Tuesday 19th June Consenvoye to Verdun

Trip. 25kms Departure 10. Locks 5 of 116

I had just made tea for the crew when I spied a boulangerie van leaving the auberge, which incidentally was hosting a mattress sale today. Had thoughts of treating Collette to a visit as we would be overloading on war the coming few days but just recovered some sense in time and kept the mouth shut.

I mentioned to Collette about the van and she suggested I try and catch it. I said no chance. 10minutes later I returned to the boat brandishing 2magnificent pain and a brace of croissant along with a severe shortness of breath. We had the quite magnificent bread with poached eggs purchased from the car boot. Bloody gorgeous. We were ready to rock.

The journey was a mixture of mundane canal and beautiful Meuse river and sunshine and showers. We watched like formula 1 fans waiting for a disaster as 2 Vnf men crossed a wier armed with chainsaws and removed trapped trees. For once health and safety demanded wire harness but still looked bloody dangerous to me.

All the locks were manual so a euro tip to each young student keeper was an added expense. Manual locks though are seriously manual and I for one would certainly not like to be doing them all day. One particularly chatty and nice young man named Florian spoke about tonight's footy and told us to look out for him rowing past us in verdun at 7 ish tonight. He was a single skull er. Rowing I decided was pretty big over here. Must be all these rivers was this skippers educated conclusion.

I got annoyed with the herons on this reach. They always take off on approach and I was keen on a couple of action shots. Not one moved a muscle as we passed.

We arrived at verdun to a nearly full line of pontoons. There was vim and between him and the bayliner a nice big gap for Doucette. We slipped in perfect with corra wife of vim demanding I moor about 12 inches from their stern. In doing so she nearly took the finger off the friendly German guy who had taken the stern line and was securing it when she yanked the boat forward another yard.

Alongside we took in a fabulous berth. Right in the centre of town with a restaurant and bar lined quay opposite the impressive officers quarters and a restaurant barge. The bridge with the old portal gate into the old quarter just 100 yards away. They were already erecting a stage on the quay for the music festival taking place Thursday night. We would have seats just 50ft from the stage. We had been alongside seconds when I watched with horror two of the roadies approaching the edge of the quay with a long electric cable and plug. Sure enough one came down the gangway onto the pontoon to a station, the other had a lone ranger and tonto moment, he looped the cable and launched it. As it whipped across the water, I knew the outcome was grim. The cable reached its arc tonto grasped thin air the cable snapped and splashed into the river Meuse. Memories of my own madness in Vernon 4 years earlier flooded back as lone ranged hauled his soggy plug out and just like me, he convinced himself it was a goer and just like me he was a complete tosser. In it went.

We settled down and got Doucette sorted for a few days stay. I plugged the electric in. I heard a pop seconds later. Corrie was out in a flash "what have you done to the electric she accused". I retained my dignity and replied plugged in but the boat is not and my lead is good so nothing to do with me" i hoped i sounded convinced as i had concerns because it did seem to pop seconds after i plugged in. Corrie was in a state vim had gone out and it was now revealed that it had happened yesterday and we had to phone the town hall. I did and got cut off by a very impatient madame. The electric had gone on the whole pontoon and i was clearly in the dock. By this time the cowboys had finally succeeded in getting the drowned plug across the water to the pontoon. French health and saftey at its best with the cables trailing in the river tonto takes the still dripping plug and just pushes it straight into the electric socket. Thank god it was dead i thought but it had all become too much for me and so Sod em i said to collette, i am sure we have no problems and we scarpered for a stroll round this lovely old town which never lets you forget for very long it's turbulent history. The sculpted 4 warriors opposite the tourist museum keep an eternal vigil down the river.

The victory monument dominates the high street.

Street signs to the subterranean citadel and Out of town up to the fields of battle Direct at every junction. The old portal gate draws you into the narrow cobbled streets bursting with tired shuttered windows starved of paint and yet just right for the ambience. Yes I loved it already.

On our return, vim announced that they were worried about my plug as it showed signs of blackness on the pins but all the electric was now on without me plugged in. I tested the lead which was fine so plugged in nervously. Yes I was redeemed, no problems. It turned out a pure coincidence that a Belgium chap at the far end of the quay had switched a microwave on at the exact time I had plugged in and he had blown the whole system and the microwave was kaput. I was relieved for no reason but hey ho it was good to be innocent.

We decided to have guinea fowl and pork on the cob with dauphinoise and courgettes. I had just put the meat on the cob when it started to rain, but it was only a shower and did not spoil a lovely meal.

It was time to settle down for the England match and a nervous 90 minutes ended with our boys winning

the group withan unconvincing 1-0 win over hosts Ukraine. Nice one but I drank too much thanks to the crap performance.