Nancy was our turnaround point. Alas it was time to head back to Saint Jean de Losne for the winter. It had been six years since we had visited Nancy, and we were excited to return. Fortunately the old city, and more important Stanislaus Square were the same. In fact the amazing light show displayed every night in the square was even better than the one we saw six years ago. What had changed was all the development around the Port de Plaisance. Dozens of new apartment buildings had been built, and they were continuing to add more. We still couldn’t moor in the Port de Plaisance because of our size, but now there was a beautiful park on the other side of the canal where we could tie up. There was no water or power, but because we have a new generator and carry eight tons of water it was not a problem.
The parks and museums were still just as special with their unusual thought provoking exhibits. The highlight of our visit was the light show in Stanislaus Square, which also happens to be a UNESCO world heritage site. The square is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe with its amazing wrought iron gates covered in gold leaf, beautiful restored buildings lined with statues, and of course the bronze statue of Stanislaus Leszczynski in the center of the square.
Stanislaus Square.
One of the amazing gates in Stanislaus Square.
Some of the unusual artwork you’ll find in the parks.
In the past six years we have seen plenty of light shows, but the one that always stood out the most was in Nancy. The show was done with lasers, and frankly I can’t begin to imagine how many hours it took to produce. It was original, imaginative, and beautiful all at the same time. The audience even applauded at the end of the show, even though there was no one to hear or see their appreciation. That should give you an idea of how great it was.
Some of the wonderful light show.
More light show.
Lisa next to a fountain in the park.
One of the museums we especially enjoyed was the Musee de L’Ecole de Nancy. It was originally the home of Mr. Eugene Corbin who loved art deco furniture. His collection was the finest we had ever seen. We also enjoyed the Musee des Beaux-Arts. For a city the size of Nancy they had an impressive collection that included some of the great masters like Picasso, Ruben, Modigliani, and Monet.
Beautiful art deco furniture.
An art deco bed.
Lisa inside the interactive art at the Musee des Beaux-Arts.
In my last blog I wrote about how Rabelo was stuck in six different locks on the Canal du Vosges. We were about to head back the same way we had come, and the last thing we needed was to get stuck again. Our solution was to place Rabelo on a diet. Philippe cut off a steel rub rail that was almost an inch thick. He then made arrangements to have a new rail welded back on that was only a ¼ inch thick. We hoped that Rabelo losing that extra ¾ of an inch would be enough.
Rabelo getting a new rub rail.
Some of the old rub rail that was removed.
The French canals inspire peace and tranquility.
– Tom Miller
Author of “The Wave” and “When Stones Speak”– Chuck Palmer Adventure novels
OCT
About the Author:
Tom Miller graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science in Geology. He is a consummate adventurer with over 1,000 dives as a recreational scuba diver, and an avid sailor who has traveled 65,000 miles throughout the Pacific including the Hawaiian Islands. Miller has also cruised the canals of Europe on his canal barge and given numerous lectures on cruising the canals of Europe, as well as sailing in the South Pacific. Piloting is also an interest of Miller's, and He has completed over 1,000 hours flying everything from small Cessnas to Lear jets.