After a hectic winter Lisa and have returned to Rabelo. We were so excited to be back you would think we were a couple of kids. Before heading to Rabelo we spent two nights in Paris recovering from our long flight and a train ride from Brussels to Paris. During our short layover we also celebrated my birthday. Unfortunately, while rushing to make my birthday dinner I unexpectedly found myself in the middle of an altercation with a sidewalk. While I put up a valiant fight the sidewalk threw me a curb, and then hit me in the face. It was a one two punch that I couldn’t recover from, and stayed down for the count. I saw stars, and it wasn’t even dark yet! It took me a few minutes to gain my senses thus allowing plenty of time for the crowds to gather. There was talk of calling an ambulance, but eventually I managed to make it back to vertical. Next time I get in a fight with a sidewalk, I’ll have to make sure it’s a soft one.
While we only had one full day in Paris we did manage to see the new Louis Vuitton Museum. Frank Gehrywas the architect, and he really out did himself. I love the Guggenhiem in Bilboa, and the Disney Hall in Los Angeles, but the Louis Vuitton, in my opinion, is his best work to date. Best of all Lisa and I loved the contemporary art that was on display. They had everything from Monet, Matisse, Francis Bacon, to Picasso. My favorite was, The Scream by Edvard Munch. This painting has always been one of my all time favorites, and to see the original was a real treat. If you are ever in Paris please make a beeline for the Louis Vuitton. You won’t regret it, and besides it is in the middle of a beautiful park.
After a quick train ride from Paris to Dijon, our new captain Kevin met us at the train station. He then drove us to Rabelo, about forty minutes away. While we will miss Captain Julian and his girlfriend Nicole from last year, Kevin is an extremely nice man and we are looking forward to spending the summer with him. He also seems to be very knowledgeable. It looks like we may have found another great captain to help us on Rabelo. The week before we arrived Kevin worked his rear end off as he had Rabelo in wonderful shape. His hard work made it so much easier for Lisa and me to transition into our floating home. Thank you Kevin!
Julian and Nicole are now working on the hotel barge Apres Tout owned by Rory and Catherine. It is a beautiful barge that I wanted to buy. I waited too long and they beat me to it. She is a wonderful barge with amazing owners and is therefore always booked for the season. This barge generally stays in one area so Julian and Nicole will spend the season going up and down the Burgundy Canal. They were tied up in Saint Jean de Losne when we arrived so we were able to catch up with Rory and Catherine, Julian and Nicole.
-Tom Miller
Author of “The Wave” and “When Stones Speak”– Chuck Palmer Adventure novels
MAY
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.