France
In the spring of 2004, having spent some time in Devon recovering some of her youthful strength and beauty, Ruda declared herself ready to travel, and left England for what was to be many years of delightful cruising among her European neighbours.
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She began her travels at the classic boat festivals at Brest and Douarnenez before making her way up the coast of northern France and entering the canal system by way of the Somme river, and finding a berth in Paris.
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There followed many tranquil summers spent meandering along the canals and rivers of La Belle France enjoying that country’s scenic and gastronomic delights. The vineyards of Burgundy and Champagne, the seafood of Brittany, the creams and cheeses of Normandy, the charcuterie of Dijon and the Jura, Nancy’s Art Nouveau architecture, the marvels of canal engineering at Rogny-les-Sept Ecluses, the pont-canal over the Loire at Briare and the boat lift at Arzvilliers. ​
Cruising inland France was indeed delightful, and everywhere along her route, in the cafes and markets, the chateaux and cathedrals, and at locks and riverside moorings, she encountered friendly faces and generous hospitality.
Ruda passed the colder months of those years in Paris. She rested peacefully at her winter home in the 4th arrondissement between the Bastille monument and the busy river Seine, while her crew busied themselves in discovery and enjoyment of that lovely city.
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Eventually though she felt a need for salt water so, with all spare space occupied by every edible treat the market could offer, she bid a fond farewell to her floating community and locked down into the Seine to begin a voyage north, this time to Scandinavia.
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