Tuesday 31st July Uzemaine to Port les Bains

Trip 10kms Departure 10.30 Locks 12 of 320

Awoke to a glorious morning and settled for tea coffee and bread for a light easy breakfast. By 9.15 we were alone on the quay as Barry, immaculately turned out in blue chinos and ralph lauren shirt followed Spatz out toward the inevitable lock 200mtrs upstream.

I had to smile as within a few minutes I spotted yesterday's French friends who had moored slightly upstream of us, come through the lock and form an orderly queue behind the two boats for the second successive day. Their timing needs work!

We left an hour or so later and hoped for an incident free 10lock trip to a renowned beauty spot Port les Bains. The scenery was winning me over.

I was fed up with this canal, ridiculously overlocked and up until yesterday, I was wondering what the fuss over the Vosges was all about. Yesterday and today, it just blew us away and suddenly the locks were a pleasure to have 10minutes in to soak it all up.

Lock number one, straight through, lock number 2 gates opening as we arrive. This was going fab. I called to Collette to change tactic on entry, " you just concentrate on lassoing the bollard, I will pull the lever from here" she lassoed first time and I stretched to grab the blue lever, I held the red emergency lever with my right hand for balance and leverage and went to pull up the blue lever when suddenly the red lever slipped down. Bugger, Thank god no sirens or bells. I pulled the blue, nothing. Bugger bugger bugger. I had closed down the lock. An embarrassing call to the Vnf and a lady was on her way.

The skipper was in the dock. The crew was judge and jury and the skipper new his fate. Over tea, the first and what certainly would not be the last mention of You are a complete FW was deservedly delivered by the jury and advice was offered as to leaving the lock work to people who know what they are doing and such irritating stuff but I had no defence what so ever. We had our longest wait for the seventh cavalry to arrive. 20minutes of suffering for the skipper then the lady arrived and gave me that awful smirking but so nice " pas de problem" the look said that she was desperate to add the words "you FW"

I smiled my aurevoirs and merci as we set off for the next lock just round the bend. We arrived to see a barge just lifting into view. I hit the radar button and we got our red and green. Back on track. The barge disgorged itself slowly from the ecluse and as it passed me the lights went double red. No no no!

I pulled bankside and Collette jumped off and went to phone. The smiling knowing lady arrived in less than a minute. I desperately tried to explain that this was nothing to do with me. She just smiled.

It became one of those stop yourself days with picture opportunities at every turn and at every lock or road bridge as the case may be!

The towpath provided regular human contact as holidaying cyclists and walkers trod this most beautiful path. A wheelchair came past. The occupant just dressed in a pair of shorts and a bandanna on his head waved joyously. I had a moment when i just wanted him to get the hand back on the wheel as i had a vision of his chair suddenly carreering off down the bank and into the canal. He kept a straight line though as He whizzed past us which gives some idea of our speed.

we were arrived at lock number 9 of the day in good time despite the early issue and we decided we might go on an extra 5 Kms to Fontenoy Le chateau where their was electricity. We had no phones charged and the crew was in a tiz after the Stacey incident. The lock gave us red and green. The gates opened but the lights stayed red and green. Another call. In 250 locks we have probably had 6 issues up to this canal. In 3 days we have had about 10.

The man came and found a problem with the gate mechanism and we were quickly through. We passed into Port les Bains. The brand new quay was empty and it looked very lovely. I suggested it looked lovely and it was very hot now but I knew the crew was keen to get that phone charged so I zapped for the lock. We immediately regretted it and so it was that we passed through the lock and as always had an interested audience. They became a puzzled audience when 100 yds after exiting the lock, we turned round and came straight back through.

It was a great decision. The spot was just a delight.

 

We had savoury crepes with double fried eggs, ham and emmentale cheese for lunch.

The afternoon was spent sunbathing, reading and people watching. It was very very lazy. At 7 we strolled over to the picturesque auberge in the corner and sat on the patio for Ricards and beers. I ordered the first Ricard pour ma femme et Biere pour moi. The waitress looked at me like I had two heads. Coca cola, cafe she offered. Non Ricard. Pastis I tried. ah Ricard she exclaimed.

The service got poorer when I told her we did not want to eat. We were pleased about that when we saw the burnt offerings being delivered to an adjacent table of disgruntled looking tourists. After 2 Ricards and 3 beers it was the first time this trip, I left no tip despite her having a very cute derrière which the crew laughingly spotted me blatantly admiring.

Back at the boat I lit the candles and coals and while Collette prepared our fresh haricot cooked with onion lardons and garlic, I grilled the monster cow chops.

It was the best meat we had eaten all trip. A fantastic meal.

We drank merlot and looked at the man in the moon frowning. God knows why, it was a magical night in a stunning setting.

 

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