Water · flowing · underground

calturner and suewordld2003 go out to dinner at an Italian Restaurant in London and what do they get - 2 hours of James' undivided attention. I go out to dinner at a French Restaurant in St Quentin and what do I get - sodding food poisoning, that's what.

Back in Blighty for some R&R. Will try to catch up with the rest of the Flist and post some more cruising log with photos later this week.

On our Saturday (19th May) shopping expedition, we went in search of a caravan shop to look at satellite dishes for the new Tokai 12volt TV. The reception is ropey and subject to interference from weather, power lines, trees, traffic etc. It constantly re-tunes itself, looking for the best signal and our neighbour in the port told us that the best reception is via a digibox and satellite dish. We headed out of town on the road marked as the N29 on our roadmap. It's now the D1029 that leads to the large shopping centre at Fayet.

MWNN had wanted to eat at one of the brasseries in the Mall, having watched the 'suits' lunch there when he visited the boat in February. We both ordered the plat du jour that everyone else seemed to be eating today - beef in a wine sauce. When our plats arrived, there were no frites, just a mound of very inferior tartiflet, but for 10 Euros, we weren't complaining. (Although I was later to regret it as this is where I got food poisoning.)

( musings for US Memorial Day )

Today was meant to be a day of rest, so after a quick run over the boat with the vacuum, washing the breakfast dishes and cleaning the galley worktops, we headed chatted to fellow boaters and the President of the Picardy cruising club before motoring into town for a leisurely lunch at Le Brazilian. We each had a main course (a steak New York special for me, Veal for him) and desert (mine was a Dame Blanch, his was apple crumble with the chantilly cream from mine). I then made the mistake of believing MWNN when he said I would get a real cappucino as this was an Italian restaurant. When my coffee arrived, it was topped with a mound of chantilly. I found it unpalatably sweet as a result and passed it over to MWNN who drank some then addedthe remainder to his own black coffee.

The rain was bouncing off the pavement in the square throughout the meal and we had to dash for the car and find another parking place closer to the tourist office where I tried to track down the local internet points. There aren't ANY in the town. The girl at the tourist office advised us to try the library and proceded to give the most garbled directions of how to get there while pointing to the tiny map she was holiding on her side of the counter. After a few unsuccessful tours of the one-way-system in the centre of town, we finally tracked the library down and I ran in and asked again for wi-fi access for my laptop. The woman in the library spoke no English but mumbled something about the possibility of my connecting to their phone line. When I explained I needed wi-fi access, she looked blank and called her assistant who informed me they didn't have any wi-fi. No they didn't know of anywhere in the town that might help. But I'd spotted a computer shop on the corner of the street that advertised setting up Macs and PCs with internet access. I asked the girls on the sales desk - they couldn't help, but they pointed me to the tech assistance counter. The young man understood my concern about updating my virus protection and told me to come back later this evening and he would see what he could do about providing me with the 'mot de pass' for his wi-fi connection. We returned to the boat for afternoon tea, prepare the laptop for its updates and to purchase more roaming ISP credits, and wait and see what happens at half 5 this afternoon. I am still amazed at the lack of provision in a town this size. The only alternative is to spend the night in a hotel such as the Etap which offers connection to Orange Wi-Fi for around 5 Euros.

The plan is to stay in port for a few days until the weather clears, do some boat maintenance, laundry and cleaning and reccie another 'ring' (the Somme) by land before castinbg off at the weekend or early next week.

Saturday 12th
Last Autumn, on our way from Pont de Vaux to our new home at St Quentin, we'd stopped at Pinon where I was put ashore in search of a baker. Having run the gauntlet of the guard geese at the VNF wharf, I'd discovered the Champion Supermarket with its own halte nautique around the bend and under the bridge from where MWNN had pulled in. Pinon was marked as an important victualing point. When we arrived at lunchtime, there was a peniche tied up at the end nearest the supermarket entrance, so with much grumbling about the selfish Belgian, we roped off at the far end. This turned out to be the best place to spend the night, as the supermarket generator was audible at the peniche's spot.

The fridge was absolutely bare, save for a couple of bottles of Leffe 9% and some diet coke. Fresh milk was down to less than half a litre and there were three more breakfast bowls of wheetabix requiring pasteurised milk to keep Hesadevil sweet tempered. Anyone who knows my passion for tea understands that I cannot put a foot to the floor before I've consumed my third breakfast mug of tea. Armed with my shopping list, we toured the supermarket searching for lait pasteurise. The shop assistant pointed us to the racks of UHT and sterilised milk when we asked, as did the supermarket manager. Both were adamant this was fresh milk and neither had heard of lait microfiltre (which we'd first encountered in France before it crossed the channel to the UK). I resigned myself to going native and having brioche and coffee for breakfast until we reached St Quentin. The supermarket was open on Sunday morning so we were able to buy fresh bread before heading off for Guny.

Sunday 13th
After a rainy start to the day, the weather was kind and the gods smiled on us at the neat little halte nautique at Guny. The information board informed us there was shopping to be had in the village. The wind was growing stronger, so after we'd roped off securely at three points, MWNN took Loony GSD for a stroll to see how far the village was (6 minutes) from the mooring. We decided to stay for the night rather than motor on and look for a wild mooring. I watched the rain clouds roll in and dropped the front cratch covers. MWNN returned just in time to clamber aboard before the rainstorm struck. Unfortunately, he'd left the starboard side flap of the rear deck's sun canopy in place. The boat surged and bucked in the storm, rain bouncing in from the open hopper windows. At one point, the boat heeled over alarmingly. The centre rope is attached to the roof of the boat at one end and a bollard at ground level at the other. As it tightens, it pulls the boat over on that side - the same side as the sun canopy flap which was acting as a sail. Do you l know the angle of heel of a narrowboat? Nor do we - but it's not a lot. MWNN released the flap and re-tied the stern rope on a 'spring' to allow us safe movement in the gale. The storm was short lived but it put a lot of water into the bilge and soaked my bed cover. We both agreed that it had been a wise decision to stay where we were as we would not have been able to navigate safely in those conditions. The words of the hymn 'for those in peril on the sea' were on my mind each time the boat had listed and rocked.

Monday 14th
The weather forecast for yesterday arrived today. After breakfast (using the last of the fresh milk) MWNN walked into the village for some excellent baguettes and we cast off in good sunny weather and stiff breeze. A couple of km upstream, I spotted what I thought was a dog trotting along the towpath towards us - it was a beautiful fox, gleaming russet in the sunshine, loping along through the track between the long grass. Behind him was a smaller fox. They were heading in the direction of the mooring. It was late in the morning for foxes to be out but many of the houses on the outskirts of the village kept free range fowl. A little further along we pushed a kingfisher from one perch to another as we drove the fish ahead of us, two jays watched us from a fence post and the silence was broken only by the throb of the engine, birdsong, and the sound of the wind in the trees. We kept the good weather until after lunch when we lost the sun and it clouded over. The winds have never been less than strong but the rain stayed away until after we'd moored up for the day. I 'd planned to pot roast a chicken on a day such as today - it went into the oven just as MWNN found a suitable place to stop just above the pair of locks at PK 79.

With 4 locks and 18km to go, we should complete the last leg of the return to St Quentin tomorrow. I need a launderette, fresh milk, and wi-fi connection to update my virus protection and purchase more credits with my roaming ISP before we think about heading off on another circular cruise. MWNN is keen to do some trips by road, using the boat as our base. It makes sense to check out new cruising territory so that we know what facilities are like before we cast off. Things have changed dramatically since we first cruised these northern waters in 2000. Then, there were very few facilities for pleasure boats and we had to rely on water points at the locks and tie up with working peniches alongside wharves and high walls. There are more halte nautiques with free facilities now that there are more French cruising in their own and hire boats.

Thursday 10th May

We left Vailly shortly after 10 am and made the journey downstream to the junction with the canal in half the time it had taken us to come up. The current is running fairly fast, no doubt due to the overnight rain. The wind is still fierce but we made good time to the mooring at Burg where the canal de L'Aisne joins the Canal Lateral and we turn north for the last leg of the ring back to the St Quentin canal.

There was a large estuary boat at the mooring, its bows well off the end of the pontoon, facing the canal junction and, struggling in the strong wind, we tied off at the other end with OUR bows off the pontoon to allow another boat access to the mid-section of the mooring. The nose is roped off to a point on the bank and tends to swing out with each gust of wind.

During the afternoon, we witnessed some strange behaviour from the commerical craft at this waterways' junction. Two peniches made their way towards the quay where they were to load up on Friday - BACKWARDS! We've never seen this before and were a little concerned as even such heavy boats as they had difficulty keeping a straight line in the gale.

A little after 6.30, the digger that had been dredging from a platform in the middle of the junction, knocked off for the night and made its way past us to the VNF yard by pulling the platform along using the digger arm. The platform bucked and rolled with the motion of the arm and the buffeting of the wind - health and safety still has a long way to go.

We had begun to think that we would be able to pull back and tie the nose off on the pontoon itself when, just before the locks closed for the night, two boats arrived. First a Czech registered broad-beam, followed by a 70 ft narrowboat. The narrowboat owners are boat builders from Skipton, who brought the boat, Firefly, over last year, having had the use of one of the broad beams they'd built for a couple of weeks each year prior to that. Firefly is a beauty. She is a trad style boat with a large front deck housing a cast iron table and chairs and topped by a sun canopy. Her sides have been painted in the traditional style with 'scumbling' (painting steel to resemble wood) panels framing the rear cabin sides bearing the names of the boat's owners.

Friday 11th May
Firefly had breasted up to the Czech boat for the night and left early this morning as I was making MWNN's breakfast coffee. The sound of her bow thruster was the only indication that she was moving away.

I was up earlier than usual this morning as the winds continued to buffet the boat throughout the night. We rocked and rolled with each gust and then rolled some more as the first of the peniches roared past on their way to the lock just after 7am.

The weather didn't look like letting up but we couldn't stay here any longer. The next stop is right beside a supermarket which won't be open on Sunday. We are running short of provisions so we must move on to stock up on Saturday. I pulled on my wet weather gear and we started up the first of five locks. Each has a rise of about 3.5metres but the lift is fairly gentle and we managed with just a middle rope. Then it was through the tunnel beneath the Chemin des Dames and onto the mooring at Pargny in time for lunch.

MWNN has just returned from the bar where he paid the mooring fees last autumn. He tells me the bar burned down and the fees are now taken by the occupant of the converted peniche which uses this mooring as its permanent home. The Hotel de Truit is fermee Vendredi, so it will be spaghetti with bolognese sauce from a jar tonight.

Afternoon tea is waiting, the sky has cleared, the barometer is rising and the winds dropping. What more could one ask for when one is 'messing about in boats'? -

Perhaps the password from kazzy_cee which arrived in the email folder with the tea? Now that we have more than 1 bell on the mobile mast indicator I can send and receive emails again. Thank you, K. I'm glad you enjoyed the concerts, I hope everyone who had tickets for Jamses' gigs thought likewise and I look forward to hearing all about it when we return to the UK.

Urgent news can be sent to the usual boaty email addy (not the hesadevil or patricia addresses - if you don't have it, you don't need to have it ) contact kazzy_cee if you've lost it.

We left Soissons in the break between showers, having stopped at the Supermarket and baker's before they closed. May 8th is a national holiday celebrating the liberation of Paris in WWII.

The mooring at Soissons is very run down and the quay is covered in broken glass and dog turds. It's a shame as the mooring runs the length of a nicely landscaped promenade opposite the Hotel de Ville. It's spoiled by the beer drinking 'yoof' who gather at one end and the winos at the other. Had it not been for our need to fill the water tank and not having the right hose connector, we might have stayed another day and used the landerette at the end of the quay. MWNN also wanted to visit the internet cafe to check out the British War Graves fomr his QE project. The town was the first capital of France under Clovis and is close enough to St Quentin for a visit by car when we're back in our home port, but it would have been nice to have done the research on the spot.

This is the first day that we have not seen the sun and have had some heavy showers and continuing strong winds. In a little under 4 hours, we pulled into the halte nautique at Vailly sur Aisne on the navigable river that deviates from the canal outside the town. The deviation is marked as 2km on the canal map but the river winds and loops and the map is not to scale. Depth is just 1.5m and the river narrows to such a degree that I began to suspect the mooring to be a chimera. Many trees had fallen into the water and I was also concerned at the number of branches descending in the strong wind.

Eventually we sighted the town bridge beyond which it is not possible to navigate. The pontoon, with both electricity and water, is exactly the length of our narrowboat, and it was with great relief that we tied off on bows, stern and mid-roof cleats. Just 250m from the pontoon is a Champion supermarket and service station where we could replace the spent gas tank and fill the diesel cans.

As we sipped the last of our afternoon cuppas, MWNN spotted a large cruiser making its way slowly towards us with some difficulty across the shallow section below the mooring. We invited them to breast up and they towered over us on our starboard side. They have a 7 year old Boxer aboard and we were concerned that they would have difficulty getting him ashore. Monsieur lifted him over their guard rail onto our stern deck as if he weighed no more than a Yorkshire terrier. At the moment, he's standing on the cruiser's gunwales peering in to try to glimpse the bitch he KNOWS we have aboard our boat.

With a full tank of water and shore power for the kettle and recharging of the mobile and laptop, I am now happily preparing the evening meal - pate de fois gras, pork chops petiti pois and carrots, Roquefort, strawberries and cream, coffee.

Vailly sur Aisne stopover

The forecast is for rain and strong winds so we are staying put and exploring the town today. The pontoon is right beside the town river bridge and from it we can see the second bridge crossing the canal that is barely 50m away at this point but a good 4 km back down river, through the lock and up another 2km of canal to reach the same bridge by water. MWNN took some photos of our boat on her river mooring, then crossed the bridge and took some of the peniche moored on the canal. He had some difficulty preventing Loony GSD 'helping' what we thought was a surveyor with his marker sticks which surely needed retrieving after he'd strung bits of string between them. On returning from our walk to the War Graves, I asked what he was doing and was disappointed to hear him say he'd been marking out areas so that he could calculate how much weed killer to prepare for each sector. He was there to kill the daisies and buttercups. I told him to stop immediately as they were beautiful flowrers that made the grass pretty, and made a mental note to keep Loony GSD well clear of that area.

Vailly was completely destroyed during WWI but rebuilt between 1923 and 1927 with the help of the city of Lyon and its Mayor, Edouard Herriot. MWNN and I walked the half kilometre to the military cemetery and toured the graves while the War Grave staff tended the lawns in the Commonwealth section. A very large proportion of those buried here died between 10th and 16th September 1914, the rest between May and August 1918. A significant number are un-named with no date of death, some known by their regiment, others totally unknown.

In the French section of the cemetary, most died in 1917, but a memorial opposite the mooring bears witness to the fact that almost 2772 French soldiers of the 287, 306, and 332 regiments 'disappeared' between 29th and 30th October 1914 - 'Les Vaillysiens Reconnaissants' - the town remembers them with the memorial stone and the street named 306.

It's almost 90 years since the end of the 'Great War' and France is staging a series of commemorative marches - 40 in all, starting at St Quentin on March 3 2007, and ending with one to the Clairere de L'Armistice' at Compiegne on November 8 2008.

'40 journees pour revivre et comprendre les rebondissements des 20 mois de la Grande Guerre - 90 ans plus tard!

Saturday 5th May

The first 'planned stop' is Vic Sur Aisne 30km and four locks upstream of the confluence of the Oise and Aisne at Compiegne. However, as we left the first lock and approached the bridge at Choisy au Bac, I spotted an empty mooring that wasn't marked on the river map, and a sign - Brasserie Bar. It was just after noon, so MWNN put me ashore to check it out while he checked the depth; it was less than a metre, making it unsuitable for most boats except some river cruisers and English narrowboats.

The Bar was offering 'Plat du Jour' for 10 Euros but on closer inspection was a little too Satre's Beach even for MWNN. I did a quick check of the village, found the Maison de la Presse where we'd surely get stamps (closed for lunch) and an excellent boulangerie/patisserie opposite a Traiteur who also offered fresh veg, fruit and fresh meat. By the time we'd tied up and lowered the side bollards to protect us from being battered against the wall every time a peniche passed, the traiteur had closed. We returned to the boat via the brasserie to find it too had closed. It was only 1.15 - this must be the only bar in France to open for just an hour and fifteen minutes for Saturday lunch.

Sunday.

The traiteur was open on Sunday morning and I queued with the locals for his fine ham on the bone, free range eggs, rare roast beef and a couple of pork chops. At the bakers, I bought a large pain au levain and some cakes for afternoon tea and, like Ratty and Moley, we set off.

The Aisne is a delightful river, one we've not cruised before. In some stretches it is similar to the upper reaches of the Thames; large houses set back from the banks, finely tended lawns sweeping down to private moorings and, in some cases, what looked like Victorian boathouses tucked beneath the willows. We cruised through the magnificent Forest of Compiegne, past the spot where the Armistice was signed in a railway carriage just outside the station at Rethondes, and through the lock Herant 14. A little way upstream, there was another surprise not marked on the river map - the Coin Pique-Nique mooring.

Just one lock and 5km short of Vic sur Aisne, we found another lovely mooring at Attichny and hauled in for the night. This time we had a floating pontoon beside a large meadow just a stone's throw from the baker's in the centre of town. It's a village of contrasts, the older buildings at the centre are being restored, the streets are narrow and winding with mere strips of pavement for pedestrians. Towards the edge of town, there is new building, flats beside the school which is undergoing modernisation. Running parallel to the river, between it and the narrow main street, is a wide tree-lined boulevard flanked by large detached houses with considerable sized plots of land. Across the river is the industrial sector while a little way upstream on the same bank as the residential areas, is a leisure complex with swimming pool and lake.

Monday.

We pulled in to look at the mooring at Vic two days later than planned. It has all facilities but was full of French boats, one of whom we'd berthed alongside at Compiegne Yacht Club. We tied up at the wall of a commercial yard and MWNN reccied the town. There was a gas depot with its own mooring a few hundred yards downstream - always worth noting, especially as we'd just emptied one tank and are working off the second. The gas supplier had just closed for lunch and wouldn't reopen until after two and I was keen to motor on - we'd only been cruising an hour. The day had started overcast and was showing no sign of improving; the wind was still strong and chilly. At about 1.15, we pulled alongside the Auberge au bord de l'eau at Port Fontenoy and enjoyed a most agreeable lunch.

We locked up to Soissons with a hotel boat. Neither of us thought we'd fit in the lock together, but we did. As we approached the town mooring, the hotel boat made a bid to overtake us beneath the bridge, despite there being plenty of space. Too our surprise and delight, there is electricity at the halte fluvial, although it is closed - permanently according to the girl in the tourist office. We probably won't get any water, however, as we don't have the correct tap connectors. That shouldn't be a problem as there is often a water point some of the locks. We stopped in one to take on water - they are automated, activated by a remote control on entry, and a push bar system once inside. This particular lock is only 0.67 of a rise and as we were filling up, a lock keeper appeared to see what was wrong and why we hadn't passed through. He operated the lock for us so we didn't dare wait until the water tank had filled and exited with a 'merci, monsieur'. That was the first and only time we have been aided by a lockkeeper when we hadn't called him to report a fault.

Tea and bread and butter for supper tonight after the huge lunch at the Auberge.

Thursday 3rd May - Saturday 5th May. Compiegne stopover.

Thursday.

We walked into Compiegne via the scenic route, past the Park of the Chateau and through narrow cobbled streets. Many times we were forced onto the road because the pavement was so narrow that parked vehicles left barely inches between their sides and the stone walls of the 17th century buildings. There was evidence of the strategic importance of the town in both World Wars in the pock-marked stones of many large buildings. As we neared the town centre, we saw what I thought was a church in the final stages of renovation. On closer inspection, it turned out to be an exhibition of Joan of Arc, her importance as a national icon as depicted in propaganda posters - I have photos.

The Yacht Club of Compiegne allows visitors a maximum of two nights' free mooring and so tomorrow we shall move on, stopping first at the largest ships' chandlers on the inland waterways, to purchase more rope for mooring, locking and securing the side bollards.

Friday.

We arrived at the chandlery just after noon. Two fully laden peniches were breasted up at the main fuel barge and a Brit cruiser tied alongside the smaller tug, so we havered about where we'd moor. We'd just decided to breast up to the cruiser when I noticed her engine was running and she'd cast off. The crew were faffing about recovering ropes, quite oblivious to the massive pusher bearing down on them from upstream and us waiting at their stern. Despite this, we managed to rope off on the tug without incident.

MWNN bought his supplies in the 15 minutes left 'til closing and we headed south to the public mooring 5 km downstream. The lock-keeper was extremely slow putting us through the shorter of the two lock chambers. As we approached the halte nautique, we saw there was 'no room at the inn'. Even if there had been, we wouldn't have got in as we are 45 feet and the pontoons were no longer than 15 and ata right angles to the current. We turned and made our way back to Compiegne where we moored between the hotel boat Anacolufe and the Restaurant Chinoise at the town mooring. It's very difficult for us here as there is a very high wall running between the narrow walkway and the car park. It's too high for both me and Loony GSD to jump and MWNN had to lift her on and off the boat - no mean feat to lift 34kilos of GSD above shoulder height while balanced on a narrow ledge.

Saturday.

As there is another long holiday weekend ahead of us, we must provision the boat for 4 days. No one ever explained how Ratty continued to provide picnic baskets on his boat without doing some serious shopping when he returned home. I gave MWNN the list and he returned with everything except stamps.

There is a 40km an hour wind blowing down the river so we have decided to take the Eastward route back to St Quentin, via the river Aisne, where we should find shelter in the Forest of Compiegne. Apart from the uncertainty about being able to return upstream against the current and wind, I'm fairly certain we wouldn't be welcome down on the Seine without the VHF radio which MWNN has left at home in England.

The roses of Picardy are big and showy and, like the lilac and wisteria, early this year. Our 2007 cruise has been a mixture of good and bad during its first week and they came in threes.

First the bad:

1. For the first time ever in the 14 years we have owned her, the boat had mould on some areas of lino, window trims and plastic galley equipment. She has always been a 'dry' boat up to now so we must check all the seals on roof vents and window housing when MWNN does the preparation for painting the exterior. We spent 2 days cleaning and clearing the boat and cast off at mid-day on Saturday.

2. The first night's mooring was bankside and unofficial at PK 67, just a couple of hours cruising from the Marina at St Quentin. As we set up the fisherman's chairs on the bank, I noticed that loony GSD was surrounded by a swarm of very big mosquitoes. I made sure my socks covered the bottom of my jeans and buttoned my denim shirt up to avoid being bitten. The rules are cover up in clothes made of close woven material and you don't get closer woven than denim. Mosquitoes can't bite through that, right? Wrong! As I lowered myself into my chair clutching a mug of tea, I felt what I thought was a horse fly bite me on the thigh. MWNN saw it and can testify it was a mosquito. I retreated into the boat and sprayed it liberally with insect repellent while MWNN walked to the mooring a kilometre further on. On the way back, he reported swarms of mosquitoes following him along the towpath. His shoulders and back are covered in bites. Not a good beginning to the cruise.

3. I'd had a sleepless night the day we arrived in France (Wednesday) because I thought I'd lost my wallet, when, in fact, I'd left it on board the boat. We taken the fresh food we'd brought with us and filled the fridge before checking into the hotel MWNN had booked so that we didn't spend our first night aboard an un-aired boat. We both had second uneasy night on Saturday, worrying that the storm would put more rain water into the bilge, bilge knowing we had a dodgy bilge pump. The bilge was fairly full of water when we'd cast off, despite sealing the deck boards with mastic before we left the boat for the winter. MWNN won't pump out while in port so we'd waited until we were out on the canal to switch on the bilge pump. It worked fine for a couple of minutes and then stopped. So too did the house batteries' indicator. I went below to check the wiring and noticed that the bilge pump fuse had blown. As soon as I'd replaced it, the battery indicator sprang into life.

As we cruised towards the river Oise on May 1st, I noticed that the battery management system was showing a steady red light - a sure sign something was wrong. We pulled in to moor and discovered that one of the house battery boxes was also full of rainwater. Happily, we had plenty of time to dry things out as we had to stay moored up for the rest of the day because the locks were closed for the holiday. The relief Capitaine at St Quentin had assured us that they would be open but his knowledge was of the St Quentin Canal and we were now on the Lateral a L'Oise.

This enforced stopover led to the third of our 'good' experiences.

Number 1:Sunday PK 85 (Canal Lateral a L'Oise)

MWNN cleaned the bilge pump and it now works without blowing the fuse every two minutes. We cruised in lovely cooler weather to the bottom of the St Quentin Canal, past the fishing competition where the long poles looked like the oars on a Roman Slave Ship. At the junction with the Lateral, there was a nice wide bank with mooring bollards set at leisure craft distance, so we moored up for the night. There are no facilities so we are conserving water and battery power. It's a beautiful spot, the canal is wide and we are surrounded by trees. There's a lake across the field we're moored beside but no road other than the towpath.

Number 2: Monday: An easy cruise past Chauny, where I stepped ashore to buy bread and patisserie for afternoon tea. Most shops were closed, apart from the horse butcher and two baker's. On the way downstream, we saw many grebes and cormorants diving for fish, flocks of sand martins, a musk rat paddling slowly along the canal edge and then hopping onto the bank before disappearing into the water again, and, at one lock, a swallow sitting on the telephone wires chattering away as we descended. We pulled into the delightful moorings at the confluence of three waterways at Pont Levec just in time for afternoon tea. Electricity and water are available via jetons in the slot. Jetons can be bought at the pharmacy which also provided more mosquito repellent and anthihisthamine cream. The locals are friendly and the old women sat outside their front doors, moving their chairs into the sun as it crossed the sky from South to West.

Number 3: Bellerive to Compiegne

Having discovered that the locks weren't open on May 1st, we moored upstream of the lock and walked Loony GSD to the road bridge and checked out the road sign for the village of Cambronne. Opposite the sign was a three star B&B at the Ancient Farmhouse of Bellerive. It offered dinner for 15 Euros if pre-booked. I picked up one of their leaflets and MWNN phoned for a reservation. The B&B is run by an English couple, Dave and Sandra from Essex. After many years cruising on their shortened (from 38 metres to 23) peniche, they bought the dilapidated farmhouse, sold its 'dependances' to Brits wanting holiday homes in France, and set up the B&B in the restored farmhouse. For our 15 Euros, MWNN had Asparagus followed by chicken in 3 mustard sauce, cheese and strawberry gateau. I had salad nicoise, followed by rabbit in beer sauce and strawberry gateau.

The following morning we cruised down through two locks, left the canal and entered the river Oise. At Compiegne, we pulled into the cruising club moorings and walked into town so I could phone my mother. Maya 2nd is her 89th birthday and it seemed fitting that I was phoning to wish her a happy birthday from the town in which the Armistice was signed (in a railway carriage just outside the town) in November of the year of her birth.

We have been in France a week and had both good and bad experiences in equal measure so far. More of that later, by email.

Today is my mother,s 89th birthday. Born May 2nd, 1918, it seems fitting that I phoned to wish her happy birthday from the twn square in Compeign, where the Armistice was signed in a rqilway carriage just outside the town in November the same year.

Thursday 28th September

We got away from Reims just as the bells struck noon and worked the boat for 7 hours down to Berry au Bac and onto the Canal de Aisne. For the first time in years we found ourselves searching for a suitable mooring as the sun began to set and the light was fading.

We are now cruising one of the busiest commercial waterways links in France and the danger of being ripped off an unsecure mooring (such as pinnning off on the bank) are ones with which we are familiar. Having gone aground approaching a likely looking wall at the 'turning point' at PK25, I spotted a solid iron top to a section of shuttering on the opposite bank. Luckily for us, there were a couple of points through which we could pass a rope over the top and through a just-big-enough hole in the shuttering. Et voila, we had a secure mooring for the night - in the middle of nowhere.

We were both fairly tired and aching all over so, after a ready-cooked Boeuf Bourginon and the remainder of the fresh bread, we settled down for an early night.

Friday 29th September

We had a very early start (for us) this morning, casting off from PK25 at just after 8.30. There were 28km, 5 locks and a tunnel ahead of us and we wanted to avoid being held up by the commercial barges. It's not permitted to overtake a peniche, nor to go through a lock ahead of one if it is in sight as you approach the lock.

The locks are electric and the trigger for the flight up to the tunnel is what looks like a TV remote control. As we neared the junction where we turn onto the Canal de L'Oise a L'Aisne, we were overtaken by a small cruiser 'Dirty Harry'. He roared away, intending, we knew, to enter the first lock and pass through without waiting for us - the cad. And so he proved to be worse than a cad. He was kept waiting at one lock because there was a peniche coming down. Had Dirty Harry's skipper turned to check as he entered the lock, he would have seen us approaching - but he didn't and so we had to wait for each lock to empty again before we could pass through. Even with the delays this caused, we saw his stern proceeding along the 2.4km tunnel as we entered it.

We are now in Picardy and memories of our 2000 cruise down through the sodden fields of the Somme came flooding back. As we pulled into one lock, I spotted a stone telling us this was the site of the tomb of a French soldier killed in 1917. Five hours after we cast off, we pulled into a lovely Halt Nautique at Pargny-Filain and relaxed in beautiful sunshine; me after I'd taken a shower, MWNN _before_ his. He'd walked to the Bar D'ecluse to pay the mooring fee of 7Euros just after we tied up and reported that there was nowhere to tether Loony GSD outside the Bar so put her in the 'sit' position in the doorway. There she stayed throughout the negotiations with the 'normal for Norfolk' bartender/rent collector, not moving a muscle even when the little French mop of a dog peered at her from 'round the corner of the bar.

The notice at the lock gives details of all the facilties to be found within a 20km radius (the village shopping is 3km away) and proudly announces that this stretch of canal featured in the 1959 film 'Le Baron de L'Ecluse', a story of a bon vivant who wins a yacht at gambling, breaks down on the river and spends most of the film learning about the life of a lock keeper. Pargny's a very pretty spot next to a lake so, in the early evening sunshine, I practiced the Form and did some Sword waving stuff while MWNN took some pics so that I can study my posture and correct any mistakes.

Saturday 30th September. Plangy to Chauny.

We left Pargny early and started the descent to the junction with the Canal Lateral a l'Oise, where we will turn for Chauny and the few km to the next junction with the St Quentin Canal. There was no bread to be had at Pargny and as we passed through Pinon 6, I spotted a Champion Supermarket across the road bridge that crossed the canal. There, right beside the new little Halt Nautique, was a stopping point to take on board groceries, gas and diesel should we need to in future.

Locking down to Guny (where we'd planned to overnight) we passed a ruined Castle on the hill overlooking what _had_ been called Ecluse 3 - Crecy (still is on the 1999 canal map) but is now called 'Nogent'. We stopped at the mooring at Guny to let Loony GSD relieve herself - it was 2pm and she'd not been off since 8.30am. Then we decided to motor on to Chauny, another 14 km and 1 lock, as the Guny Halt was beside a main road and close to the lock where there were 3 peniches queuing.

This is a very pretty canal, wild and remote with hardly any facilities but providing one sticks to the designated mooring spots, it is wonderful to cruise through the heavily wooded hills, glimpsing Jays, Kingfishers, late autumn butterflies, a cormorant fishing the water ahead of us for mile after mile and, at one point a mole, struggling to climb out of the water. It would not be so pleasant for us if the weather hadn't been so kind. We've had barely two days of rain in the whole month, which for narrowboaters is an important part of the cruise. Apart from doing it slowly, we also do it (steer) with a tiller from an open back deck. It's no fun to poddle along at a maximum speed of 4mph when it's chucking down, it makes locking upstream dangerous; there is the need to get the ropes off a lock wall that can be as much as 5.5m high and then somehow pull the navigation bar that operates the gates.

We received a very warm welcome from the cruising association at Chauny who helped us tie up after MWNN executed a perfect reverse alongside the pontoon so that we were stern in to the quay to allow Loony GSD an easier disembark. We were then invited to drinks in the 'club house' which is the room above the Capitainerie. The Association members had converted what had been the attic into a beautiful club room, with 'pression' (beer from the barrel).

We ate a reasonable dinner in the local pizzeria and settled down for an early night in preparation for an early start for the final push to St. Quentin.

Sunday 1st October. Chauny to Seraucourt-le-Grande

We are only 8.5km and 1 lock short of our destination but we have pulled into Seraucourt to moor for the night. We have motored for 6 hours without stopping and covered 32km and 13 locks in very cloudy weather with more strong winds. The mooring here is an 'arm' off the main canal and the water is calm, the arm ending in a cul-de-sac full of lilypads. There is a pontoon here that allowed us to moor side on which was a blessing in the gusty weather. As we tied the final rope, the sun came out and we relaxed with two flasks of tea on our camping chairs on the pontoon until the sun began to set.

Monday 2nd October - Seraucourt to St Quentin

Dooneys donuts for my birthday breakfast but no Bucks Fizz as the Champagne hadn't been chilled. We then cruised into St Quentin Marina as the Cathedral bells struck 11 am.

MWNN's summarised our journey in my birthday card - 600km and 180 locks, 215 cruising hours . At our normal cruising pattern of 5 hours a day, it would have taken 40 days to complete. Instead, we covered it in 24 crusing days, a further 3 non-cruising days and two breakdown days taking us to 29 days since leaving Pont de Vaux. How many 50 somethings can say they did all that? Along the way I visited 1 launderette, had one haircut and received 7 to the power of 23 mossie bites, the last of which has caused my right hand to swell in exactly the same place the first bite of the season did back in June.

MWNN has gone to the raiway station to book a ticket to Pont de Vaux where he will empty the garage of its conents and overnight in a hotel before driving the car back here on Wednesday. Then we must arrange for a visit to the vet for the Passport treatment for Loony GSD (probably Friday), book a hotel at Calais for Saturday night, and book our tunnel crossing for early Sunday morning. If all goes smoothly, we should arrive home late Sunday evening.

My birthday was once again partilly spent 'on the move' but this has been such a great cruise I'm not complaining. We've left the luxuriant sunny south behind and are in the Picardy where the roses bloom. It's a different France, yet in many ways it's the same - the same values, the same respect for the cadre de vie.

Tuesday 3rd October

My roaming ISP was playing silly buggers yesterday and refused to send any mail. I could receive OK but no outgoing mail was successful.

MWNN is on his way to Pont de Vaux by train to recover the car. The journey will take over 6 hours as the connections are via Paris and Dijon. It's quicker, and more direct, to drive, but even so, he will take longer than that to bring the car back tomorrow as he will need at least two long rest stops.

Immediately across the road from the mooring, on the corner of the street leading to the town centre, is a new bar called 'Lesbigays' (I kid you not). At the top of the hill that runs at right angles to the quay is the impressive Reims Cathedral. Modelled on Notre Dame in Paris, its gothic facade dominates the skyline - though it was shrouded in fog early yesterday morning. Beside it, the Palais de Tau quietly conceals the pomp and ceremony belonging to a age when the Dauphin of France would reside there prior to his coronation.

I walked to the Carousel Square to retrieve my specs that I'd left in the restaurant on Tuesday night. I walked back stopping for fresh milk and fruit in the Spa that is about half way up the Cathedral hill. After the previous day, when we were stuck between the locks and couldn't do anything for fear of depleting the batteries and emptying the water tank, I decided on a mammoth washing session after lunch, using the pressure barrel and hot water boiled in the electric kettle. Then we vacuumed and cleaned the boat and filled the bath with more hot water and washed ourselves.

An early tea was followed by a long Tai Chi session beside the canal. The mooring at Reims is between three major roads; th mootorway, the quay dual carriageway and a flyover. I decided tp practice beneath the flyover where I posed no threat to passing traffic. The canal was busy with rowers - 4s, pairs and singles and as I stood in the 'barrel' Chi Kung position, I put many of them off their stroke as they turned and stared in amazement. MWNN was timing me and gestured that I'd pushed the Chi Kung exercise to 7 minutes, feeling only slight strain in the upper arms and none at all in the legs. Then I performed the first part of The Form twice. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed one of the local tramps leave his bench and come quite close to me during the Chi Kung and the Form but he wasa back on his bench before I picked up my sword. It was the first time in about 2 weeks I'd run through the first section of the Sword Form and I have definitely forgotten some of the postures and moves.

When I returned to the boat, MWNN told me that Loony GSD was concentrating on me the whole time and when the tramp moved closer to me, she stood up and stared at him. It was the dog's action that had him scurrying back to his bench rather than any fear of my prowess with the sword. Then there was the incident of the cyclist who almost collided with one of the flyover supports so curious was he about what I was doing. It was definitely a wise move to practice out of sight of vehicles hurtling along at 80mph.

We are still without an alternator and it is coming up to 11 am on day three. The promised phone call from the mechanic didn't materialise yesterday, so at 6pm MWNN rang to see where he was up to. We THINK he said that he would get the alternator back from 'the repair shop' this morning and then would be over to fit it. We await his arrival impatiently.

Bogwitch - thanks for the phone call. I'll let you know as soon as I am able if I'm not going to be able to attend the minimeet. Fingers crossed that nothing else intervenes (like a flotilla of peniches going ahead of us through the locks - they get priority and we are heading to the M25 of the linking canals to the clommercial north, Germany and Belgium ) to slow our progress to St Quentin and that we will be back in the UK by the 12th.

No news from irishnoodles, which is worrying given the state of Uncle R's health, whereas we are at step further along and are now in the Port de Plaisance at Reims thanks to the English narrowboat and her crew Vicar Dave and his missus. The car mechanic came and declared the alternator dead a little after 2pm yesterday, then drove MWNN to the Port to summon a marine mechanic. There, opposite the Capitainerie, sat Falcon, a 42ft tug. Dave took her up the two locks to where we were moored and we lashed the two boats abreast and motored back down to the Port.

We took Dave and Jackie to dinner at the Brasserie Lorraine in the Carousel square where they refused our offer to pay for the meal but accepted our 'thank you' of the accompanying wine. We drank a very good bottle of Ledrhu Champagne as an apperativ and followed it with a 2004 Tokay Pinont Gris. Everyone went home happy.

The marine mechanic arrived early this morning and has taken the alternator to the Hopital for broken parts. If it can be repaired he will fit it this afternoon, if not he will get a new one and fit that tomorrow. If we are to be stuck here for another two days, our plan is for MWNN to go back to Pont de Vaux by train and return with the car. We will leave it in a secure car park if we can cruise on to St Quentin later this week. the train journey from St Quentin to Reims is much shorter and doesn't require a trip via Paris.

At first sight little has changed in Chalons en Champagne in 7 years. The mooring beside the lock in the park is basic, just a few mooring bollards, peniche width apart necessitating tying the bows to a tree. A Dutch registered boat pulled in a few hours after we did and the Madame asked if it was permitted to tie up to a tree. "No," I replied with a galic shrug, "but what can you do?"

In the town centre there's a new Hotel de Ville shopping arcade where the supermarket once stood and you have to enter the mall to find the small Atac. We looked in vain for the advertised litres of lait frais, and MWNN summoned the 'girl' who explained they sold family sized one and a half litre bottled only. We found it charming of her to suggest that we decant the contents into two smaller vessels in order to fit them in the fridge, thereby limmiting the shelf life to a couple of days.

The town square was laid out for an afternoon cooncert, a huge statue of King Kong took centre stage - we never did find out why, as various bands thumped and crooned their way through the repertoire of 'le ho chocola' and the audience sat sampling the local beer and delicacies on offer from the market stalls.The baker disappointed us. MWNN had awarded 'best in France' to Michel and Martin for their baguettes but, though the name remains over the shop, the bread rated only an'ok' this time. Not so the boudin noire he ate for dinner at the Brasserie Republic. He said is was the best he'd ever eaten, despite the fact that neither of us was hungry after the all day breakfast I'd cooked for lunch,.

Monday 25th September

Sillery, where there's nothing but a very fine Port de Plaisance with all facilities including a spotless shower and toilet block boasting butler sinks for washing laundry or crockery, a caravan shop where we'd hoped to pick up a replacement gas tank and an excellent Relais serving a great pate de fois. As we ;pulled in just before noon, I spotted a new Ecomarche beside the Military Cemetary across the road from the Port. At 2.30, we bought the gas and I shopped in the supermarket, glad that I wouldn't have to do the mad scramble up the bank outside Reims to shop at the Leclerc. No fesh milk here either but we now had a full tank of water, two gas tanks and had even charged the laptop and mobile phone and vacumed the floor during the lunch break using shore power.

We moved on towards Reims at 3 pm. As we approached the first of the flight of 3 locks into the town, we heard a clattering from the engine, followed by a loud bang and clouds of smoke - he fanbelt had snapped. We went through the lock without power and drifted out on the current from the side weir, MWNN 'sculling' us to the bank using the boat pole, tying us up on the roadside, and setting about replacing the fanbelt. At 5.09, a 'navigation officer' stopped and asked us why we hadn't progressed down the flight. We explained the problem and she rerplied that the power to the locks would be turned off at 6pm as usual.

11am Tuesday September 26th

We are still tied up between the first two locks of the flight down to Reims. We got up very early and re-adjusted the fanbelt three times before admitting defeat. The alternator/water pump assembly is producing sparks as the belt rotates - an indication that something is out of alignment. MWNN has gone in search of a garage mechanic. He didn't think to check the Waterways guide the VNF has given us at St Dizier which lists all the Marine Chantiers along the canals. There's one less than 3 km ahead, just before the Port de Plaisance in the centre of Reims.

At the moment we're moored alongside a very busy road. There is a wide stretch of grass between us and the roadway, and a barrier to protect us from the traffic, but poor Loony GSD was attacked by conkers falling from the trees as she squatted for her first pee of the morning.

It's very frustrating to be stuck here, we were making such good progress and had shaved even more time off MWNN's origninal schedule. It's doubly frustrating that the Reims mooring is so close, I(Plan C involves abandoning the boat at Reims should we be running out of time to be home by the 12th October) as we have only a few days of battery power to run lights and water pumps, even though we have an alomost full tank of water and one and a half tanks of gas.

I'm itching to be on the move but MWNN has returned with news that a car mechanic will be out to see if he can help 'apres midi' - no firm time was given and we both shware memories of waiting 5 days at Douai in 2000 for a mechanic to come out to assess what our problem was, then another 3 days to find a gap to fit us in to the schedule for repairing the damage to our stern gear. We will wait until 3pm before phoning the Marine Chantier and arrange a tow down to Reims if he can't fix us on the spot.

This 'nconvenience pales into insignificance when compared to the fact that Uncle R had another emergency procedure last week, for heart problems, and irishnoodles is coping with him at home, against the advice of the medical team at the hospital.

We are once again enjoying continuous sunshine while, according to the Meteo, the rest of France is suffering gale force winds and torrential rain.

Wednesday 20th September Joinville to St Dizier.

Dooneys American donuts for breakfast this morning because MWNN bought French apple donuts for afternoon tea yesterday and proclaimed them inedible - Dooneys never disappoints.

We locked down to our lunchtime stop at Chevillon through the last of the high wooded cliffs and Douglas Firs, watching the jagged fingers of fog stretching down into the tops of the trees at t he top of the hills and thinning as the sun burned it off. At Chevillon, the surrounding countryside opens up and we cross and re-cross the Marne as it tumbles its way down to Vitry le Francoise. All along the canal banks are covered with autumn crocuses (or is it croci?) and as we approach each lock, there are small orchards of apple and pear trees. Each km brings a different kite fishing both river and canal, and families of herons taking flight as we drive the fish ahead of us.

MWNN is anxious to find diesel and so we took the Ecliusier's advice and motored to St Dizier, when we'd planned to stop much sooner. Said Eclusier failed to tell us that a couple of locks ahead was a large commerical peniche going down ahead and making slow progress along the shallow canal (despite the high level of water, the sides are silted.) As we approched each lock, we could see the peniche descending and exiting even slower as the skipper manoevered her to the centre of the canal. Then there were several lift bridges that slowed him (and us) even more. The peniche had added an hour and a half to our travelling time, lengthening our working day to 7 hours. Each lock had to be re-set and filled for us to enter, which meant we were in danger of not making it through the last lock before it was closed (to Plaisanciers, not commercials) at 6pm. We made it with about 15 minutes to spare, unlike the unfortunate pair of Brit. boats a couple of km behind us. They had great difficulty finding anywhere to moor and had wanted to shop in St Dizier.

The mooring at St Dizier is much changed since we last visited 7 years ago. There's a swimming pool on the opposite bank of the canal and a cinema complex and new flats beside the mooring. There are no facilities here, however, other than bollards, but it's a short 5 minute walk to a new Atac supermarket and a further couple of minutes to a very good baker's in the Cathedral square.

Thursday 21st September - St Dizier to Orconte.

MWNN finally found diesel at a garage right beside the canal at lock 61, there was even a little footpath through the hedge. He emptied two 20 litre cans into the boats' tank and then filled the cans again to carry emergency supplies 'just in case'. We now have a full diesel tank but only one gas tank to see us through the final leg of the journey to St Quentin.

Sun, sun, and more sun. Today has been another blisteringly hot day but a gentler pace than yesterday as we covered only 17km and 8 locks compared with 32km, 14 locks, and a sprinkling of lift bridges. We pulled in to Orconte and 3.45 and stuggled to moor the boat against a fierce wind that suddenly descended on the Halt Nautique. It's a beautifully maintained Halt - as we sat sipping afternoon tea, listening to the wind singing in the trees, Madame from the Syndicat Initiative arrived to check the cleanliness of the shower and toilet - they are immaculate. There is electricity here but no water that we can take on board as the tap does not have a hose connection.

We watched an elderly gent collecting green things from the grass beneath the trees. MWNN knocked a similar pod from a branch - they are almonds and we have witnessed more people harvesting them alongside the edges of the canal.

Friday 22nd September - Orconte to Pogny.

A sunny trip down to St Dizier had us locking down the final lock into Vitry le Francois a little after noon. We're now on our own on a flight of electronic locks descending to Chalons en Champagne. We stopped at the Halt Linsen the 'Shanty Deux' (registered at Pasau) was not very forthcoming with advice as to how the tap connectors worked. The boaters' mantra's the same, no matter how posh or lowly the boat, "water, fuel, food."

We left immediately and lunched 'on the move', anxious to leave the town behind as it too has changed in the 7 years since we passed through and overnighted, having been photographed and interviewed for the local paper in June 2000.

As we started the 4 km run down to Soulanges, the rain started, a fairly light drizzle but driven on the wind, forcing me to lower the cratch cover on the washing that was drying nicely in the strong wind that has accompanied us from Orconte. With a full tank of water, more than enough diesel and food for the next 4 or five days, there's no need to keep pounding along and we will moor up for the night once the weather turns nasty.

Monday 18th September - Vieville

We are still ahead of shedule, despite stoping short of our target, Fronkles, yesterday. The rain came down in stair-rods all morning (told you scepticism was the way to go) and by lunchtime MWNN had had enough. We pulled in to Vieville at about 2.30, having dismissed our Eclusier for the day, and vaselined ourselves into the only gap on the pontoon, between a peniche and a broadbeam cruiser. There was both water and electricity (free) which was a good thing as there was damp washing needing airing from the session at Chaumont.

In the 7 years we have been cruising the French Inland Waterways, there has been a decline in the number of commercial barges (peniches) and an increase in hireboats and privately owned leisure boats. There is much evidence of the growing awareness of the need to provide facilities for Plaisanciers, particularly on this half of the canal. We are passing through the Haute Marne where each little village is busily installing new moorings with facilities, in some cases alongside campsites or leisure centres. The only mooring we've paid for so far is Chaumont.

From Vieville to Joinville was pleasant, though very overcast, the magnificance of the scenery, Douglas Pines lining the canal, wooded cliffs, and glimpses of the Marne running alongside us, shrouded in gloom. We locked down with a very enthusiastic young student Eclusier and were making very rapid progress until, at lock 38, she asked if we minded sharing a lock with the boat coming down rapidly behind us. We didn't but had a wait of about 15 minutes until they caught up and wondered if they'd slow us down as the Belgian boat was wide and needed both lock gates opening (narrowboats are only 7 feet wide and fit through one gate).

We shouldn't have worried. About 100 metres after leaving lock 38, the Belgian boat roared past us and disappeared round the bend ahead. The next lock was 3 km away and I presumed they'd go through alone and leave our lock keeper with the task of refilling the lock for us. But no - there they were waiting in the lock when we got there. Our lock keeper was working both boats with one of the crew of the Belgian boat cyling ahead to open the gates.

After tying up at lock 43, the Belgian skipper asked MWNN if we'd be prepared to leave with them at 8 the following morning. I said "no way Jose", and then explained that we needed to find a vet for Loony GSD - a convenient excuse, as I wasn't going to explain my morning routine to them and I'm sure they've thank me for our slow speed (narrowboaters do it slowly) not hindering THEIR progress by now.

The Chief organiser of the Lock Keepers turned up and tried to hold a lengthy conversation over the roar of water cascading over the back gates of the lock together with the noise of our engine. MWNN waited until the Belgians had left the lock, then I moved the boat to the lock ladder, roped off on it, and switched off the engine. The Chef d'Eclusiers had located a vet close to the mooring and gave us directions to it, along with his phone number for us to use when we knew what time wew would be leaving the mooring.

We pulled into Joinville (again a lovely facility for boats and camper vans with free water and electricity) just after 4.30, MWNN walked to the Super U supermarket in about 10 mins and booked an appointment with the Vet on the site for 9.50 in the morning. We then tried to phone 'the Chef' but found that there we no bells on the mobile. We'd decided that we would make Tuesday a stopover day so that we could attend the vet's, do more shopping, do a little boat maintenance and some hand laundry and rest.

Tuesday 19th September - Joinville Stopover

Dozens of bells on the mobile this morning so MWNN phoned the Eclusiers the news that we'd be leaving at 9.30 TOMORROW morning. The vet gave Loony GSD an injection of cortosone, told MWNN to halt the pills and resume after 3 days or so ONLY if the dog has difficulty getting up. Meanwhile, she is to have complete rest for 3 days and then rest and gentle exercise for the next three weeks. The vet is totally clueless about life aboard a boat - how do you rest a dog when there is a very steep set of steps to be negotiated (going up is a struggle, going down is causing damage unless someone supports her from the bottom of the steps and prevents her from jumping) every time she needs to go for a pee? Then there will be times when we can't get the boat close to the canal edge because of lack of depth and she either has to jump the gap or 'walk the plank' - which she can't do easily as her back legs don't follow directly behind her front any more.

We're all settling for an afternoon nap and keeping our fingers and paws crossed that the vet's treatment works and the rain holds off during the day for the next couple of weeks.

We left Chaumont early this ,morning after a fairly ordinary dinner at Le Relais de Port last night that gave MWNN a hangover. In the late afternoon, we served drinks to Bernard and Antoinette who'd shared the locks with us on the climb up to Langres - they live in Chaumont and promised us a trip to the Supermarket when we arrived. MWNN made the mistake of opening a very good bottle of Vaqueras and the best the Relais could offer was an ordinary Cotes de Rhone that triggered the hangover.

After drinks, Bernard drove MWNN to Leclerc for milk and other fresh supplies while I finished washing and drying the bed linen at the Capitainerie.

We are still ahead of schedule and ,making good progress down to Froncles along what would be a very beautiful stretch of canal if we could see it through the mist. We DID see a water rat ahead of us shortly after traversing the Condes Tunnel and had another small 'black and tan dog' moment.

The weather forecasts have proved unreliable so far so we await the promised sunshine for today with not inconsiderable scepticism.

LJ entries will continue to be posted by email until the end of the cruise so if there is any urgent news about the October minimeet, would Bogwitch please email me on my patvharris ntlworld address. Irishnoodles, if yhou see this entry, please phone the boat after 6pm today, as I have a favour of a personal nature to ask. MWNN has tried three times to phone both you and The Daughter from phone cabins but his special number is refusing to play with them.

Wednesday 13th

We reached the Langres tunnel two days ahead of schedule, (allowing for the fact that we made an unscheduled stopover at Verdun sur Les Doubs) partly due to the stretch of 16 automated locks at summit. There was no wait to go through the 4.8 km tunnel either. Normally whoever starts the flight first triggers a green light at their end of the tunnel. This has been replaced by a Lock Keeper at either end, who switches the light to 'go' for whoever reaches their bothy first and phones the other Lock Keeper to inform them of an oncoming boat. It's then a long slow progress through the tunnel beneath the fortified town of Langres perched on the hill 2 km up above. Langres is the watershed. From the plateau surrounding the hill town, rivers flow north to the Channel and South to the Med.

Thursday 14th September

On our 'rest day' at Langres, MWNN replenished the fresh food with produce from the Champion Supermarket, 1.5 km uphill of the Port de Plaisance. I cleaned the oat, filled the watertank and washed clothes using the efficient little 'pressure cooker' washing barrel we keep aboard and dried them beneath the cratch cover on the front deck. I WAS going to wash the bed linen but rain was forecast and the only drying facilities are 'en plein air',

After lunch we went back to the supermarket where the (Monsieur) Coiffure had assured MWNN that I could get a haircut without an appointment. I could, and did. Cost = time taken = 1 hour's wait for a taxi to take us up the hill (the weather had turned hot and humid and no way was I climbing that hill) Euros. The cut is excellent, as always. French hairdressers are very good. On the walk back down the hill, we complimented an old couple on their garden - a typical French mix of vegetables and flowers. I admired what looked like huge yellow peppers growing beneath flower trumpets of the same stunning sunshine colour. Madame gave us two 'for decoration' in the fruit bowl, saying they may last until Christmas.

Friday 15th September.

Today brings the first REAL rain we've seen since our arrival on the 1st. MWNN donned hi9s waterproofs and cheerfully pointed the boat down the long descent to Conde sur Marne, where we begin our climb up to Reims and the Northern canals. The planned stop for tonight is Rolamport.

Loony GSD's leg is playing up again. She collapsed with a yelp yesterday evening so we have upped her pain killers/anti-inflammatory pills. If there's no improvement, we will switch her back to the steroids the French vet gave us during the last flare-up.

Sunday 10th Sept. -
Pontailer to Lock 2 Canal Marne au Soane

And so we left the Soane behind and started the long climb to the Langres Tunnel on the canal. We had planned to overnight at Pontailler on the Soane. Unfortunatley, since our last visit 3 years ago, the stretch opposite the quay wall is designated 'waterski territory'. This was bad at Auxonne ( where Napoleon taught baby soldiers to hit other baby soldiers with their big balls - he was an artillery instructor at the barracks). The 'rock 'n roll' at Auxonne was enough to cause seasickness in those so inclined - at Pontailler it was much more dangerous. Every pass of a ski boat lifted us up onto the stone ledge at the base of the quay wall, just below the waterline. The lip of our narrowboat came down hard with a shudder and a graunching sound that had us throwing the ropes after a stop for a hasty indigestion-inducing lunch.

The last river lock was an episode in sheer idiocy from other boaters. As we exited going upstream, the boats waiting to enter the lock were hovering across our entrance turn into the canal. MWNN's signal on the horn accompanied by an 'I am turning left' hand sign cleared them out of the way but as I swung the tiller to make the turn, the boat behind us in our lock chose that precise moment to overtake us on our left - the crew waving cheerfully at my V sign.

As we are now cruising the 'here be dragons' stretch of canal that doesn't even have a bakers' shop for the next 5 days, the boat is stocked below the waterline, its lockers crammed with cans and jars of 'hard tack' and 'bake yer own' bread and the gas locker in the bows stuffed with cases of bottled water and beer.

Conserving water is cruicial - water is to be found next at Langres, 5 days away, so no showers or clothes washing for a few days. Diesel is further - emailing entries doesn't allow for LJ cut nor do I welcome away at Vitry le Francoise so we are carrying emergency diesel cans.

Needless to say, I've switched off email comments and apologise in advance for lengthy entries emails in anything other than plain text at connection speed of 9 kbs via the bluetooth phone.