Sunday 3rd June Le Chesne to La Cassine

Trip 12kms. Departure 2pm. Locks 2 of 82

Woken at 5 ish by thunder. It rained incessantly all morning so we stayed on the boat, had a lazy late breakfast of sausages eggs ( more double Yolkers ) and Heinz beans. Marvellous.

Had showers and watched 2 more uk flagged narrow boats disturb a clearly miffed Wiltshire who had to dress and go out in pouring rain to move his boat 5 yds to facilitate them. It also meant he was right under the bridge and would not get any tv signal. I just knew he was fuming but kept my counsel.

I had fallen in love with a French boat in front of me. Layout was very similar to Doucette but very new and very luxurious. Owner told me it was a thomasz design. Note to self to check it out on the Internet.

We looked at pictures from last nights ball posted on the club website. Great too see the crew and clearly a top time was had. It prompted me to ring steve to sort tomorrow arrangements and it was exciting to speak to jacks and barb. I try and keep calls to absolute minimum because I am frugal so it was a little worrying getting the girls who are very capable orators, but call length was not too bad after all.

Had showers and decided the weather was looking brighter so prepared for lift off. I slipped out and to my astonishment found one of the boulangeries open on a Sunday afternoon. The lady shrugged, her dissappointment at having to work on a sunday evident but that's competition I guess.

We were just sending Steve some directions for there trip out tomorrow when the iPad Skype rang. Rose calling. We were made up when we could not only hear tone and rose but see them. At last the Skype had worked. It was fantastic to see them and chat. Good to see my old mucker looking as healthy as he'd been promising me he was. A real brucie was the appearance of Carla fresh from the shower. We had just started to catch up when the signal went pair shaped. No worries, we had seen and spoken to them and it was brilliant. Definitely something psychologically better when you see loved ones as well as hear them.

We left Le Chesne in great heart despite the light drizzzle. The scenery was getting more meadows and less wooded and was indeed very pretty even in the heavy light. I cursed as I missed my best yet opportunity to get a close photo of a heron who was the first of the trip to not fly on our approach but to stay on his perch as we passed. We travelled the 12 Kms to la cassine. Another beautiful rural halte next to a lock advertising a dozen eggs for 2€. We were helped alongside by a very charming Dutchman.

Then we were joined by max, a lovely old dog who was after food more than friendship and lived at the lock keepers cottage.

We had a late lunch of pâté and cheese again before taking a quick stroll. We could not raise the lock keeper to avail ourselves of some fresh eggs but did find the remarkable ruins of a 1543 chateau behind the lock, scene in July and August of a son et lumiere which sadly we would miss. The village was made up of the chateau outbuildings and a beaut of a church.

We returned and were greeted by max so we tried the keeper again.

still luckless we noted the heavy German concrete bunker erected a yard from the lock keepers cottage. Bloody Germans!

A 3rd boat had arrived and squeezed in between us and the dutchman. As we walked down the towpath, 2 highly energised large dogs bounded barking toward Collette who has never had an affinity with hounds. They almost bundled her over. I don,t like those dogs she grumbled "

they're from Germany dear!" I Confirmed!

The clouds made for a lovely sunset.

After a nice steak and salad with merlot, We had a reasonably early night but the excitement of tomorrows visitors arriving did not help and it was strange to be finding it difficult to drop off.