Saturday 30th June Toul to Pompey

Trip 24Kms Departure noon. Locks 6 of 153

The morning just seemed to disappear. Collette announced her mushroom, tomato and ham omelette was the bestest yet! Mine was better as it also had cheese. Vim and Ajax came along to try and persuade me to re route to take in a re opened 18 lock staircase advising me it was special but I told them that would wait for my return to nancy in a couple of weeks. Crew went for bread while I adjusted the idle speed on the port engine as I felt it a little too low at 450 rpm and me being a bit concious of vibrating in neutral. The strainers were remarkably good considering yesterday's debris dodging trip. Tried to top up phone by phone but Got reply "nous sommes desolet ne pas service" Bloody poste! Internet back so running on air at moment and decided to get going rather than stroll into town for a top up. It was midday, as we left the berth, Volker and Ava exited the lock. Much waving and blowing of kisses as we swapped berths.

Not a boat had been through the lock all morning but We had a red light on the lock immediately on exiting the port. After 20 mins a tiny boat came out. They had a problem in that they were so small that when in an empty lock they were too low to reach the operating bars to start the lock fill. Bloody incredible timing, still we managed a cheery wave and entered the lock. The keeper immediately came out and advised that a boat was entering the lock the other side of the port, (toul port is set in an area 200m wide and is locked in and out) and they would wait to see if it wanted to continue and join us in the lock or were stopping in the port. Bloody obvious I thought but we waited and chatted to the lock keepers with a happy smile. 20 minutes later the boat exits the lock and turns into the port. A shrug from the keeper and a broad teeth grinding smile from me. We finally leave the first lock 1 hour after leaving the berth. We have travelled 150m. To be fair I enjoyed a couple of ice cold ones during the delay as it was after midday and was seriously hot but it sort of gave you that " it's gonna be that sort of day" feeling.

We passed through 2 lifting bridges and a couple of locks and joined the immediately majestic Moselle. We saw our first commercial peniche in weeks but thankfully it was heading in the opposite direction. We headed into progressively more spectacular scenery and were soon approaching our first Moselle lock. I was just noticing a very large looking vessel moored outside when the wash of a very fast approaching vessel caught my eye. One of the occupants was waving at me to cut engines. Pirates here on the Moselle were unlikely however I am not the luckiest so I slowed with caution. At least it doesn't rain so much in Somalia, i considered. The man seemed to be getting angry as he gestured more frantically for me to cut engines, it was then I noticed POLICE on the bow quarters. Oops, I cut the engines immediately and the small fast craft came alongside with 4 burly and very serious looking characters aboard. I smiled a Bonjour messuires and got a stony almost eastern European "pappiers" not a s'il vous plais in sight. "pardon" I replied in a nervous fw moment. "pappiers pour votre bateau". Ah oui, at this point the crew who had unfortunately been abluting as the scene had developed popped her head up with a " what the hell is going on, why have you stopped the engines"

" Gendarmes"

" oh my god" she replied as though we were carrying 45 Latvians in the bilge

 

I retrieved my papers folder and passed it to the unsmiling sourface. He flicked the pages from my boat purchase receipt through to my VHF certificates. Why was I still nervous?

Still unsmiling he passed me the folder back and with a curt merci, Bon journee, they cast off leaving me floating and a touch shell shocked from the whole episode. It had certainly shaken me from the chilled drifting passage of this stunning gentle navigation and I was suddenly aware of the two empty bottles of leffe on the upper helm. Close one?

We got underway and headed toward the lock. On closing the horrific realization dawned, the large vessel was actually in the lock or more accurately it seemed to be balancing between the lock walls. Surely not!

It was a monster, the biggest I have seen on the canals and bloody hell, the lights were green so I was expected to join this bugger. It was turning into quite a day. As it happened this monstrous lock gave me 30 m gap from his stern and the big drop was extremely gentle. Problem was it took him 20 mins to escape the concrete coffin squeezing his rubbing straights.

2 more locks in the next 10kms it was gonna be a slow boat to china for us for sure.

The sheer beauty of this stretch more than appeased my initial stressing at the unfortunate turn of events so far on this passage and I gave a joyous blast of the air horns to 3 youngsters somersaulting into the river off of an old peniche quay encouraging more dareing do entertainment.

Our luck improved drastically at lock number 2. The leviathon pulled over and started craning off the car on its stern. We went past into a green light lock and joined what was clearly a German boat on a beer festival rally. Only 4 male crew but they appeared to be quads. Each with in your face calf length baggy shorts drowning under the weight of heaving moving beer filled sunburnt red bellies. Magnificent effort all round and they showed a clean pair of heels as the stern dug deep into the Moselle carrying this hefty cargo on its way.

We arrived at Liverdun and a port de plaisance tucked behind the main river. I approached cautiously as signs indicated a water depth of only 1.5m. No problem if correct. It looked very very weedy and the boat slowed due to the thickness. We just thought better of it so went carefully astern and carried on. Liver dun gave us our first sight of a hilltop chateau castle overlooking the river. Gorgeous. We slowed for some paddlers and fishermen and and by the time we got to the last lock, the German adonis filled boat had already slipped through so we had a short wait before coming into the halte fluviale at aptly named Town of Pompey!

There was already one boat tied up but plenty of room for us and we were helped alongside by the German owners. There had been a river fete on all day with dragon boat races, model boats and all sorts of water fun and frolics going on. Ashore there was a fete with food drink tombolas and the usual sort of stuff. Very nice. A large stage promised live evening entertainment.

Collette decided to read whilst I went on the steed in search of liquid supplies. I soon found a lidles and beer choices were limited so I went for some 4.7% 33cl cans at 23p each. Bargain but what was it going to taste like, still it was amber and fizzy and 4.7% so must be alright in this heat. Also got a bottle of gin for £6, am I developing a problem?

Got back and made myself a large G&T with ice and lemon whilst the crew hit the pastis. Cobbed some fillet stake and Mexican belly pork brochettes. Very nice washed down with my one off very average beers and suddenly from a clear sky came one black cloud and it started raining. It was 8.30 and the band had just started to play. Such a shame for them. The whole village had turned out probably some 300 people. The music was a selection of dodgy 80s 90s dance tunes. I feared the worst.

It stopped raining and we ventured over to the fete. A lovely scene with all the kids dancing, teenagers being bothersome, middle ages getting drunk and the olds looking displeased with the volume and the type of music. The band were magnificent. 10 in number I think the description would be a show band. The blond 50 something male singer had a white make up patch over his right eye, had those i am trendy skintight jeans with ripped knees and thighs, a white snake t-shirt and of course a fake diamond earring. He was murdering a bit of rap as we arrived and breakdancing to ride on time. The much better looking female singer thankfully had a decent voice and the crowd were obviously enjoying the groovy offerings. The two singers were flanked by two particularly attractive gyrating dancers skimpily dressed in silver lurex dresses. I am not entirely sure as to how necessary they were but it added to the male audiences enjoyment and certainly perked me up.

At 10.30 the band announced that it was time to light the ceremonious bonfire at the back of the carpark and there was suddenly a mass exodus. This was incongruess as the band immediately struck into a big new number with the dancers having changed into tiger skin dresses and thigh length boots and the sax section rejoining the band just as the whole crowd left the scene. I was all for giving the fire a miss but hey oh it seemed the right thing to do. As we walked past the covered eating marquee the heavens opened to a deluge. The fire had just been lit at one end of the carpark whilst at the other the band played on. But not for long. As we sheltered under the open sided marquee with the 300, the roof of the stage suddenly wilted under the weight of water and gallons were poured onto the unprotected speakers below. A puff of smoke and suddenly the band were silent. The olds suddenly looked cheered. The fire had become a blaze, the kids jumped in instantly formed puddles and the band fretted.

It eased as fast as it had struck and being 11.30 we drifted back to Doucette but as we settled down to retire, the fabulous show band were resurrected. They showed there sense of humour was still alive by opening with an appalling rendition of rivers of Babylon. Nice one!

I drifted into slumber around midnight as the showband played on! What a day again.

 

 

Friday 29th June Pagny sur Meuse to Toul

Trip 14kms departure 11.30 Locks 12 of 147.

What a night it had been. We went to bed with a free lightning show thrown in. It seemed moments later that we were woken by a crash on the cabin roof. Leapt out of bed thinking youths were away with my outboard but what was that roaring sound and who was flashing there headlights at the boat.


The roaring was the wind, the lights were sheets of lightning and the crashing was thunder. It was 4 am and this was some storm. The canal had waves and was littered with debris. Something white and solid was drifting down river. The fair line in front was swinging out at 45 degrees straining at its single stern rope.

We established the table as the bang on the cabin roof culprit. It had blown over. The maelstrom continued. We heard sirens and saw headlights and feared for some poor souls. The thunder and sheer amount of lightning was awesome in its power and provoked a respectful fear of its unstoppable natural force. We watched for 30 minutes with no abatement yet we were waiting for a tree to come down, a roof to blow surely something had to give way to appease this god of wrath and ease the peril.

We eventually felt so tired we fell back into the pit. We woke at 8 to a blue sky and blazing sunshine and not a breath of wind. I surveyed for any damage. All seemed well but the canal was strewn with broken foliage and the white thing revealed itself stuck in the undergrowth as a flower box torn from the town bridge. The storm had got the fish in a feeding frenzy. I saw the biggest fish of the trip close to the surface clearly hunting. I grabbed my poachers rod and fed some cereal bread onto the tiny hook and cast. A school of minnows showed interest but suddenly from the depths he came, he took the bait as a petit morceau. The Line strained, surely it would break. I played out some more as he thrashed under the boat in comprehensive of why he was stuck on this breakfast morsel. I slowly brought him to the surface. This is when my problems began.

The crew was still asleep. I needed a picture. Darling I sort of whispered but shouted, I've got a big un.

I heard the groan!

No it's a big fish, quick get the camera. This monster of the deep was about to get off the hook, I was getting impatient, come on honey, it will get away. The crew came with th camera in there own time and finally I had my picture. I netted th beauty but not being a lover of fresh water fish, I released it back, hoping it ha learnt a valuable lesson today. Don't mess with the fishing meister!

We prepped the boat, Collette showered and I went for bread eggs and some lovely ripe peaches. The post announced with a tiny sign that it opened at 1pm til 4. I want a job in France.

We set off and spent the whole trip dodging drifting debris from last nights carnage.

We even tried to pick up one of the several flower boxes which we spotted further upriver. They were far too heavy to lift from the murky water. Huge snapped branches were hauled out of the way by the crew and progress was slow. We had a painful 10 locks in 9 Kms to get through. They were spaced every 500 metres in places. We left one lock to see just a couple of minutes ahead a Dutch boat which had shared our mooring last night about to enter the next one. They had been delayed by boats coming the opposite way as they had left much earlier than us. I was gob smacked when the lock gates started to flash and close with us just 250m away. I should explain that these locks are controlled by us so they had clearly seen us but closed the gate meaning we had a 20 minute wait for them to go through and the lock empty again for us. I was steaming. Absolute gits!

We got to Toul and saw people helping these same tossers with their ropes. The pontoon fingers were very short and pretty tricky. I reversed into one on the same pontoon. I watched incredulous as the couple stood in their heel whouse staring and watching us struggle in yet not moving a muscle to help. Quite unbelievable!

The good news was as we messed with lines I heard a shout Andy, how are you! It was rheinhart. We had watched England Sweden together 2weeks earlier and we had moored alongside him. He was going home tomorrow for July and August and leaving his boat here. Too hot for him. His colour would make you wonder how this was possible. A proper nice bloke!

I went off and got 4 cans of fuel to top up the tanks before tone and rose arrive while Collette gave Doucette a once over. Nice job. It was sweltering and we sat and had a late 3 pm lunch of bread crackers, boiled eggs tomatoes, wild boar pate crab pate cheeses and even the left over pork which was still succulent. My sort of lunch. Got through 3 cans of 1664 in the heat.

As we finished lunch, like bulls in a china shop, in came vim and Ajax. Sweet revenge as they nestled either side of the tossers who I knew would just hate this pair of dutch bruisers. I liked vim but was not so sure about ajax(real name burt). It was lovely to see a neighbouring old women come and tell tosser he had not moored properly and had to move his lines. We helped vim and Ajax in but Ajax was not happy. He found a spot alongside the quay which was better. This after we had got him nestled right in. The other mooring entailed him moving two boats and getting through a gap one meter narrower than his boat. At this I left him to it and as he passed us he shouted a mocking" are you angry "I decided right then That Ajax was a little too Dutch.

He barged his way into the new mooring just 10 meters away causing panic on the 2 boats in his sights. I was reminded of the battered white van driver parking between two Mercedes with that "well they shouldnt have Mercedes should they" and "if I hit it ain't gonna do to much to mine is it" attitude. My impression was confirmed.

I showered in the plaisanciers block. Classic French weirdness. Firstly it is a mixed block. 1 toilet. 3 showers. 1 washing machine and 2 sinks. Two of the showers had 1 € to enter but the third was free. What is all that about. I went for the free one. Very nice but no hooks for clothes. Bloody French always half do a job.

We had drinks on the poop before a stroll in to this rampart enclosed fortified town. It had suffered badly in the second world war and it was easy to spot where the bombs had fallen. French architecture also had a dodgy time of it when cement and concrete became fashionable, still the very gothic st ettienne Eglise had survived alongside the chateauesque Marie.

The castellated fort was in a poor state and much renovation work was underway. One thing the French do very well is flower decoration around their towns and Toul's are exceptional. No expense is spared on every roundabout and in every square and with showy water fountains and a bit of modern art, quite an attraction in there own right. I have grand ideas for brockhurst roundabout !

We sat on the poop and watched the sunset scoffing a ridiculously late dinner of cassoulet appreciative of some breeze to cool the hot humid evening. Started a bottle of merlot and sat in the unlit wheelhouse listening to music and slowly got drunk. We retired at midnight with dark threatening clouds once more filling the sky.

I checked the lines!

 

 

 

Thursday 28th June Commercy to Pagny sur Meuse

Trip 16kms. Departure 8.45. Locks 5 of 135

We both woke at 5. Ridiculous. I blame the drink the night before. The crew goes back to sleep but I get up make tea and write some blog. At 7 Volker delivers bread. At 8 vim gives me his phone number asking me to call him if toul is full. I top up the water and we go say goodbye and sing happy birthday to Volker for Saturday. Card and champers is gratefully accepted and it's a tearful farewell on the pontoon as we wave fond goodbyes.

A nice run to the end of the Meuse which finishes with 4 locks in 2km. They are dominated by a monstrous lime works. The dust is incredible and appears like caked on plaster on every girder of this impressive structure. The slow revolving barrel humming as the white ghost train lurches along the track for the shoot to fill another wagonload. Dumper trucks rattle through the environs and suddenly a clean bright passenger train hurtles through at such speed to avoid being engulfed by this swarming white fog.

I am thinking of potential stopping places when I feel an unwelcome vibration. I increase the revs and sure enough the vibration gets much worse. Oh no! I switch engines and soon arrive at Pagny sur Meuse. A quiet little town. There are some youngsters fishing on the well tended halt pontoons and we moor at the end of the trot. I immediately prepare for another Cousteau dive.

The water was much warmer and much clearer and the prop did not look too bad. Not good news. I still had to use the knife and then I noticed some particularly fine stuff which I had great difficulty cutting. Eventually got it off after much effort and found it was a black wire like line. Was this it? I decided to inspect the other prop and discovered a mass of the same twine and rope and material wrapped round it. I cleared it and found the same wire in this mess. I started to consider possibilities. I had heard 2 clunks in the previous two weeks one on the day I first felt the vibration. We had decided on both occasions that we had hit the bottom or a submerged obstacle. Could it be that we had caught this rope on two props and the clunk was when the twine Burke between them having put the props under massive horizontal strain. Had i missed the twine in the gloom first time under? Had this clearance resolved the problem? I would find out tomorrow when we leave.

We took advantage of the weather and mooring to clean and shampoo the hull while the crew scrubbed the aft deck. Then it incredibly started raining. The crew went for a well deserved snooze while i wrote some blog. The shower lasted an hour and then it was blue sky humid and seriously hot. I slept on the sundeck.

We strolled round the town having put stuffed aubergine and rice in the oven which was lovely on our return and I had my first gin and tonic of the trip. Nice change.

Watched Germany lose to Italy in the euros semi and then the lightning started. Followed by thunder and as we went to bed the rain started.

 

Wednesday 27th June Commercy

It was another scorcher. Summer seems to have arrived properly at last. Volker did the biz with a cereal baguette delivered by 8am. I lit the magma. Today was special. Breakfast was fresh sardines. I had bought the sardines at the supermarket. They were already filleted so a bit of salt pepper and olive oil and on they went. The sizzling sound and the smell was Devine. A drizzle of lemon and the skipper was in heaven. I insisted Volker taste one, he did not like fish but loved these. I allowed him a brace. The bloody crew then also decided they were very nice so another 3 were lost.

I took my time over the other 5. What a great start to the day. Collette got the washing machine in action and I chivvied around the boat. We went for our stroll at midday and took our time around this lovely town. The driveway from the chateau has to be one of the longest in the world.

We got back to the halte to find vim and Ajax tieing up alongside.

After re acquainting with the Dutch lads, Volker came along to teach me how to cook his fabulous potatoes dish. They were bloody lovely again. Simple food is often the best. We had a can of beer extra strong 8% stuff so afterwards the crew and i hit the sun deck and slept and burnt til 5ish.

We showered, and changed and joined Ava and Volker on nina at 7.10 for dinner I was pretty pleased with a mere 10mins late!

Ava had set the table beautifully. We had champagne. Dinner was a minced steak potatoes tomatoes and beans one pot which was delicious. These guys could cook! Creme brûlée and a superb cheeseboard followed. Collette downed another bottle of champagne and was well cooked. Volker and I drank a couple of bottles his Riesling.

Great night. It would be a sad parting tomorrow but we were so happy to have met and become friends with two such "vonderful", as Ava would say, people.

 

Tuesday 26th June Sampigny to Commercy

Trip 9kms. Departure 11am. Locks 2 of 130.

I got up to find a baguette on the wheelhouse seat. Volker had clearly got up early and bought it for us. Nice one. I set about clearing up after last night. The midgy bites had been no trouble after all but cleaning the cob and magma was a bit of a chore. We breakfasted simply, bread cheese fruit and yoghurt. We headed off into town for a look round whilst Volker set off for Commercy.

The town was very old. 3 pigeons looked down on us like where's wally from crumbling wooden windows to an old stone barn. Can you spot them in the picture?

The war memorial was pretty as was the Meuse winding its way through the town running parallel to our canal section.

The old cafe in the high street was something straight off of a film set, and the garage just 50 yards up the street housed the movie vehicles.

The short run to Commercy was incident free and we found Folker waiting on the quay to help with lines. Before I had plugged the electric cable in, he was back with the brandy and 2 glasses, one of which he insisted I keep as a momento. A very nice man.

Got the bikes down and went off to the supermarket for vittals some 10minutes cycle away. I was getting Ava some water so we would need two trips but on this very hot day, riding was a pleasure and no hardship.

We returned to Doucette laden and collette unpacked while I delivered the water. She was ready when I returned and so we headed for a quick look in this sizeable town.

The halte was next to a velodrome and was shared with campervans. Electric and water was payable by 3€ tokens giving 8hours usage. The town was lovely. Dominated by an old chateau which now provided very posh civic offices, a cresh, the tourist office and some very nice restaurants. The chateau was bordered by small cobbled streets full of nice little shops and boutiques and more bars than usual for a town this size. This may also explain the need for 3 pharmacies within 100m of each other. We decided to come back and explore properly on foot tomorrow as I was keen to get back to the supermarket for beer and wine stocks which were running worryingly low. We got there and I locked the bikes outside a garden centre in which we were looking for some new folding chairs. We came out after a price shock and I asked Collette for the boat keys to unlock the steeds. Oh god she exclaimed I thought I gave it to you! I gave them to you to unpack the vittals, I exasperated. I felt the pannier that's just your horn explained the crew. Interesting responses were left unspoken at this fraught moment. I will walk back you go do the shopping. I staggered back in the stifling heat and broke into the boat. Like john mills in ice cold in Alex I Downed a much needed 1664 without taking breath. I did however take a short sharp intake when I realized the keys were missing. Did she give them to me as she had said, if so had they fallen from my pocket whilst riding? My head spun with all the ramifications. I retrieved the spare bike key and set off back to the shops, retracing my previous route and keeping a close vigil for a lost set of keys.

Got back to the bikes, the crew was still in the shop, I opened her pannier and there sat dormant was the set of keys. The question of who had dropped them in there and was ultimately responsible will be one of life's unanswered imponderables. It just ain't worth it baby!

Oh how we laughed when I informed the crew. Back at the now re stocked Doucette, it was time to start the cob for dinner. We had invited Folker and Ava over for 7pm. Like true Germans, They would not be late.

Sure enough at 7 sharp they arrived armed with a bottle of pastis for apparatives and we had a lovely candlelit night enjoying roast pork, dauphinoise, mushrooms and cobbed tomatoes followed by strawberry tart with cream and a monster cheeseboard. We drank bubbly and merlot and retired after midnight a little tipsy.

 

Monday 25th June Lacroix sur Meuse to Sampigny

Trip 21 Kms. Departure 10.30. Locks 5 of 128

After poached eggs and baguette we nervously left the berth with Volker waiting to follow. I eased Doucette out into the main river and let her warm before pushing the throttles forward. Seemed better. Steve had said try her at 1600rpm. If no better we would have to get to toul and a mechanic I had sourced. At 1600 she seemed better. I checked the shaft movement. Also seemed a bit better, less wobble on the gland but still a bit. I would play safe and use the engine sparingly. The trip was uneventful, thank god. We passed vim and Ajax tied up at the very crowded st. Mihiel.

We carried onto Sampigny and found a lovely remote mooring with a sole dutchmen tied up. The ships first lady was sunbathing on this beautiful morning but immediately got up at our approach. Next minute the ships skipper appeared from behind the trees and broke into a trot. We are moving he gestured. Bloody hell, had they seen me helming before, I pondered? There was plenty of room but hey ho, good for us. He was away in minutes, stuff just thrown anywhere, it was a bizarre exit! They had seemed so at peace and yet our arrival had turned them into scuttling rabbits. They could only be Dutch.

We tied up and I helped Volker moor. 5 mins later he appeared with brandy and 2 glasses. Marvellous. We adjusted the brandy bottle level.

We spent the afternoon sunbathing in this lovely spot before getting the cob in action in the evening. Volker produced his speciality dish. Kotofol, potatoes, with garlic bacon onions and paprika. Simple but absolutely lovely. You slice the potatoes very thinly and fry with the other ingredients till thay start to blacken. Fab. We enjoyed this with pork green pepper and onion brochettes and steak. We sat out on the grass and took a pounding from the flitting midges hoping that the strong aroma of alcohol would act as a suitable repellant before retiring just after midnight. It had been a delightful evening shared with Volker and Ava. Very lovely people.

 

 

Sunday 24th June Lacroix sur Meuse

I had not slept well. We made an early start into town. The forecast was grim for the afternoon and England were playing Italy in the quarters tonight so we had decided to make a day of it here and catch up with some chores after the brocante.

I was after an old antique st Yale teapot. We browsed the village wares. As previously, the whole village had a stall. Pretty much all yuk with the odd little gem and I found a teapot. Trouble was it came with 4 cups and saucers.. I asked c'est combien. 6 euros! Ok I will think about it. We strolled the rest of the village in search of alternatives but I was taken with this particular pot so came back an hour later. It was still available. I just did not want the cups and saucers.

How much for the teapot only. I will give you 5 euros.

Ah Monsieur ensemble pour 5 euros. La theiere Seul 3€.

I love the French!

We visited the boulangerie and lunched on staple cheese and pâté. Our German friends from verdun, Volker and Ava had arrived at the mooring and we invited them aboard this evening to watch the football as Volker was a fan.

The rain arrived on queue to ruin the village open air concert scheduled for 7pm and our guests made the 10m trip to ours cowering under umbrellas.

We watched England put on a pitiful performance in exiting the tournament on penalties but made a good stab at conversation despite our lack of German and their lack of English. Volker insisted that he would escort us tomorrow as I was worried about further issues and I went to bed depressed at England's failure.

 

Saturday 23rd June Verdun to Lacroix sur Meuse

Trip 28kms. Departure 9.30. Locks 7 of 123

We were woken at 7.45 by the commotion of vim and Ajax leaving the mooring. The premature Dutchmen were at it again. Surely the locks do not open til 9am, and next lock is just 5 mins out of verdun. They know everything so i suspect something. We enjoy a leisurely breakfast of yoghurt and honey and bananas followed by poached eggs and baguette.

At 9 sharp we leave the lovely verdun. 5minutes later, we turn the corner to see vim and Ajax just exiting the lock, 2 further Dutch tied to the waiting pontoon and another Dutch boat waiting to go onto the pontoon. The buggers had kept this to themselves. A little miffed, Had we known we would have left a lot later but here we were stuck.

It took an hour and now we were in a convoy but at least we were second in each lock. The trip was fine, I would allow the nice Dutch couple in front to get ahead a little then catch up approaching the next lock. I had got a little behind and running on just port engine, pushed the throttles to around 1400 rpm. I was horrified at the amount of vibration I was feeling. I eased her off and tried again. Same result. At lower revs all seemed fine although she seemed a little sluggish and would account for the falling behind distance. I went below and with the crew at the helm checked the shaft. It convinced me that we had a bent shaft as it wobbled the whole stern gland. Disaster was looming large with tone and rose due in just a few days. I switched to stbd and was pleased to find 1 space at Lacroix Sur Meuse. There were 4 other boats, within 10 minutes of arrival a Belgium boat came alongside looking for a berth. He was about to move on so I called to him to raft alongside me. He accepted gratefully.

I checked out the shaft and was horrified to find a large bolt in the bilge. I quickly realised it had vibrated out of the clamp that holds the shaft in the gearbox. Now in a state of mild panick, I called thunderbird rescue. Smeds was able to calm me and assured me that the bolt should be replaced but that my shafts were held into the gearbox by a clamp and he was not sure why this bolt was also there. I confirmed the clamp system and replaced the bolt/ grub screw. He was sure, it was a fouled prop.

 

I lay on the quay and armed with a boat hook set about feeling for damage on the stbd prop. I could feel something thick and soft around the prop but could not clear it. Bugger, it was Cousteau time! I squeezed into my wetsuit which did miracles for my Upper torseau but only succeeded in forcing the rolling mass south and making me look like one of those weebles which bounce back up when pushed over. With snorkel and mask in position, I slipped into the icy cold dirty muddy murky weed strangled river. Shish it was bloody cold. It Seemed an age before I was able to reply, "yes I am fine" to the concerned crew. I dropped my head in. Splutter and panic as water surged into the mask and my first degustation of the Meuse was digested. By now I had an audience of interested berth neighbours.

Time to pull myself together. I held onto the bathing platform and tried again. Visibility was nightmarish. I could just make out a mass of foliage around the prop. I was unable to budge it with the boat hook. I surfaced and lashed a knife to the end of the boat hook. Under again, I hacked at the strangling greenery. Success as it floated away in bunches slowly revealing my prop. The job was soon complete and I was satisfied all was clear but visibility was that bad I decided it would have to do.

I tried to go under to check the other prop but further out and with the Belgium boat alongside it was just too dark to see anything.

I surfaced and struggled up onto the belgians bathing platform which offered the easiest escape route from this watery nightmare. It was done! I would have to wait until tomorrow to see if it had cleared the vibration as the rafting Belgians made a quick test drive tricky.

Showered, we strolled to explore the town. A one streeter with an interesting 1836 fountain celebrating the installation of a pure water supply to the town. Notices informed of a brocante in the town tomorrow.

We Had a lovely walk through the lovingly tended allotments and watched the sun setting over the dairy herd munching grass in the fields bordering the halte.

I bedded early after dinner with deepening concerns that this vibration issue was not over!

 

Friday 22nd Verdun

Friday sunshine spearing through a gap in the curtains ensured an early start. Breakfasted on sausages and a mushroom omelette we welcome wiltshire on his narrow boat "mary rose" alongside. I swap tales of our trip with wiltshire andy and while he settles in, we headed off to the market. Streets full of clothes, phone accessories, handbags, leather belts, double glazing and mattresses.

The french clearly buy a lot of these, when in bray sur somme a man in a van pulled up one morning and walked over to me asking if i was interested in a new mattress. I thought this a tad bizarre at the time but these ford transit based matress salesmen crop up everywhere. The remote auberge at consenvoye had hosted a matress morning for which we had spotted posters all over alsace lorraine. Their had been a stall at the broccante in lion devant meuse and now in verdun. I am not sure what it says about our french friends but i suspect it is more to do with odour issues rather than being worn out resultant of there self acclaimed obsession with affairs of a passionate nature. On which subject I am quickly developing a theory that the old adage about all show may apply. I can but conclude that The public heavy petting witnessed at every corner is a classic french feint. This level of public passion is designed to Suggest a surely Incredible frolic once behind closed doors. Truth is they leave the performance in the dressing room. Just a theory you understand!

We wander into a purpose built covered building for produce. Suddenly we have quality. I nearly swooned at the maccaroons and the cauliflowers were sensational. The french vegetable market is an art form. Superb arrangements, the artichokes appear to almost beat like hearts with pride, even the bunches of foliage topped carrots shine as though they have just had a week at a health spa. Still we managed to stay calm and only buy more eggs. We also treated ourselves to a gros size spit roasted chicken for lunch which was washed down with a side salad and took us into an afternoon of fascination.

The city was being treated to a free concert from two apparently famous French bands on the stage next to the boat. They were starting at 9 but by 2pm sound checks we're the order of the day. The headliners of course had first crack. After 5 hours of 1.2 testing and no end of knob twiddling the very evident sound engineers were finally in tune with the artistes and they finally all played in harmony and actually sounded pretty decent.

The warm up band had a quick hour to get themselves sorted but sounded fantastic. The VIP tents were bursting by 8 pm as we had our Pre show chicken baguettes. The crowd was a little sparse but one nice young man turned up with his mum and took a seat on the steps by the stage. The warm up bands singer appeared and greeted him with an embrace. This young man was clearly a big fan. The singer invited him into the dressing cabin. Thrilled and swooning, he leapt over the railings and emerged some 5 minutes later with a brown "debut" t-shirt. Showed it to mum before almost ripping it in his haste to put it on. I was warmed by this Nice touch from the band. Suddenly the VIP guests emerged from the free hospitality tents and the quay rapidly filled. Our problem was that we had a cab to catch and vim and Ajax were now knocking at the door. We left Wiltshire andy in charge of boat security and were a bit sad to be leaving as suddenly the stage erupted with noise as the bloody good Debut got things rocking.

Us cultural hounds were off to the son et lumiere. The taxi driver was superb and very friendly. We had got all the way to the entrance when I announced we had to pick up our tickets from the billetterie which was a mile back up the road. He was very happy to turn round and drive back through a throng of arriving coaches to enable us to pick up the tickets. Pas de problem. I can think of many who may have reacted rather differently.

We had drinks, picked up translators and finally took our seats at about 10.30pm joining the other 2500 expectant spectators. The scene is difficult to describe. We are sat at the back of a huge cavernous crater in the countryside which looks like a gravel works. There are two erected houses either side and a potholed lunar landscape directly in front. By 11 it is finally dark and the show begins. Collettes translator does not. I retrace my steps back out of the stand clearly ruffling a lot of settled feathers on the way. I get a new translator and annoy the same patrons for a second time. Settle down with Collette and put on the new one. No good. Bloody incredible. Give up on that and rely on my improving French to get by.

The show was just fantastic. 300 locals making up the cast telling the story of the battle of verdun. Lots of impressive lighting and fireworks filled the sky over this vast area and it was easy to see why the arena was 4 Kms outside of the city. Pics banned but could not possibly do it justice anyway, suffice to say, if you are ever in verdun, do not miss this spectacle.

Our driver collected us as arranged and deposited us back at a noisy quay. A spattering of drunken revellers had clearly not found their way home and had enjoyed a good night. Wiltshire andy was waiting on the pontoon prowling and eyeing a specific group of young students.

He explained that it had been a great concert but he had stopped one of them from urinating on Doucette earlier and was concerned about reparations as the lads were very drunk. I thanked him and waited with him but the lads sloped off very shortly after our return. It was pretty much derigour to pee in the canal at these events so I was not too surprised but still very dissappointing that one idiot thought it clever to pee on my boat.

We slept soundly finally retiring at 1.30

 

Thursday 21st June Verdun

A trip to the subterranean citadel followed a swift boat clean and vacuum and a hearty continental breakfast including ham, cheeses breads and jams.

The citadel housed up to 3000 French troops at any time either resting or awaiting to move up to the front. It consists of 7kms of underground tunnels and whilst housing these men also contained hospitals and kitchens for total self sufficiency. The visit was conducted on a ghost train style car which took you through the tunnels offering projected scenes and slowly told the story of the battle. It was another 40mins of terror but superbly done and being in these dark cold tunnels gave an authentic feel to the conditions these men endured.

The Notre dame Eglise followed. The main altar is being renovated so scaffolding was being erected with a couple of stout brave lads clambering round in the rafters but making a right racket as they hammered each pole and bracket into place. The whole church hummed in apparent annoyance at this not so angelic chorus.

The church was still a winner but kept its best til last. We found our way down to the crypt which they were using for services during the renovation. It was beautiful decorated with an array of fresh flowers. Empty, I tested the sound with a quick chorus of wet wet wets you know I love you. A beautiful moment.

Out into the cloisters and another stop yourself moment. Stunning stone masonry. Artisans of the highest order had surpassed themselves and we spent a serene 10minutes.

We strolled round the town and back to Doucette. Collette was bushed so I went alone back to the monster that is Leclerc to get some engine oil and lights for the bikes. I returned with no lights as bloody expensive only for vim to tell me they had booked the son et lumiere and an 8 seater cab for 9 pm. Nice one.

I had also returned to find the fetes de musique had started and two dj's were bouncing some hard core techno off of the pontoon. The boats were bouncing to the incredibly loud vibes. The crews hearing problem had for once been a bonus and she was loving the whole techno vibe scene as she knitted on the poop deck with a nice cup of hot chocolate.

Sadly the sky's were blackening and just as I boldly stated " I think we may get away with it" the was a huge thunder clap, lightning lit up the stage and it came down in spades. It was a clamour to get everything inside but I was mesmerised by the site of the dj"s lighting arch fall on them and their equipment. There was carnage on the dance floor and no lack of blood as one poor scratcher had clearly taken a hit and with his shirt removed he revealed a red mass on his chest running from behind his ear. The very expensive gear and many electric leads were being hauled back into the lightweight gazebo which was pathetic against this deluge. It was tragic to watch and I felt genuine sympathy for the whole team.

The thunderstorm eased eventually and by 9 like turtles on a beach the local populace emerged slowly filling the streets. Small stages had been set up outside various bars and an eclectic mix of musical styles provided entertainment til midnight. From an accordion band at the memorial to blues and jazz, pop around the quay and classical in the park, a stroll round town ensured you found something in your groove. A big crowd were clearly enjoying a raucous singalong with an 80 year old on guitar and a 16yr old on accordian belting out sol amio outside the pizza parlour. I particularly enjoyed a fantastic version of pick up the pieces by an 8 piece jazz group funking away at the old portal gate. It was cool but sadly the heavy bass techno scratchers had suffered too big a hit and loaded their sodden gear into a Luton and hit the road jack as soon as the rain had eased. We also noted that the cables to the pontoon had now been routed through a bit of cut pipe which allowed us to retire and sleep at peace with the world.

 

Wednesday 20th June Verdun

After a breakfast of pecan crumble, stracciotelli yoghurt and poached eggs on toast, we set off on the steeds for the verdun memorial museum some 7 Kms away. The battle of verdun took place outside the town and there was actually never any fighting within the town. We started climbing after less than a km and we climbed and climbed. The crew was magnificent. We actually climbed the whole 7 Kms. It was bloody hard but we made it although it took an hour and a half. The whole trip was through dense forest which I found at odds with my recollection of pictures from the battle which showed a barren moonscape wasteland.

We stopped at the maginot memorial as much for a rest as anything else. We both stood open mouthed as a tall black athlete appeared from nowhere loping up the hill clearly faster than we could ride it. We just looked at each other and shook our heads.

The museum was excellent. We learnt about the villages which had been completely obliterated by millions of shells which had fallen and how these villages had been left as sacred ground and each had a mayor responsible for maintaining them as a reminder.

Just 500m past the museum we came to fleury. One such village. They had built a chapel there where the church had originally been and the streets had been marked with white concrete posts. There were little notices telling you who's house stood here and their trade. We then noticed that although thick with trees the ground was grassy but a mass of craters. It was suddenly very moving.

On the chapel was a picture of the street before the war. I took a picture of it.

Then a picture of the street now.

We headed for the Dourmont ossuary where there are The skeleton remains of 130,000 French and German killed in the verdun battle and the cemetery bears the crosses of over 16000 frenchmen making it the biggest French war cemetery. You can go down into the ossuary and view the Bones piled up in great vaults but I found this a tad distasteful if not disrespectful so we strolled amongst the field of crosses and left for home with a shocking feeling of pointless waste only to be depressed even further by the fact that tonights news would prove that lessons are never learned and this was just another conflict in the catalogue that is humanitarian history.

We had a very rapid descent down the 7 Kms to Verdun and back to Doucette via Leclerc for vittals. It was just enormous and we have pledged to avoid these mega supermarche like the plague from now on. it takes 15mins to walk from the entrance to the first food isle. You are then frightened of selecting anything because of the sheer volume of choice. Bit like ordering in the curry house these days!

Had a nice cobbed dinner using the other half of yesterday's pork joint and some sausages with a courgette onion and tomato bake, new potatoes. 1664s and merlot while clo hit the bubbles. It was a glorious evening and the officers quarters opposite with the memorial just across the way looked fantastic from the poop and made you realise how lucky we were to be in verdun in 2012 and not 1917.

Reflected on the day, had enjoyed it immensely even if a little depressing really. More to come tomorrow though so pulled myself together and offered the temple to the crew.