To the End of the Nivernais, Aug. 3-5

 In the flood year of 2016 when we traveled this canal last, we stopped in the village of Beffes twice, once in each direction. It had a nice new halte with water and electricity and plenty of room for boats, although the lack of mooring points for larger boats was a problem. We also found a very nice restaurant, the Crozet de Chemin, that we like so much the first time we made a return visit. The halte is still there, still lacks bollards, but the restaurant has been sold and the replacement didn’t look that inviting. Plus, the weather was still iffy so we just spent one night. 

It was pouring rain when it was time for our departure at 9 on Wednesday morning but since we can drive from inside we set off anyway. Our next planned stop was just a small bankside mooring in the village of Chevenon, 36 k up the canal. In 2016 we sat here for a couple of days in the rain waiting to travel into Nevers to await Inez arrival (the long taxi ride). 

A hireboat joined us later in the day

under a dramatic sunset.

 It was raining again. Maybe it always rains in Chevenon. We’ve had off-and-on rain for the last couple of weeks, nothing to cause any flooding like they've had elsewhere in Europe and we kind of enjoy it as it’s a novelty for us rain-starved Southern Californians. Plus, everything is really, really green in contrast to the gray landscape of Southern Cal.

One night was all we were going to spend here. 

Thursday morning it was off for the 25 k and 5 locks to Decize. There we would do a little supermarket shopping and then make the left turn to cross the Loire River and enter the Canal du Nivernais.