and left England for what was to be many years of delightful cruising among her European neighbours.

She began her travels at the classic boat festivals at Brest and Douarnenez before making her way up the coast of northern France and entering the canal system by way of the Somme river which she followed to its junction with the Canal du Nord, eventually joining the Seine at Conflans Sainte Honorine before finding herself a berth in the centre of Paris.

There followed many tranquil summers spent meandering along the canals and rivers of La Belle France enjoying that country’s scenic and gastronomic delights.  Cycling the vineyards of Burgundy and Champagne; enjoying the seafood of Brittany, the creams and cheeses of Normandy, and the charcuterie of Dijon and the Jura; rejoicing in Nancy’s exuberant Art Nouveau architecture, and the marvels of canal engineering at Rogny-les-Sept Ecluses, the pont-canal over the Loire at Briare and the boat lift at Arzviller. Cruising inland France was endlessly delightful, and everywhere along her route, in the cafes and markets, the chateaux and cathedrals, and at locks and riverside moorings, Ruda encountered friendly faces and generous hospitality.

She passed the colder months of those years in Paris, resting peacefully at her winter home in the 4th arrondissement between the Bastille monument and the busy river Seine, while her crew entertained themselves in discovery and enjoyment of that lovely city.

Eventually though, feeling a need to adventure in saltier water, she bid a fond farewell to her floating community and locked down into the Seine to begin a voyage north, this time to Scandinavia.