Trip 14 Kms departure
2pm locks 4 of 32 weather bloody hot
A morning stroll to the boulangerie was interrupted by what can only be described as a very alarming incident. Just 100yds from the boats mooring we passed over a side stream. With his darting tongue and alert head above the water the viper was cooling his 18 inch length in the stream. After the initial moment of sheer terror, I bravely and almost casually snapped a photo. As I reached for the video he was spooked and slithered off in the general direction of Doucette. It was time to move on.
the village menagerie greeted us and helped calm the shattered nerves as we approached our chum the baker.
We had a long chat about the quality of his produce and like all good bakers he was serving in the shop naked from the waist up. I asked to take a photo but he was far to embarrassed so with regret I just took one of his magnificent croissant and pain au chocolat.
I even saw an old anderson shelter on our return to theboat but not sure if this is what they were called in france and actually if this is what it was. You decide!
After a mid morning breakfast, we wrote read and knitted, drank lots of tea and coffee until 12.15 (now) when I am cracking and having my first beer of the day. Touch wood the fridge is performing brilliantly on gas which is nice after the debacle of warm beer last year.
Time to depart. Bugger.port engine fails to start. Normal checks reveal solenoid starter problem. Screwdriver across the relay gets us started but means I cannot turn engine off in the locks and potential problem of sucking up the debris into the strainers and overheating. Not ideal but hey ho we are escaping the viper.
The locks on the rather pleasant canal are all beautifully manicured by there owners and it is nice to see these properties in use and retaining the old character. Far too any are boarded up and rotting. I topped the water at the Guny lock and tried purchasing a dozen eggs at the next. Despite all windows being wide open we could raise nobody. Very trusting over here. I cannot imagine the same situation back in blighty.
As mentioned previously, although canals are much straighter than rivers, this one certainly does not disappoint scenically. We cut through the dense piñon forest and were delighted to spot a large deer motionless in the long reeds bankside watching our every move without the turn of a hair as he stood statuesque and we slipped by.
Fascinated by a tractor tidying the canal bank and the sheer brutallity of this machine which turned overgrown mass of weed and shrubs into a green towpath runway. Not good for hay fever sufferers but nice for walkers cyclists and fishermen.
Settled at piñon a carrefore less than 100m away and a source of merlot and beer. It was a solo adept raid by the skipper. The crew had not even finished making tea before I returned with 6 btls bubbly 6 btls merlot 2 Sauvignon (I had a moment) and cases of kronenburg and Heineken by way of a change. I drank tea and left. The crew to stow the booty and stock the fridge.
Whipped back to the Carrefour petrol station with the trolly and took advantage of €1.36 per ltr diesel. With euro up to 1.26 it was not too bad at all.
Pasta dinner, merlot and finally put Downton to bed. A fantastic end to the day
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