European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 16, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                At right boats of various types Are tied up along the River in the heart of the a French City of Dauxerre continued from Page. 11. Looking Gates open and we were through. -. Exhausted Hyall the now experiences to soon lied up Tor the night. It was a Chilly one a we were too tired to bother to operate the heating system a and we awoke to .1 dreary overcast sky. After a hot breakfast though we Felt ready for the Day s challenges until we saw the next lock. I o my Eye if looked like mount Everest. Steep mud covered Walls loomed above us As we Drew i lose. Rain spattered on the deck As the Loe keeper closed the lock and tin wind kicked up. The boat began to Drill toward tin opposite Side of the lock. My husband mane Vered it Hack into position. A a i had volunteered to i chief rope hander and quickly began to regret my Choice when the lot keeper appeared High above. I in motioned for might to toss up the rope. Quot no Wray Quot i thought. Quot i i Oulen t throw a Ball from the deck to the top of that Wall much less this tangled mess of  i Hen i spotted one of the Slickest narrowest staircases i be Ever seen mud flew from my Tennis shoes As i made a panic ked ascent rope in hand. A when i passed the Muddy rope to the Loe keeper he had an amused expression. J turned and looked Dou a i Lugt det k was right next to my Muddy Tennis shoes. I he boat gracefully rising As the water flowed a into the lot a had followed me up. Ked facet am Muddy i stepped Bat k onto the boat. As e made our Way out of tile first lock of the Day the 1,tin stopped and the Sun came out. The 1 Hildren i it ined me on Dei k and 1 fleeced. W in i my. W e were no longer nervous Wilen we a j a 1111,11 Hod a 11 u k. We Hud Sellei i into a routine. E a Quot it in us a Hite w is assigned a a nip Mil. Inn a a a t. I lie j \ ear i id i ask was to wipe die 1 or  m Oil the windows silting on her dad s i if .11 id helping Quot him steer Between wipes. I he Ile auly of the an hit i lure astounded us As we ii tried Coigny he first Large town 011 Orr route. I he v Lew irom the River was impressive. We t Ould see Eer thing from a dog on the roof of a bakery to the w Nman hanging clothes outside a mansion. Most of the town s buildings Are of Grey or White Stone with an lied w windows and wooden shutters. Many of the buildings have Ama ugly intricate carvings. We pulled Over Tor a break in front of a huge an bed Bridge. 1 lie town is built like an Amphitheater w ill the Rixer at its t enter. I \ my up at a Large Public Ilik k. Fight next to the Street was  just like Puiking a 1 a. T n loot we wound up the narrow Steep sin Etso duh.  Uund our la i is. I Oriu a about am .1ppe.11.11a a. Mudd blui1  in France but it says in the Guidebook that the burgundian motto is Quot better a Good meal than Fine clothes Quot and that seemed to apply in Coigny. Braised no eyebrows when i walked into a bakery to buy a loaf of French bread for our lunch. Feeling a Little less shy we hiked toward the inevitable Cathedral overlooking Coigny exclaiming Over the sights along the Way. After a picnic in a tree crowded Park with a playground we headed Back to the boat for an afternoon Jaunt. Upstream ducks that gathered in the lock feasted on the remains of the bread we d bought for lunch. The lock keeper s two dogs joined the begging an trip tips you can rent a self drive Houseboat for a tour on Burgundy s canals through several companies. In most cases no special permit is required. Tully equipped houseboats generally can accommodate As Many As a people and can be rented Lor .1 weekend a week or longer. Prices vary according to the length of the rental and the Sie and Type of boat our Houseboat Cost $f>20 fora Quot min week Quot. Monday through Friday. We made our arrangements through Springer s cruises. The american operated agent y  contacted at  i b Sandy Hook Road Poulsbo. Wash. Pel. I a Vig m 721 or at put Rue Savier s2 2-u Malaker France. A we Felt comfortable dealing with an american because we lacked knowledge of both the language and the area Betty Springer the president of the Agency is a Seattle born businesswoman with Long experience in helping other americans negotiate the ins and outs of travel in France. Site is the author of fruit to what to know and expect. Our trip went without a hitch. Springer carefully communicated the Small details that were to make our tour so uncomplicated. Springer is the exclusive american agent for sue t und s Furo Devial a miseries Eiffel in Fram e. Kind s boats Are equipped for handicapped passengers and Tor families with children some a Agiu ies do no rout heals to families w Ith Small 1 Hildi Oil. .  were kept Busy supplying the ducks with leftover bread and the dogs with lunch meat. For luxury conditions take an organized cruise. Our Houseboat journey was More  camping. Showers for instance were a problem. We pulled up for one night at a Dock that advertised showers but Learned that there was no hot water there was a Shower on Board our boat but we were reluctant to use it. We did t know How much of our water Siipple it would use or How hard it would be to clean. We were awakened one morning by a Swan who pecked on the Side of the boat for bread. After he finished his morning meal he sailed regally off. Later a Blue egret played hide and seek with my camera. We would get almost close enough Lor the perfect picture and he would take flight Landing just out of Range. An Otter played at another lock. Our favorite Stop was Dauxerre a town that seems built to be seen from a boat. Its towers and Spires were reflected in the still Waters. The Cathedral of Saint Etienne and the Large Stone clock Tower above the Abbey of Saint Germain dominate the View. We docked As quickly As possible in Dauxerre whore we found a Complete harbor.-1 lot showers at last a Friendly English speaking woman in an information Booth next to the showers filled us in on the town s history and attractions. On the Cobblestone streets surrounded by Busy traffic we walked single file upward to the Cathie leak and clock Tower. Dauxerre is a fairy tale town in some ways but it has a thoroughly modern traffic problem we were deafened by the insistent honking of horns and the Buzz of motorbikes and an ambulance howled by in the canyons created by the closely spaced i Salt tin Iberer Homes. We St ked up on supplies for yet another supp on braid the boat and reluctantly moved Bai k toward our floating Home away irom Home there w so much to do in Dauxerre that is was Ditl cult to  when we were planning our trip a week had seemed like plenty of time in which to explore a a it a Kilometre stretch of Burgundy. But you could cruise Tor a month in the area and never he bored. Other snot hampered by a 2-year-old and a restricted family budget a might Sample the cuisine of the area in its restaurants. We chose to Dine on to boat but we did t Teel disappointed. The wonderful supplies you can buy in the shops everywhere take the sting out of budget and baby restrictions. In Dauxerre we bought a bottle of Burgundy toasted our successful journey up the canal and began the trip homeward. Al at by. A 1  i St it , a r. V.j.ionu1 l Stripe  Ai Gus mfg