Seurre - Dole 24 May

We had planned to go as far as St Jean de Losne today, our last stop on the Saone. But another conference resulted in Carl's suggestion winning so we turned into the Rhone Rhin canal and stopped a town called Dole.

Up just before 7 am, looking for baguettes. Much easier in this little town, we passed this school almost on the dot 7 and were rewarded with seeing the Jaquemart clock strike 7!

This is the information on the Jacquemart clock, one of the last still working in France. We actually saw the hammar being struck. That is what you get when you are an early riser.

Passing through St Jean de Losne, pronounced "loan". This was told to us by a couple we met in the port in Lyon, who were at the same restaurant as us in Seurre last night. In the word Losne, you do not pronounce the "s", but in other words you do. Ah French is a wonderful language!

I think this is still St Jean de loan, cannot really remember, but liked the roof of the church.

So this is goodbye to the Saone, a river I had not heard of before. It is a big river, mostly very beautiful, sometimes a bit boring. But we have enjoyed the all town's and villages we stayed in.

And into the Rhone Rhin canal with its 114 locks. At this first lock we were given an automatic lock operator. A bit nervous a first, but you open, let in the water, and close the lock yourself. After the first 8 locks today we are quite pleased with ourselves for having managed this.

The Rhone Rhin canal, narrow, windy, peaceful and lovely, so far.

While tiring up to the pontoon in Dole, Carl's back gave in and he had to do his back exercise on the plontoon.

Dole is an interesting town with quite spectacular buildings. We are now in the Jura area. I suppose we will see a lot more of this type of architecture, but the first time is always impressive?

And this is our mooring in Dole.

We came through this lock, 180 cm, easy as pie, and into Dole.

Louis Pasteur was born in Dole. This is the house where he was born. His father was a tanner. In this area all the leather workers lived. It is very different from the towns along the Saone. Big houses with slanting roofs.