A Rowing Tour of the Meuse: Sedan

I’ve never been big on making New Year’s resolutions. However, early in 2018, I did set a huge goal for myself. Actually, the seed for this objective had been planted the previous September when I came across an exciting Facebook post. It was for La Traversée de Paris, a one-day rowing excursion through the City of Light! Imagine rowing past such iconic monuments as the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Rowing the Meuse

I’ve been a recreational rower for about ten years and the prospect of such an excursion excited me immensely. So I shared it with a few of my rowing mates and then with our coach. Being of Belgian origin, he was well aware of this annual event. However, he recommended a different tour to us: La Rando de la Meuse et ses Citadelles – The Tour of the Meuse and its Forts. Now this was no one-day event. No, this was an eight-day tour covering 170 kilometres of the Meuse river, stretching from the north of France to the south of Belgium. Of course I said “yes”! Rowing through Paris would wait for another time.

A Paris Departure

However, I did begin my journey there, experiencing adventures such as The Ritz for a Light Lunch, Baking Sweet French Classics at the Ritz and Hôtel Dieu: A Secret Parisian Garden before making my way to Sedan, the starting point for the tour.

The Charms of Sedan

I had one day to myself before I met up with my rowing group. So I used it to explore Sedan: Champagne’s Faded Glory. And I also spent a delightful evening enjoying a wonderful dinner at the charming Restaurant L’Echiquier.

A Sizzling Summer Camp

At last it was time to connect with my tour group: 60 rowers and 20 volunteers in total. We met at a local community centre where we would dine and spend the night before heading out on the water the next day. At a pre-dinner cocktail party, the fun spirit of the volunteer organizing committee quickly became evident. They introduced themselves to us by dancing out to 60’s music, dressed as hippies. And with that, I realized that this was going to be more than a rowing tour. It was going to be a summer camp for adults! Our first excursion started shortly afterwards when we headed to the local citadel, the largest in Europe, to experience the fascinating Château Fort de Sedan: A Torchlight Tour.

With that complete, we returned to the community centre and snuggled into our cots for the night. We awoke the next morning to a beautiful sunny day, and after a light breakfast, headed out on a scavenger hunt to explore Sedan together. This was a great way to learn about some of the illustrious past of this historic city. And after expending all of that effort, my teammates and I could not resist stopping in at a local pâtisserie – pastry shop – for some sustenance.

An International Tour

Our hunt lead us to the Aviron Sedanais – Sedan Rowing Club – on the shore of the Meuse. This would be our launching point for the day. Five countries were represented in our not-so-small group: France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Canada. With 60 rowers, that meant 12 coxed-quad boats would be making the journey to Namur, Belgium. Truly an international tour!

The Journey Begins

After a little rest and a tasty lunch, we were off! We passed under a bridge and turned a corner only to come upon the first of 33 écluses – locks – that we would traverse on this epic 170 kilometre journey. We had been instructed before launch on how to enter a lock. It was mandatory that all twelve boats cross each lock together. And in the smaller locks, critical that we interlock the boats and oars to create a raft to ensure safe passage. This first one was a little chaotic, but over time, we became much more adept at it. Check out this cool video, taken with the assistance of a drone, to see how we made out. At each écluse, we were greeted by several of our volunteers who stood onshore, encouraging us on with music and applause. They also refreshed us with water and snacks while telling us a bit about our current location as well as the next stage of the row. I can’t say enough about this incredible group of supporters. Their boundless energy and shining smiles kept us motivated all week long.

Visit enchanting Charleville-Mézières and charming Deville during the next phase of this awesome journey with my post: A Rowing Tour of the Meuse: Charleville-Mézières & Deville.