May 13th Sunday - Lamotte

May 13th Sunday - Lamotte

We awoke to a cloudless blue sky & steam rising off of the river. Beautiful.

Hearty breakfast of mushroom omelette, tomatoes, bread. Took bikes for a 2hr, 20km cycle ride along the canal towpath to Corbie & back. Collettes coxsics started to play up but my little warrior battled through the discomfort until amazingly, with just 100 meters to go and Doucettes stern welcoming us home, she slowed to a halt. She exclaimed "that's it I've had it" and rested against the rails before dismounting and walking the final yards. I sailed past and glided to the finishing tape musing that to collette, a good bike ride is like a good meal, one should always leave a morsel on the plate. The crew is a constant source of mystery to me!

Back at Doucette we savoured a lunch of goats cheese poivre, ham, crab, olives & bread accompanied by leffe. Sunbathed & read for an hour watching youngsters swimming in the river. Got lobstered before i knew it, "silly billy"the crew sniggered. Cleaned decks & repaired the scaffold plank broken at St Valery. 7pm went for a walk around the Petit Marais. A 3km circuit round a myriad of small lakes bordering the town of Blangy Tonville, scene of the yesterday's boules tournament.

Dined on cold chicken, salad & hot new potatoes but sadly the bottle of Cafe Paris bubbly was corked & so to my abject horror, it was dispatched over the side for the fish. In need of a drink to settle my nerves, I settled for 2 leffe. After dinner more frustration with Skype. We desperately need electric tomorrow to recharge everything so that we can catch up with home.

Another spectacular sunset as we had coffee on the poop deck before bed.

Weather - stonker