Gray and the empty middle

Kerb crawling along the (unusually) long concrete quay on the approaches to Gray, we passed the usual motley line of boats and hoped to find a gap near the front with a view towards the large curved weir, which when we arrived was covered with dozens of swans. The Ecluse was to the left hand bank and an interesting fish pass was squeezed between the two. The stone bridge with 10 arches lay just beyond, and the Ecluse is situated under one of these arches. Gray is a major bridging point on the Saone.

Couples either looked smugly from their already bagged vantage point, or waved cheerily as we passed, depending on their mood.  Although Julian is absolutely brilliant at parking the boat, like parking a car, it is always difficult to work out whether you can fit into a space until you are actually opposite it, and with a boat in no time you find you have just passed it!

I identified the largest gap and Julian swung round in a beautiful curve, and pointed the boat into the middle of the gap.  I passed the rope to a convenient bystander (didn't have to jump for a change) and with the front rope fixed to a mooring ring, he pulled gently forwards on the throttle and the back swung in - perfect!

Gray is apparently built ampitheatre style in a curve in the low hillside - we haven't been out yet to find out.  The river frontage is a  fairly attractive mixture of old and new, tree lined for the most part, but without much actual commerce going on.  A continual stream of traffic moves back and forth over the low stone bridge, but it's the same old story, a massive LeClerc hypermarket to the side of the centre, a hypermarket on the other side of the river, lots of concrete housing blocks on the outskirts, still further out more affluent detached concrete boxes surrounded by gardens, and an almost completely empty, beautiful, yet crumbling old town in the middle!  All the shopping is done out of town, all the living is done out of town, so there is no role left for the old centre except for a few small shops and cafes scratching a living and the older monuments that are tourist attractions.

Town Hall