My Travel Blog

In my last blog I wrote about the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin.  They were the group that purchased Chateau du Clos de Vougeot at the end of WWII.  The chateau is best known for its huge and lavish banquettes.  While surfing the Internet I came across a piece about the 94^th conference of the Confrérie des Chevaliers at Chateau du Clos de Vougeot on September 5, 2014.  A jury of 220 wine industry professionals and enlightened amateurs ...

After Chateau de Sauvigny there wasn’t much we could do to top the experience.  Our next stop with Jerry and Arlene was the Chateau du Clos de Vougeot.  It is one of the most famous chateaus in all of Burgundy.  Built in the 12th century by the monks of Citeaux Abbey, it has never received a star, medallion or fork by the many food critics that criss-cross the country.  Yet, it is a Mecca for French gastronomy.  The ...

It’s fall, and that means mushroom season.  I didn’t even know there was a mushroom season.  Actually it is more accurate to say that it is wild mushroom season.  The French love their mushrooms.  I assume people know that picking mushrooms can be hazardous to your health.  If you pick and then consume the wrong kind they are very poisonous, as in they will kill you.

Julian said that when picking wild mushrooms all you have to ...

It’s fall and the leaves are changing.  The nights are cold, but fortunately the days are still pleasant.  Jerry and Arlene, Lisa’s brother and sister-in-law have joined us for a third time on Rabelo.  They are always willing to pitch in, are good sports, and easy to get along with.  We look forward to their visits.

I had heard about a chateau with an amazing collection of fire engines, motorcycles, race cars, model cars, and aircraft.  The ...

In my last blog I wrote about Rabelo being a people magnet, or at least that she draws a lot of attention at a lock.  For this blog I thought I would write about what it takes to drive a 130 ft. barge into a lock that is only four inches wider and three feet longer than Rabelo.

The first thing you have to keep in mind is that Rabelo’s steering station is roughly 100 feet back ...

Recently I have been remiss when it comes to describing life on Rabelo.  Sure, I’ve written about all those exciting moments we’ve experienced.  After all, what could be more riveting than a river of sewage running down the hall of our floating home, a broken pilothouse roof, or picking apples off a grumpy old man’s tree? Then there were the many wonderful meals and special wines we’ve enjoyed, and don’t forget the beautiful scenery.  What I haven’t written ...

After an incredible tour of Provence it was time to show Louise and Neil what barging was like. Julian met us at the Dijon train station, and with some effort we jammed five people and all of our luggage into our little car for the forty-five minute drive to Vandenesse.

The first thing we did was take Neil and Louise for a little hike up to Chateau Neuf for some crepes.  After our yummy lunch we walked around the little village ...