1 lock and 8 kms
Given that VNF were on strike (together with most of France apparently), tired as we were, it would have been criminal not to have a look at the town we had unexpectedly visited – it had certainly looked pretty from across the river when I’d walked Muttley the night before. So we left Baxter to sleep off our disturbed night and went for a quick looksee. A very beautiful city and worth the effort it took us to walk in.
The rest of the day disappeared in the usual chores and we were early to bed – Baxter deigned to let us sleep through the night, for which we were extremely grateful, and we were up and raring just about with it again at 7. A very different day weather-wise; very misty with high levels of humidity and a bit of a breeze, but still warm. The mist seemed to make those gargantuan hotel boats even more ominous somehow, as MR ploughed through the water against the stream – now we’re on the opposite side from them you get a better idea of the vastness of this waterway.
Very soon we hung a right and the big lock up off of the Saone onto the Canal du Centre was ready and waiting for us – even from the opposite end of the boat I was sure I heard Graham let out the breath he’d been holding since Monday morning! This lock was over 10 metres deep, with rising bollards and we were given a very gentle ride to the top. If you look very carefully at the centre photo you will see that everything looks very wet – water was pouring down the side of the lock and hitting the top of the riser that the bollard is mounted on; it then bounced off to shower both me and all the contents of the well deck – as I wasn’t expecting it I wasn’t wearing wets and I had no choice but to stand in the cold shower as we slowly rose to the surface. All the other risers were completely dry, it was just the one we used. One of us thought this was very funny.
This was the only lock of the day and the little canal was refreshing to our eyes as it meandered passed pretty buildings into Fragnes village. Blue tits were nesting in the holes in the wall in the second picture below – it was lovely watching them pop in and out.
We moored just in time to give the boys a quick walk and then hit the popular, port-side, restaurant – it was so nice not to have to feed ourselves or wash up. Afterwards we returned to MR to chill with our books and doze, with nothing else to do, for once, until Muttley’s walk at 5. Once again we were in bed by ten and with no need to set an alarm clock; the nearby church bells and local cockerel would make sure we didn’t oversleep. We’ve certainly experience some different countryside over the last few days.
