While moored in L’isle Adam we took the train to Auvers-sur-Oise. L’Auberge Ravoux was Vincent van Gogh’s last residence. He arrived on May the 20st of 1890 and rented a frugal furnished attic room for Ffr 3,50 per week. He passed away on the29th of July of the same year. During this brief period of time he created some 70 paintings.

On this photograph from 1890 the innkeeper, Arthur Ravoux, is visible on the left hand side. His daughter Adeline is standing in the doorway. She was 13 years of age and painted three times by Van Gogh during what appeared to be the last months of his life.

A view from the stairs into Van Gogh’s room in which he died after having himself mortally wounded 2 days before.

The church in Auvers-sur-Oise and the painting Van Gogh made of it. The original painting is on display in Musée Quay d’Orsay in Paris.

Vincent van Gogh is buried side to side with his brother Theo, an art dealer in Paris. Theo always supported Vincent and was at his bedside when the latter passed away. His, Theo's, life was even shorter than Vincent’s; he possibly died of syphilis (source: Wikipedia).

One of the Dutch members of the Art movement known as Cobra, Corneille, lived in Auvers-sur-Oise too. He passed away in 2010, 88 years of age, and is buried almost next to the Van Gogh brothers, as this photo shows. Some ten years ago we visited his art dealer in Amsterdam while he was present. We are the owners of 4 of his works of art from a limited edition. Should they have increased in value since 2010??

Autumn is slowly starting to show its richness of colours. Though it’s sometimes chilly in the morning and during the evening, we still don’t use our stove. Prove of this is the sealed off chimney – the last trace of crossing ‘La Manche’.

In England we always bought four pint bottles of semi skimmed pasteurized milk. The French do not honour their fellow countryman Louis Pasteur, as they drink almost only sterilized milk. Not in 4 pts bottles but in 1 litre bottles. Fresh milk is a lot more expensive than in England. We’re slowly getting used to the taste of sterilized milk. You can’t have them all!

This week we moored in Creil, L’isle Adam and Pontoise. It’s a bit boring (more of the same) to publish photographs of all our mooring spots. Here’s a small one of our present mooring in Pontoise.