cruising the canals of europe
 

Hi group,

I've just reread Weston Martyr's "The 200# Millionaire". It's got me
dreaming about cruising the inland waterways of Europe.
Thing is, the story was written in the 1930s. It claims that you can
get pretty much everywhere in France and central Europe through inland
waterways, even all the way to Budapest, Prague, etc. Is this still
true? Are these inland canals still in operation or have they been
abandoned in the last 70 years? If there are still as many
possibilities as Martyr talked about, what kind of draft is
acceptable?

Anyone done it?

Regards,
-Maxime Camirand

cruising the canals of europe
 

mcamirand wrote in news:1178136944.191022.11930
@y80g2000hsf.googlegroups.com:

Hi group,

I've just reread Weston Martyr's "The 200# Millionaire". It's got me
dreaming about cruising the inland waterways of Europe.
Thing is, the story was written in the 1930s. It claims that you can
get pretty much everywhere in France and central Europe through inland
waterways, even all the way to Budapest, Prague, etc. Is this still
true? Are these inland canals still in operation or have they been
abandoned in the last 70 years? If there are still as many
possibilities as Martyr talked about, what kind of draft is
acceptable?

Anyone done it?

Regards,
-Maxime Camirand

Friends of mine did part of France a few years back. Here is a good starting point:

http://www.canals.com/

cruising the canals of europe
 

Hi Maxime,
the french canal network has indeed receded in the past 70 years. The
total length has decreased from 12,000 km to 8,000 km in this period.
However, most of the routes still exist and provide the ability to go
basically anywhere from anywhere but the notable exception of the Loire
that is not navigable any more, leading to the network of Brittany being
isolated from the rest of the network.

mcamirand a écrit :
Hi group,

I've just reread Weston Martyr's "The 200# Millionaire". It's got me
dreaming about cruising the inland waterways of Europe.
Thing is, the story was written in the 1930s. It claims that you can
get pretty much everywhere in France and central Europe through inland
waterways, even all the way to Budapest, Prague, etc. Is this still
true? Are these inland canals still in operation or have they been
abandoned in the last 70 years? If there are still as many
possibilities as Martyr talked about, what kind of draft is
acceptable?

Anyone done it?

Regards,
-Maxime Camirand

cruising the canals of europe
 

mcamirand wrote in news:1178136944.191022.11930
@y80g2000hsf.googlegroups.com:

Are these inland canals still in operation or have they been
abandoned in the last 70 years?

BBC had a wonderful documentary done by a guy who lived and traveled on a
barge pushed by his own little tugboat...er, ah, pushboat. The
documentary was done in segments and I watched it as it was posted to
alt.binaries.multimedia.documentaries a couple of years ago. It was a
wonderful series.

He met some really strange bureaucrats going over borders. For instance,
the German bureaucrats forced him to add this HUGE anchor and windlass to
the stern of his tugboat to comply with some strange regulation on the
Rhine River before he could get on it out of France. Of course, there
were dealers specialising in huge anchors and windlasses just waiting to
steal his money for the project so he could be on his way. That happened
in many places as borders were crossed.

Some of the bizarre locking systems and bathtub lifts that go up and down
massive incline railways up the sides of mountains in the Alps were just
fascinating. The documentary just stopped as these, sometimes very old,
systems were studied and videos made.

My fantasy is a longboat on the canals of the UK. I've a massive list of
websites found on Google. What a great way to spend an entire summer in
England....just putt putting around with the little diesels before the
world runs out of fuel, altogether.

Larry
--

cruising the canals of europe
 

On Thu, 03 May 2007 01:00:29 +0000, Larry wrote:

What a great way to spend an entire summer in
England...

Why England when you could do the same thing in the south of France?
The French cooking and wines are *much* better, scenery about the
same.

cruising the canals of europe
 

Wayne.B wrote:
On Thu, 03 May 2007 01:00:29 +0000, Larry wrote:


What a great way to spend an entire summer in
England...


Why England when you could do the same thing in the south of France?
The French cooking and wines are *much* better, scenery about the
same.

Why allow yourself to be insulted en Francais by
the French, when the English are mostly polite and
friendly? And if they aren't, you can at least
understand their insults '-)

Don W.

cruising the canals of europe
 

Larry wrote:

mcamirand wrote in news:1178136944.191022.11930
:

Are these inland canals still in operation or have they been
abandoned in the last 70 years?

BBC had a wonderful documentary done by a guy who lived and traveled on a
barge pushed by his own little tugboat...er, ah, pushboat. The
documentary was done in segments and I watched it as it was posted to
alt.binaries.multimedia.documentaries a couple of years ago. It was a
wonderful series.

He met some really strange bureaucrats going over borders. For instance,
the German bureaucrats forced him to add this HUGE anchor and windlass to
the stern of his tugboat to comply with some strange regulation on the
Rhine River before he could get on it out of France. Of course, there
were dealers specialising in huge anchors and windlasses just waiting to
steal his money for the project so he could be on his way. That happened
in many places as borders were crossed.

Some of the bizarre locking systems and bathtub lifts that go up and down
massive incline railways up the sides of mountains in the Alps were just
fascinating. The documentary just stopped as these, sometimes very old,
systems were studied and videos made.

My fantasy is a longboat on the canals of the UK. I've a massive list of
websites found on Google. What a great way to spend an entire summer in
England....just putt putting around with the little diesels before the
world runs out of fuel, altogether.


My dream was to go over the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/2d2ca/#TL But we didn't manage
that because it would have taken at least a week. We had to be
satisfied with a long weekend where my daughter, grandson and SIL
helped with the locks etc. We got my SIL to do it by promising that
he could visit the pubs along the way.
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/4a9c6/4ca7d/

cruising the canals of europe
 

On Wed, 02 May 2007 21:41:37 -0500, Don W
wrote:

Why allow yourself to be insulted en Francais by
the French, when the English are mostly polite and
friendly? And if they aren't, you can at least
understand their insults '-)

My wife speaks fluent French so we could understand the insults either
way. I have a thick skin regardless.

cruising the canals of europe
 

mcamirand wrote:
Hi group,

I've just reread Weston Martyr's "The 200# Millionaire". It's got me
dreaming about cruising the inland waterways of Europe.
Thing is, the story was written in the 1930s. It claims that you can
get pretty much everywhere in France and central Europe through inland
waterways, even all the way to Budapest, Prague, etc. Is this still
true? Are these inland canals still in operation or have they been
abandoned in the last 70 years? If there are still as many
possibilities as Martyr talked about, what kind of draft is
acceptable?

Anyone done it?

Regards,
-Maxime Camirand

The ultimate inland voyage is the Rhine-Main-Danube. The two massive rivers
are now joined by canal, and you can enter the Rhine at Rotterdam and exit
the Danube Delta into the Black Sea. I believe you need care in your choice
of vessel as the Rhine flows North and needs a vessel with ample power to
make headway. Allow about 6 months for the trip and also vast amounts of
patience as the rivers flow through Eastern European countries where
officialdom reigns supreme!

I also knew a guy some years ago who sailed his boat from Ireland to
Marseilles and entered the French canal system, thence heading north to
Brest and back to Ireland. Not the sort of journey you could complete in a
2-week vacation! The main problems with taking a sea-going vessel into the
canals are concerned with unstepping and re-stepping the mast.

Having recently passed thru the Kiel canal (Nordsee Kanal) east-to-west, I
can advise that it can be done in a day! (about70 miles). This is because
the absence of locks (one at each end only) and the width of the canal
allows a fast passage to be made, particularly if you don't mind sharing
your space with a 30,000 ton cargo vessel! I can also advise that the River
Elbe is similar to the M1 motorway in UK , or Route 66 in the US!

Dennis.

cruising the canals of europe
 

"mcamirand" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi group,

I've just reread Weston Martyr's "The 200# Millionaire". It's got me
dreaming about cruising the inland waterways of Europe.
Thing is, the story was written in the 1930s. It claims that you can
get pretty much everywhere in France and central Europe through inland
waterways, even all the way to Budapest, Prague, etc. Is this still
true? Are these inland canals still in operation or have they been
abandoned in the last 70 years? If there are still as many
possibilities as Martyr talked about, what kind of draft is
acceptable?

Anyone done it?

Regards,
-Maxime Camirand


An ex SF couple - I've been following their travels for a few years now.

www.billandnancy.com/

Hoges in WA

cruising the canals of europe
 

Don W wrote:

Why allow yourself to be insulted en Francais by the French, when the
English are mostly polite and friendly? And if they aren't, you can at
least understand their insults '-)

my experience in France was that it was mostly loud Americans who used the "maybe if I speak English
really loudly he'll understand" method of communicating with the French -who not surprisingly speak
French- were the ones getting insulted

cruising the canals of europe
 

Wayne.B wrote in
:

On Thu, 03 May 2007 01:00:29 +0000, Larry wrote:

What a great way to spend an entire summer in
England...

Why England when you could do the same thing in the south of France?
The French cooking and wines are *much* better, scenery about the
same.



I sail with an English captain. I've been to France a few times, as well
as England. You have to stay a few weeks in both places to see my point.
It's not the place so much as the people.

English, Welch and Scottish people have always been so warm to me, a
complete American stranger. I cannot say the same for the French my
father risked his life to help recover their country. I wouldn't.

Give me a warm pub in a country village with those great ales they've
been making for a thousand years every time. Hell, they're just across
the quay where you tie up the longboat!...(c; ......not to mention those
wonderful freckled English girls I don't need an interpreter to talk
to...

Larry
--

cruising the canals of europe
 

the_bmac wrote:
Don W wrote:

Why allow yourself to be insulted en Francais by the French, when the
English are mostly polite and friendly? And if they aren't, you can
at least understand their insults '-)


my experience in France was that it was mostly loud Americans who used
the "maybe if I speak English really loudly he'll understand" method of
communicating with the French -who not surprisingly speak French- were
the ones getting insulted

(Shrug) Maybe. I have had good experiences in
French territories (F.P. & Martinique).

However, I've heard second hand stories about the
rudeness of the French waiters to _all_ customers,
and not just the Americans and Brits. I have not
experienced this myself. Perhaps someone who has
been to Paris recently would care to comment.

Don W.

cruising the canals of europe
 

Don W wrote:
the_bmac wrote:
Don W wrote:

Why allow yourself to be insulted en Francais by the French, when the
English are mostly polite and friendly? And if they aren't, you can
at least understand their insults '-)


my experience in France was that it was mostly loud Americans who used
the "maybe if I speak English really loudly he'll understand" method
of communicating with the French -who not surprisingly speak French-
were the ones getting insulted

(Shrug) Maybe. I have had good experiences in French territories (F.P.
& Martinique).

However, I've heard second hand stories about the rudeness of the French
waiters to _all_ customers, and not just the Americans and Brits. I
have not experienced this myself. Perhaps someone who has been to Paris
recently would care to comment.

Well if all you are going to judge by is Paris, then you do need to understand the mindset of many
Parisians. Unlike New Yorkers, Londoners -or God help them, Torontoids- who _think_ they're living in
the centre of the known universe, Parisians _know_ they are living in the centre of the known
universe. Parisians refer to all living outside of "L'île de France" as "provincials", quaint rustic
bumpkins who are not to be taken seriously. Americans are frequently regarded as crass, bourgeois,
hobbled by puritanical mores and completely devoid of any appreciation for art, culture and most
particularly food. Perhaps your hearsay stories about French waiters come from fellow Americans who
are accustomed to treating wait-staff like second class citizens. Waiter is a respected occupation in
France. They know their business and expect their customers to know about food, etiquette etc.
because that is the societal norm in France.

cruising the canals of europe
 

On May 3, 10:41 am, the_bmac wrote:
Don W wrote:
the_bmac wrote:
Don W wrote:

Why allow yourself to be insulted en Francais by theFrench, when the
English are mostly polite and friendly? And if they aren't, you can
at least understand their insults '-)

my experience in France was that it was mostly loudAmericanswho used
the "maybe if I speak English really loudly he'll understand" method
of communicating with theFrench-who not surprisingly speakFrench-
were the ones getting insulted

(Shrug) Maybe. I have had good experiences inFrenchterritories (F.P.
& Martinique).

However, I've heard second handstoriesabout the rudeness of theFrench
waitersto _all_ customers, and not just theAmericansand Brits. I
have not experienced this myself. Perhapssomeone who has been to Paris
recently would care to comment.

Well if all you are going to judge by is Paris, then you do need to understand the mindset of many
Parisians. Unlike New Yorkers, Londoners -or God help them, Torontoids- who _think_ they're living in
the centre of the known universe, Parisians _know_ they are living in the centre of the known
universe. Parisians refer to all living outside of "L'île de France" as "provincials", quaint rustic
bumpkins who are not to be taken seriously. Americansare frequently regarded as crass, bourgeois,
hobbled by puritanical mores and completely devoid of any appreciation for art, culture and most
particularly food. PerhapsyourhearsaystoriesaboutFrenchwaiterscomefro mfellowAmericanswho
are accustomed to treating wait-staff like second class citizens. Waiter is a respected occupation in
France. They know their business and expect their customers to know about food, etiquette etc.
because that is the societal norm in France.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yelp... they are uppty snobs for sure and it's a game they play in a
effort to feel important, sorta like the McDonalds cashier with an
attitude problem.

However as BigMac pointed out, throw a few local phrases at them,
accept the fact that they call the shots, and you can get the sub-
standard level of service the locals are willing to endure. If you go
in shouting "Garson" expect to be ignored.

Why anyone wants to spend anytime in a garbage laiden **** hole like
Parie is beyond me. Go to Jules Verns on the eiffel tower, get a good
meal ..then leave.

And as BigMac pointed out..In France a waiter is a high level
occupation, just above cheap whore, and grape crusher.

Joe


, easy to win BTW.

cruising the canals of europe
 

"Joe" skrev i melding
ps.com...
On May 3, 10:41 am, the_bmac wrote:
Don W wrote:
the_bmac wrote:
Don W wrote:

Why allow yourself to be insulted en Francais by theFrench, when the
English are mostly polite and friendly? And if they aren't, you can
at least understand their insults '-)

my experience in France was that it was mostly loudAmericanswho used
the "maybe if I speak English really loudly he'll understand" method
of communicating with theFrench-who not surprisingly speakFrench-
were the ones getting insulted

(Shrug) Maybe. I have had good experiences inFrenchterritories (F.P.
& Martinique).

However, I've heard second handstoriesabout the rudeness of theFrench
waitersto _all_ customers, and not just theAmericansand Brits. I
have not experienced this myself. Perhapssomeone who has been to Paris
recently would care to comment.

Well if all you are going to judge by is Paris, then you do need to
understand the mindset of many
Parisians. Unlike New Yorkers, Londoners -or God help them, Torontoids-
who _think_ they're living in
the centre of the known universe, Parisians _know_ they are living in the
centre of the known
universe. Parisians refer to all living outside of "L'île de France" as
"provincials", quaint rustic
bumpkins who are not to be taken seriously. Americansare frequently
regarded as crass, bourgeois,
hobbled by puritanical mores and completely devoid of any appreciation for
art, culture and most
particularly food.
PerhapsyourhearsaystoriesaboutFrenchwaiterscomefro mfellowAmericanswho
are accustomed to treating wait-staff like second class citizens. Waiter
is a respected occupation in
France. They know their business and expect their customers to know about
food, etiquette etc.
because that is the societal norm in France.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yelp... they are uppty snobs for sure and it's a game they play in a
effort to feel important, sorta like the McDonalds cashier with an
attitude problem.

However as BigMac pointed out, throw a few local phrases at them,
accept the fact that they call the shots, and you can get the sub-
standard level of service the locals are willing to endure. If you go
in shouting "Garson" expect to be ignored.

Why anyone wants to spend anytime in a garbage laiden **** hole like
Parie is beyond me.

You are right, it probably is beyond you.

cruising the canals of europe
 

On May 3, 3:02 pm, "Jan" wrote:
"Joe" skrev i glegroups.com...
On May 3, 10:41 am, the_bmac wrote:





Don W wrote:
the_bmac wrote:
Don W wrote:

Why allow yourself to be insulted en Francais by theFrench, when the
English are mostly polite and friendly? And if they aren't, you can
at least understand their insults '-)

my experience in France was that it was mostly loudAmericanswho used
the "maybe if I speak English really loudly he'll understand" method
of communicating with theFrench-who not surprisingly speakFrench-
were the ones getting insulted

(Shrug) Maybe. I have had good experiences inFrenchterritories (F.P.
& Martinique).

However, I've heard second handstoriesabout the rudeness of theFrench
waitersto _all_ customers, and not just theAmericansand Brits. I
have not experienced this myself. Perhapssomeone who has been to Paris
recently would care to comment.

Well if all you are going to judge by is Paris, then you do need to
understand the mindset of many
Parisians. Unlike New Yorkers, Londoners -or God help them, Torontoids-
who _think_ they're living in
the centre of the known universe, Parisians _know_ they are living in the
centre of the known
universe. Parisians refer to all living outside of "L'île de France" as
"provincials", quaint rustic
bumpkins who are not to be taken seriously. Americansare frequently
regarded as crass, bourgeois,
hobbled by puritanical mores and completely devoid of any appreciation for
art, culture and most
particularly food.
PerhapsyourhearsaystoriesaboutFrenchwaiterscomefro mfellowAmericanswho
are accustomed to treating wait-staff like second class citizens. Waiter
is a respected occupation in
France. They know their business and expect their customers to know about
food, etiquette etc.
because that is the societal norm in France.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yelp... they are uppty snobs for sure and it's a game they play in a
effort to feel important, sorta like the McDonalds cashier with an
attitude problem.

However as BigMac pointed out, throw a few local phrases at them,
accept the fact that they call the shots, and you can get the sub-
standard level of service the locals are willing to endure. If you go
in shouting "Garson" expect to be ignored.

Why anyone wants to spend anytime in a garbage laiden **** hole like
Parie is beyond me.

You are right, it probably is beyond you.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Hey, if rude assholes and lots-o-garbage covered streets is your thing
go for it.
Been there...

I'd rather eat money meat served from a habachi on the sidewalk with a
Phillipino any day, much nicer people... and they smell better too.

Joe

cruising the canals of europe
 

the_bmac wrote:
Don W wrote:
the_bmac wrote:
Don W wrote:

Why allow yourself to be insulted en Francais by the French, when
the English are mostly polite and friendly? And if they aren't, you
can at least understand their insults '-)


my experience in France was that it was mostly loud Americans who
used the "maybe if I speak English really loudly he'll understand"
method of communicating with the French -who not surprisingly speak
French- were the ones getting insulted

(Shrug) Maybe. I have had good experiences in French territories
(F.P. & Martinique).

However, I've heard second hand stories about the rudeness of the
French waiters to _all_ customers, and not just the Americans and
Brits. I have not experienced this myself. Perhaps someone who has
been to Paris recently would care to comment.

Well if all you are going to judge by is Paris, then you do need to
understand the mindset of many Parisians. Unlike New Yorkers, Londoners
-or God help them, Torontoids- who _think_ they're living in the centre
of the known universe, Parisians _know_ they are living in the centre of
the known universe. Parisians refer to all living outside of "L'île de
France" as "provincials", quaint rustic bumpkins who are not to be taken
seriously. Americans are frequently regarded as crass, bourgeois,
hobbled by puritanical mores and completely devoid of any appreciation
for art, culture and most particularly food. Perhaps your hearsay
stories about French waiters come from fellow Americans who are
accustomed to treating wait-staff like second class citizens. Waiter is
a respected occupation in France. They know their business and expect
their customers to know about food, etiquette etc. because that is the
societal norm in France.

and as for the British! It is a well-known fact among the French that the British kill their meat
twice when preparing for a meal. Once when the animal is slaughtered and once again when the British
chef performs the "magique" dans la cuisine. All French waiters are taught to recognize the
ale-swilling louts upon arrival in the resto and to give them the service they deserve.

cruising the canals of europe
 

In article . com, Joe wrote:

Hey, if rude assholes and lots-o-garbage covered streets is your thing
go for it.

And, yet, they speak so highly of you.

Justin.

--
Justin C, by the sea.

cruising the canals of europe
 

On May 3, 4:24 pm, Justin C wrote:
In article . com, Joe wrote:

Hey, if rude assholes and lots-o-garbage covered streets is your thing
go for it.

And, yet, they speak so highly of you.

Justin.

--
Justin C, by the sea.

http://www.zapworld.com/ZAPWorld/ZAP...age001(12).jpg

Who cares?

Joe

cruising the canals of europe
 

the_bmac wrote in :

They know their business and expect their customers to know about
food, etiquette etc. because that is the societal norm in France.


See? Precisely why I'd rather help the nice English lockkeeper turn
ancient valves and move the gates as he invites us to the pub for a
pint....(c;



Larry
--

cruising the canals of europe
 

....not to mention those
wonderful freckled English girls I don't need an interpreter to talk
to...

Larry

Oh, is that what they are called? We used to call them "flyspots" as
kids and thought that they didn't wash.

Peter

cruising the canals of europe
 

I have just built (well, built in the sense that Caesar conquered
Gaul) a boat to do just that, among other things. The French canals
are still largely useable, and the reunification of Germany has opened
up LOTS of unspoiled (for the moment) cruising grounds in the north.
see www.mp-marine.com

Cheers,
Michael Porter

mcamirand wrote:

Hi group,

I've just reread Weston Martyr's "The 200# Millionaire". It's got me
dreaming about cruising the inland waterways of Europe.
Thing is, the story was written in the 1930s. It claims that you can
get pretty much everywhere in France and central Europe through inland
waterways, even all the way to Budapest, Prague, etc. Is this still
true? Are these inland canals still in operation or have they been
abandoned in the last 70 years? If there are still as many
possibilities as Martyr talked about, what kind of draft is
acceptable?

Anyone done it?

Regards,
-Maxime Camirand

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

cruising the canals of europe
 

On May 4, 6:48 am, Michael Porter wrote:
I have just built (well, built in the sense that Caesar conquered
Gaul) a boat to do just that, among other things. The French canals
are still largely useable, and the reunification of Germany has opened
up LOTS of unspoiled (for the moment) cruising grounds in the north.
seewww.mp-marine.com

Cheers,
Michael Porter


That's a good looking boat Michael, have you fitted her out yet?

What kind of route are you planning?

Amesterdam to Budapest would be a great canal trip. Germany sounds
pretty cool as well. When you shoving off?

Joe

cruising the canals of europe
 

"Joe" skrev i melding
ups.com...
On May 3, 3:02 pm, "Jan" wrote:
"Joe" skrev i
glegroups.com...
On May 3, 10:41 am, the_bmac wrote:





Don W wrote:
the_bmac wrote:
Don W wrote:

Why allow yourself to be insulted en Francais by theFrench, when the
English are mostly polite and friendly? And if they aren't, you can
at least understand their insults '-)

my experience in France was that it was mostly loudAmericanswho used
the "maybe if I speak English really loudly he'll understand" method
of communicating with theFrench-who not surprisingly speakFrench-
were the ones getting insulted

(Shrug) Maybe. I have had good experiences inFrenchterritories (F.P.
& Martinique).

However, I've heard second handstoriesabout the rudeness of theFrench
waitersto _all_ customers, and not just theAmericansand Brits. I
have not experienced this myself. Perhapssomeone who has been to
Paris
recently would care to comment.

Well if all you are going to judge by is Paris, then you do need to
understand the mindset of many
Parisians. Unlike New Yorkers, Londoners -or God help them, Torontoids-
who _think_ they're living in
the centre of the known universe, Parisians _know_ they are living in
the
centre of the known
universe. Parisians refer to all living outside of "L'île de France" as
"provincials", quaint rustic
bumpkins who are not to be taken seriously. Americansare frequently
regarded as crass, bourgeois,
hobbled by puritanical mores and completely devoid of any appreciation
for
art, culture and most
particularly food.
PerhapsyourhearsaystoriesaboutFrenchwaiterscomefro mfellowAmericanswho
are accustomed to treating wait-staff like second class citizens.
Waiter
is a respected occupation in
France. They know their business and expect their customers to know
about
food, etiquette etc.
because that is the societal norm in France.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yelp... they are uppty snobs for sure and it's a game they play in a
effort to feel important, sorta like the McDonalds cashier with an
attitude problem.

However as BigMac pointed out, throw a few local phrases at them,
accept the fact that they call the shots, and you can get the sub-
standard level of service the locals are willing to endure. If you go
in shouting "Garson" expect to be ignored.

Why anyone wants to spend anytime in a garbage laiden **** hole like
Parie is beyond me.

You are right, it probably is beyond you.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Hey, if rude assholes and lots-o-garbage covered streets is your thing
go for it.
Been there...

My thing?? France has 75 mill. tourists visiting each year, and the number
is increasing. Assuming you are from US, you have 45 mill. tourists a year
and this figure has been decreasing. There must be something about France
you have missed.

cruising the canals of europe
 

Peter Hendra wrote in
:

Oh, is that what they are called? We used to call them "flyspots" as
kids and thought that they didn't wash.

Peter


Have you tried licking them off? I've been unsuccessful, so far...(c;

Larry
--

cruising the canals of europe
 

Michael Porter wrote:
I have just built (well, built in the sense that Caesar conquered
Gaul) a boat to do just that, among other things. The French canals
are still largely useable, and the reunification of Germany has opened
up LOTS of unspoiled (for the moment) cruising grounds in the north.
see www.mp-marine.com

Cheers,
Michael Porter

mcamirand wrote:

Hi group,

I've just reread Weston Martyr's "The 200# Millionaire". It's got me
dreaming about cruising the inland waterways of Europe.
Thing is, the story was written in the 1930s. It claims that you can
get pretty much everywhere in France and central Europe through
inland waterways, even all the way to Budapest, Prague, etc. Is this
still true? Are these inland canals still in operation or have they
been abandoned in the last 70 years? If there are still as many
possibilities as Martyr talked about, what kind of draft is
acceptable?

Anyone done it?

Regards,
-Maxime Camirand

Hope you have also read "The Improbable Voyage" by Tristan Jones. A more
recent account of the author's journey through the Rhine/Danube rivers,
before the canal was completed.

Dennis.

cruising the canals of europe
 

On May 3, 4:22 pm, the_bmac wrote:
the_bmac wrote:
Don W wrote:
the_bmac wrote:
Don W wrote:

Why allow yourself to be insulted en Francais by the French, when
the English are mostly polite and friendly? And if they aren't, you
can at least understand their insults '-)

my experience in France was that it was mostly loud Americans who
used the "maybe if I speak English really loudly he'll understand"
method of communicating with the French -who not surprisingly speak
French- were the ones getting insulted

(Shrug) Maybe. I have had good experiences in French territories
(F.P. & Martinique).

However, I've heard second hand stories about the rudeness of the
French waiters to _all_ customers, and not just the Americans and
Brits. I have not experienced this myself. Perhaps someone who has
been to Paris recently would care to comment.

Well if all you are going to judge by is Paris, then you do need to
understand the mindset of many Parisians. Unlike New Yorkers, Londoners
-or God help them, Torontoids- who _think_ they're living in the centre
of the known universe, Parisians _know_ they are living in the centre of
the known universe. Parisians refer to all living outside of "L'île de
France" as "provincials", quaint rustic bumpkins who are not to be taken
seriously. Americans are frequently regarded as crass, bourgeois,
hobbled by puritanical mores and completely devoid of any appreciation
for art, culture and most particularly food. Perhaps your hearsay
stories about French waiters come from fellow Americans who are
accustomed to treating wait-staff like second class citizens. Waiter is
a respected occupation in France. They know their business and expect
their customers to know about food, etiquette etc. because that is the
societal norm in France.

and as for the British! It is a well-known fact among the French that the British kill their meat
twice when preparing for a meal. Once when the animal is slaughtered and once again when the British
chef performs the "magique" dans la cuisine. All French waiters are taught to recognize the
ale-swilling louts upon arrival in the resto and to give them the service they deserve.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

It's well known among Americans that the French are Pricks, cowards, a
smelly frogs.

Joe

cruising the canals of europe
 

On Fri, 04 May 2007 16:29:07 +0000, Larry wrote:

Although it comes from a stereotype, one is often warned about French
boats. They have a reputation in Europe and in other places as being
light fingered towards other boats.

There is a saying "The English equip to cruise, the French cruise to
equip".

Once in a harbour in Spain, Cartagena, where boats were moored stern
to the jetty, tightly packed and only seperated by fenders, a French
boat a couple down from us sailed out in the early morning with both
his neighbours' fenders in addition to the few old ones he had of his
own. He had untied the ropes of the fenders from their lifelines and
retied them to his own, something not noticed at all by them. The
harbour master's boat that pursued the Frenchman was told by him that
they were his. Being unmarked with any boat name that proved
otherwise, he was allowed to escape with the fenders. A neat trick
perhaps, but not an isolated incident. It was then that I wrote my
boat's name one each of mine with a large marker pen.

I have seen people move such as boathooks, buckets etc to below when a
French flagged vessel ties along side.

The Israeli's have the same reputation in Cyprus. The Customs officer
(Christian) I had a daily coffee (proper, with mud in the bottom of
the cup, not dishwater - Vic) with in his office whilst we swapped
Nasrudin stories once warned me "There are 21 Israeli yachts coming in
today as part of a race; put everything removeable below and lock
your dinghy and outboard". - No, I am neither anti-Jewish nor anti-
French. The previous year, one was pursued and stopped leaving Larnaka
harbour with an inflatable with another yacht's name painted on it.

As an aside, it is interesting to note that I discovered that the
Nasrudin (or, more properly - Nasr u Din) as told me as a little kid
by my grandfather are popular all throughout all the lands once ruled
by the Turkish Empire. I have swapped these stories in cafes from Oman
to Gfreece. As a Greek kid I was told they were Greek. They are not
and are now becoming very popular in the West, especially in the USA.

The cruising element? We drove for hours (whilst cruising Turkey) to
see his tomb in his home village of Akshihir and trudged through the
snow. He left instructions to be buried with only a locked gate at the
foot of his grave - no fence, just the gate. His stories, though very
humorous, are actually Islamic Sufi teaching parables with multiple
deeper meanings, depending upon the listener.

An example:

Several visiting dignitaries were hosted at a feast to which the
public were invited in a town Nasrudin happened to be visiting. As his
robes were old and patched, he was placed at a table where he realised
it was going to take a long time to be served, and with not the best
of cuisine. He went to his friend's house and borrowed a magnificent
robe and turban and returned to the feast. He was ushered respectfully
to the head table and plied with delicious dishes such as peacock
tongues in aspic and the like. After every few mouthfuls, he would rub
some of the food onto his garments and turban.

Entranced by this, someone asked in a respectful manner "Effendi, we
cannot help but notice that you must be from a different place and
thus have eating habits which appear strange to us. Would you be so
kind as to explain why you smear food on your clothing?".

Nasrudin replied between mouthfuls "The clothes got me in here, surely
they deserve a share of the food?"

Bill Shakespeare got it wrong.

cheers
Peter





Peter Hendra wrote in
:

Oh, is that what they are called? We used to call them "flyspots" as
kids and thought that they didn't wash.

Peter


Have you tried licking them off? I've been unsuccessful, so far...(c;

Larry

cruising the canals of europe
 

Peter Hendra wrote in
:

"There are 21 Israeli yachts coming in
today as part of a race; put everything removeable below and lock
your dinghy and outboard". - No, I am neither anti-Jewish nor anti-
French.

Nope....That won't do to disclaim it. Every mention of something anti
Israeli, MUST be attacked as being a total anti-semitic heretic. You're
never supposed to mention those two words (Israeli or Jew) unless you're
saying something really positive in any kind of post.

Having violated this, you'll be summarily attacked by rabid dogs.

You're NEVER supposed to mention anything negative about the Apartheid
Israeli Government, especially about any apartheid walls 700km long!

They can't possibly be thieves, being the "Chosen People".....So, you
MUST be an antisemite. (You're in good company...me, too!)

Larry
--
This spammer called my cellphone:
First American Payment
10101 E Arapaho Rd
Richardson, TX 75081
972-301-3766
They were nasty when I politely said I wasn't interested....(c;

cruising the canals of europe
 

Perhaps someone who has
been to Paris recently would care to comment.

Had lunch there this past Sunday, nice cafe near the Eiffel Tower. Waitress
was quite polite, even spoke a fair bit of English. Food was great, house
bordeaux likewise. Even the cabbie back to CDG was indulgent of my rather
rusty French. So much for the myths repeated by those that don't actually
travel...

Now, the tragedy was having to go to Miami Wed-Friday, what a cesspool.

cruising the canals of europe
 

An example:

Several visiting dignitaries were hosted at a feast to which the
public were invited in a town Nasrudin happened to be visiting. As his
robes were old and patched, he was placed at a table where he realised
it was going to take a long time to be served, and with not the best
of cuisine. He went to his friend's house and borrowed a magnificent
robe and turban and returned to the feast. He was ushered respectfully
to the head table and plied with delicious dishes such as peacock
tongues in aspic and the like. After every few mouthfuls, he would rub
some of the food onto his garments and turban.

Entranced by this, someone asked in a respectful manner "Effendi, we
cannot help but notice that you must be from a different place and
thus have eating habits which appear strange to us. Would you be so
kind as to explain why you smear food on your clothing?".

Nasrudin replied between mouthfuls "The clothes got me in here, surely
they deserve a share of the food?"

Bill Shakespeare got it wrong.

cheers
Peter

Hi Peter,

Apparently Nasrudin was the type of person you
would not want to lend your clothing to. ;-)

Don W.

cruising the canals of europe
 

I've been to and through France many times. Only once, on one day at on
place did I ever meet what so many - who have never been to France -
claim is a "typical French attitude".

IMExperiencedO, you will find what you expect. I expect to meet nice
people and I do, all the time.