Storks at Remilly |
11.6°
C Sunny spells with lots of grey and white clouds, windy but no rain. We were
getting ready to move around 8.30am when the DB that had moored overnight
behind us down by the lock went past, a large Belgian boat, heading upriver
like us. We set off at 8.50am. It was 9.73kms to the next lock and over half of
that was the long lock cut through Remilly, which cut off some tortuous bends
of the Meuse where its tributary the little river Chiers joined it. Mike took
photos of storks by Remilly bridge and noted that the posh new tarmac cycle
piste ended by the bridge. The canal was wide but very weedy. Through the
portes de garde (stop gates) and back on
to the river, passing a long needle
weir. A small Dutch cruiser went past heading downriver. Shortly afterwards as
we passed Villers-devant-Mouzon there was a group of cranes circling, gaining
height to fly onwards. A very noisy cruiser went past, we heard it before we
saw it. How do they live with an engine that loud? On our right there was a cut
off ox-bow lake; there were storks on the far side and a fisherman in one of
those new-fangled floating seats. To zap the post
below Mouzon lock 35 we had
to get very close to it on the wrong side of the river. There was already a
boat in the chamber coming down, so we hovered sideways in the wind as there
are no places to tie up and wait below these river locks. A small UK-flagged
yacht with masts came out of the lock, its crew waved and shouted hello as they
passed us. Up another 2.95m, ropeless again as we were on our own and didn’t
need them. Took photos of the lock houses, an old one and an even older one,
both uninhabited for a long time. Into the town of Mouzon, passing several
modern blocks of four rise concrete flats, then as we went further into the
middle there were houses both banks built on ground higher than the towpath on
the canal section which was steel piled and had deepest pink wild peas
flowering along the edges. The little hireboat from Pont-à-Bar was the only
boat moored in the arm in the centre of town. Under the bridges and there were
lots of roses planted on
both banks in the centre of town. Two little lads were
fishing, they shyly returned our bon jours. Further on there were derelict
factories and an old man was unloading fishing gear from a rowing boat by a
weir choked with reeds where we joined the next river section. Steep low hills
appeared in front of us with meadows and arable fields, topped with forest
where the blades of wind turbines were just visible. Terns were fishing, diving
headlong at
speed into the river. A herd of rusty brown cows were grazing the
meadow to our left. A new bridge came into view, it had no top, and it had
approach embankments but no road – we wondered, did they build it in the wrong
place or did the money for a bypass dry up? A combine harvester was kicking up
clouds of dust as it cropped the edge of the field nearest the forest boundary.
Another Dutch cruiser went past heading downstream as we were about
3kms from
Alma lock 34. Behind us we could see the little Eau Claire hireboat was
catching us up. Mike called them past but they waved back no. The lock was
ready for us so we went in and I lifted the bar and spotted the little boat was
also heading for the lock. Sorry. Not a good idea for them to follow us into
the lock. Soon full, 2.6m rise. We winded and moored at the quay by the picnic
tables above Alma lock. It was 12.40pm. Shouted to the crew of the little boat
as they went past that we were sorry we
shut them out, they were OK, smiling
and waving, we wished them bonnes vacances.
Flood gates at the end of the lock cut at Remilly |
End of the canal section weir on the river Meuse |
Villers church tower |
Cranes circling to gain height |
Very old lock house at Mouzon |
Old lock house at Mouzon - both disused |
Moorings in Mouzon |
Moored abvove Alma lock |
Above Alma lock |
Old factories in Mouzon |
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