3rd - 9th June

Luciole cruises up the canal, with the River Yonne flowing on our port side

This week we had a lovely charter group on board.  Bill and Ginnie the leaders had cruised on Luciole 20 years ago.  Its always wonderful to have passengers back on board.

The Nivernais canal has 114 locks and is 108 miles long, and was built to link the Loire and Yonne valleys and was once used to float timber to Paris and then later transport gravel/stone. As commercial use slowed down in the mid-1960s the canal was saved by the arrival of the pleasure industry, first the hotel barges and now the hire boats, all enjoying this beautiful stretch of water. 

After nearly 40 years on the canal, the Nivernais has become Luciole's home, and the barge has become part of Nivernais history. My parents still know a number of the lock keepers from before I was born! The joy of our canal is that it really does feel like you are stepping back in time and for a short while, enjoying life in the slow lane.