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| Pargny-sur-Saulx from the halte nautique |
11.0°
C Clear blue skies sunny, light breeze and hot again. Mike went to buy some
bread before we got ready to move. A loaded péniche called Elvis went past
heading uphill around 9.15am, then the cruiser moored in front of us overnight
set off downhill as soon as the péniche had passed. Refilled our water tank and
set off at ten. Just as I was reeling in the electricity cable the VNF man in a
van, who had just seen the péniche through lock 63, came to ask if we were moving and where
to. Yes and most likely Bignicourt. The fishermen must have fished all night as
they hadn’t put any tents up (there was a sign by the car parking area which
said no camping) Two were asleep by the boat on campbeds. The rest were fishing at the downhill end of the quay when we left. They
started reeling in all their long lines as we approached (they’d already
“caught” Elvis!) and we triggered the sensors. Had a short wait while lock 64
Pargny filled. The lock house looked OK but hadn't been inhabited for a while.
Below the lock there
was an empty wheat field on the left and meadows backed by
forest on the right. It was 2.2kms to the next lock. Trees closed in on both
sides and there was another new plantation of white poplar trees on the left
just before lock 65 Etrèpy. Lots of reeds had been left along the edges of the
canal for the birds and backing the piling were lots of young blackthorn trees
covered in sloes. Another short wait while the lock filled. Crossed yet another
little aqueduct before
the lock. There was no house and the new lock cabin had
lost its identity plaque. A campervan was parked where the house used to be and
a man stood on the tail end bridge gongoozling. It was starting to get very
weedy on the 2kms pound below lock 65. There were thick belts of trees on both
sides, so no view of the land beyond them. A lone jogger ran up the towpath
heading uphill. Lock 66 Bignicourt didn't work. There was a man and his lad
fishing
by the lock. We pulled into the bank and Mike walked back to try and
activate the sensors, no go. I walked on to the lock and called the man in a
van via the intercom. I could barely hear him due to the noise of the water
thundering over the lock gates right next to the cabin. He said OK. He was
there before I got back to the boat. I asked our VNF man if there was still a
quay below the lock. Yes, an ideal mooring for us he said. Moving tomorrow? No, Belgian F1 GP tomorrow, we’ll move on Monday. OK. The fisherman and his boy got
in their white van and left. The quay below was lovely, just one very old small
yacht there which had been abandoned years ago, its cabin doors were broken and
the interior had probably been gutted (unusual for France). No chance of
satellite TV through the trees. Shame. We carried on down the canal, looking
for a gap in the trees on our left with enough water by the bank on our right
to be able to moor. The pound was 4.5kms long, one of the longest. The trees
were too tall and the water too shallow until right above the next lock, 67
Ponthion, by which time we’d activated the lock by going through the sensors.
We went into the lock and down. The lock house was lived in and there were two
cars parked by it, but no signs of life. There was an empty péniche called Kiev
below the lock heading for it as we left. Mike
thought about turning round and
going back up the lock, but decided against it. As we got closer to the next
lock at Brusson there was a grand avenue of tall plane trees (just like the
Midi) on our right along the towpath and lower trees on the left. Yes! It was
deep enough, so we tied temporarily to a tree and checked the TV. OK and
Internet. Then knocked pins in the bank. It was 1.30pm. That was a relief, I
was expecting to have to go through Vitry, it’s only 8kms from here. Lunch. Mike
watched the F1 GP Belgian qualifying. A small yacht went uphill mid-afternoon
then péniche Flore went past going downhill just before 5pm
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| Sleeping fishermen by the boat at Pargny |
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| Lock house at Pargny lock 64 |
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| Moored under the plane trees near Brusson |
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| More pictures of yesterday's buzzard in flight |
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| More pictures of yesterday's buzzard in flight |
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| More pictures of yesterday's buzzard in flight |
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| More pictures of yesterday's buzzard in flight |
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| More pictures of yesterday's buzzard in flight |
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