Category: Lakes crossed

By The Skipper

Jomano started as the given name for a sailing canoe. Outings in that small boat highlighted the value of slowing down to absorb the surrounding environment and experience. I fully appreciated the beauty and force of nature, while enjoying the art and challenge of navigating the journey as much as (if not more than) the destination. This has much in common with other activities I enjoy, including hiking in the mountains, wild camping and cycling. Jomano therefore grew into a wider meaning for me: a sense of spirit, outlook or reason. It will no doubt evolve over time, but I expect Explore.Simply.Slowly to remain at its heart:

Go and Explore. Don’t get tied down by lengthy planning or strict schedules. Just leave the house and go discover something new. Stimulate your curiosity, sense of adventure and new experiences

Keep it Simple. Sailing, canoeing, cycling and camping technologies and techniques used a hundred years ago are still as relevant and enjoyable today. No need for noise and air polluting engines, no need for carbon fibre, no need for live streaming. Go back to basics, exercise your mental and physical abilities, leave no footprint, enjoy.

Slow down. We aren’t racing. Use all your senses to absorb, learn and think about the environment around you. For example, what are the historical natural, political and industrial events that shaped it? What are today’s challenges, and how can they be addressed?

I do not wish to give the impression I am against the pace of progress, technology or change. On the contrary, we urgently need all those things to help repair the damage human development has done to the planet, continuously taking but not giving back. I am also not clinging on to the past. Jomano is merely my antidote for the chaos, disruption and urgency of modern life; helping to maintain a healthy balance.

With a free week, the Skipper and Crew #1 loaded Jomano, hitched the trailer and headed to Lac de Sainte-Coix in the Var, a beautiful lake of 22 km² fed by the Verdon river and Verdon gorge. A great place for small boat sailing and paddling as only electric boats are licensed to operate here, so no annoying jet skis or power boats.

While crossing the lake, there are plenty of empty beaches to stop and explore.

At the eastern end of the Lake you can continue into the Verdon river. The first part you may have to share with rented canoes and pedalos, but there is a point at which they must stop and return. After this, you will likely be alone. At points the water became too shallow to sail, so we needed to get out and pull a few times until reaching deeper water. Perfect spots for lunch here.

Close to here is Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, considered one of France’s most beautiful villages. We discovered the road just outside of the village can be shared by more than just motor vehicles. Note the Pyrenean Mountain dogs used as sheepdogs. There are also a couple of donkeys in the flock.

We then headed north and explored the 20km long Lac de Serre-Poncon for a couple of days. One memory is all the time we had to observe the chapel on the tiny island in the Baie St Michel as we completed what may have been the slowest circumnavigation in history. The wind disappeared as we entered the bay and we decided it was simply too hot (not to mention peaceful and relaxing) to paddle more than one stroke every few minutes. This place does get busy in the height of summer though.

We then continued north to the Lac du Lit au Roi on the Rhöne river, which was a poor excuse for a lake, but pretty and tranquil nonetheless, with plenty of swans calling it their home. We only needed half a day to explore the area, even though we had little wind and strong currents from the river. It was a nice place to wake up in the morning..

It was then time to head home. A successful trip, showing how easy, practical and fun it was to journey with Jomano on the lakes. We needed to do more. All of them. We googled how many lakes are there in France…