What a sad decline here since we last passed through just over 3 years ago. Northern France has become an immensely sad place now – so run down that they even have to tie down their telegraph poles.

The electric bournes at the pretty little Halte Fluviale have been removed and plated over; it would seem that the village is now too poor to provide electric and too poor to pay someone to collect money for said electric/moorings. The shop, butcher, baker and candle stick maker have all gone; even the depot de poste is no more.

The locals still strive to cheer up their run down village though

VNF are still pouring money into replacing the old, labour intensive, pin wheel weirs with the new automatic ones but the work is being carried out by Belgians

Whilst out and about avec the Mutts I saw this large barge, flying a red duster, pass us. I took a photo because seeing another boat was unusual and, also, because the name looked vaguely familiar.

There was nowhere here for Kevin to park his motorhome either, so Sunday morning we retraced our steps to Montherme. This turned out to be a good plan for a number of reasons. Not before I had a final poke around though.

PS Wi-Fi courtesy of the nearby port at Anserenne