Cruising

A Taste of Bawah Reserve, 29-31 January 2024

Bawah Reserve, dream private island destination; friends for life, and choosing them wisely; travel agents who slack on the job; the uneventful flight of the Panamanian refugees; gorgeous Tented Beach Suite; beach babe Roy; spa bliss and sunset cruising; table-dancing at Elang Private Residence; beef rendang, popcorn prawns and so much more; homeward bound via Singapore

If you like to travel in style to exotic locations, I seriously recommend you choose your friends wisely.

One of the huge advantages of living in Singapore from 2000 to 2016, when Roy retired from a lifetime in the shipping industry to become my full-time travel agent*, was the opportunity to meet an eclectic bunch of people from all over the world. One of these is Paul Robinson. Party animal and self-proclaimed friend for life, this is a man who takes friendship so seriously that he’s virtually turned it into an art form.

Friends for Life

We’ve known Paul for over 20 years, since those early days in Singapore. Formerly with Elite Havens, where he spent most of his time visiting and rating/reviewing upmarket accommodation in exotic locations (how does one get a job like that?), he’s currently COO of gorgeous Bawah Reserve. (Click here for its outstanding website.)

Florie and Paul Robinson, murdering a couple of after-lunch cocktails last year at Chijmes, Singapore

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French Triangle Part 2: Beautiful Burgundy – Esbarres, Dole and Dijon

Before reading about beautiful Burgundy, please check out French Triangle Part One, where we said goodbye to our boat, Karanja; gorgeous gîte in Esbarres, near St Jean-de-Losne; homage to crossing the Channel on Karanja with David; flashback to cassoulet in Carcassonne; lamb shank and lavish scenery in Dole; by train to Dijon for lunch at Le Gourmand; onward to the Dordogne!

So, when we weren’t busy tearfully clearing our personal possessions off Karanja, prior to handing her over to her new owners at the St Jean-de-Losne Salon Fluviale, what were we doing? Exploring beautiful Burgundy while drowning our sorrows in duck-fat and Chablis, it would seem.

Framed! Verne in Dijon

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St Jean-de-Losne, Piper barge, travels with Verne and Roy

French Triangle Part 1: Farewell to Karanja, 20-30 April

Goodbye to boating in France; dirty minds and a pretty map; shamelessly nostalgic Karanja flashback; 18 Pipers piping; celebratory sake with Masako and Yoshi; apéro, gorgeously Gorgonzola-ey pizzas and Toshi’s sushi; sterling beef tartare, and whitebait with too many eyes

For any dirty minds out there, no – this French triangle of which I speak is nothing nearly as exciting as a ménage á trois in a French farce. In fact, it’s mostly about the breaking up of the triangle that was Roy, me and our Dutch barge Karanja.

St Jean-de-Losne, Piper barge, travels with Verne and Roy
The last photo taken of us on Karanja, May 2023

In addition, it roughly describes the route from St Jean-de-Losne in Bourgogne, where we said goodbye to Karanja; southwest to the Dordogne to visit Roy’s sister Lyndsay and brother-in-law John; down to daughter Wendy in Provence; and back to Bourgogne.

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QLD Odyssey – Part Six: The Whitsundays, 17-19 June

Bundaberg – arguably missable; rum from a dark Satanic mill; cane for the pain: spook and diesel; 1770 and Agnes Waters; 8 hours to Airlie Beach; Flaggy Rock – best pies on the planet; Tracy saves the day; ZigZag Whitsundays Day Tour – best beach in the world; Sorrento sundowners and dinner at The Rocks

The main reason to stay at Seventeen Seventy / 1770 or its immediate neighbour Agnes Waters – another memorable name, if not place – is that it’s a three-hour drive from Hervey Bay when heading north to Cairns. And a three-hour stint is, in my opinion, the perfect amount of driving time; four hours is OK, too. Anything longer becomes tiresome.

Goodbye to the Whitsundays – one to tick off the bucket list

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Castelnaudary Part Three: All about Gretige Henriette

Living the dream – Bill and Winnie Post talk to me about their gorgeous old tjalk, Gretige Henriette

I first saw Gretige Henriette and met her owners Bill and Winnie Post two years ago, when Roy and I arrived in the port of Moissac after our three-month-long journey on Karanja from England.

Originally hailing from New York, they have been living in California for many years. Now, though, they spend four to five months each year in France aboard their unique vessel.

Winnie and Bill Post, with Gretige Henriette in the port of Castelnaudary

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Castelnaudary Part Two: Port Stories, 3-7 July

Pizza, fisticuffs and the drunken sailor; Bill, Winnie and Gretige Henriette; antiques and anchovies; back to Chez David

 Castelnaudary – or simply “Castel” to locals or wannabe-locals – is one of the Canal du Midi’s prettiest ports.  We had a great first visit in 2017; click here to read all about that.

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Castelnaudary Part One – Getting there from Toulouse, 30 June to 3 July

Port Saint-Sauveur vanishing bike act; champagne at Castanet; Bo Peep and her boathook; my many and multifarious roles; lunch hour rules; important-little-towel philosophy; sympathetic éclusier at Sanglier; Le Diné at Port-Lauragais; the insightful M. Riches from La Rochelle

In the wee hours of our last day in Port Saint-Sauveur, Toulouse, neighbour Hans (Comtesse) had a bike nicked from our shared pontoon. In full view of the surveillance camera, someone had come through the gate – must have had a key – and carried the thing away, lock and all.

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Everything Toulouse! – 24-29 June

Welcome to the Canal du Midi; high drama in Bayage lock; Victor Hugo market; Toulouse dry docks; IKEA is cool; double martyrdom at Saint-Sernin; cultural cuisine at L’Ouverture

Having waved off daughter Wendy, who was returning to her job in Marseilles, we set off from Grisolles. Lock Emballens was followed by Castelnau, l’Hers – and it was at L’Hers that Roy resolved to push on to Toulouse, rather than moor somewhere overnight. (L’His decision, not L’Hers.)

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