We are now back from our world trip, we have sailed to Andenne and spent all of May in the shipyard (see details here) and returned to Kerhoven in Belgium. We then travelled back to Somerset where Sue was to have an assessment for a cataract operation at a new privately operated National Health Special Hospital in Shepton Mallet which she had on June 12. They could not do the operation for several weeks so she asked if she could have an appointment in October when we had finished cruising. The answer was no as they had to do the operation within six weeks. We later learned from the doctor that this was because the NHS only paid them when they had completed a batch of patients so they would not have been paid until October.
Her doctor then referred her to Yeovil as they had a long waiting list and might be able to delay the operation but she might have to come over in October for yet another assessment. If that is the case then we will have to make 4 trips over next winter. If this an example of the new NHS with patient choice they can stick it! No wonder they waste so much of the taxpayers money. One wonders if they could manage a piss-up in a brewery!
Hopefully we will be heading south by early July via the Meuse, Canal des Ardennes, Reims, Langres and the River Saone to Chalon. We then intend to travel along the Canal du Centre to Digoin and up to Roanne. This is as far as we can navigate up the Loire valley so we will return downstream as far as Briare for the end of September. We will cruise to Paris in October for the Rugby world cup.
We hope to winter now back in Briare.
