Friday 27th July Thaon du Vosges to Epinal

 

Trip 6kms Departure 09.45 Locks 5 of 276

We were woken by a severe rocking and the tell tale thumping sound of a fully laden gravel barge passing at the ungodly hour of 7.30.

So it was that after a routine breakfast of yoghurt cereals and bread and eggs, we slipped the now empty mooring at 9.45 and on passing through the first lock immediately struck in behind one of the commuting barges. Progress was pitiful but I knew they must unload pretty quick from the rapidity of the round trip as witnessed on our berth yesterday.

Sure enough, just before lock number 3, we saw the conveyer belt rumbling the dusty pink gravel into the air before topping the insatiable pyramid below. The monotonous creaking and scraping of the twirling crane with gaping jaws emptying the cavernous steel belly of the Impatient delivery barge, while the bargemans wife took her over excited yapping poodle to relieve himself against the first 8 trees he could scurry against.

Glad to see the back of him we made decent progress through industrial scenery to the epinal embranchment. A 3km stretch where you either kept to the very centre of the narrow stream or risked serious hull damage as the seriously shallow shelving banks made visible the carnage below, and certainly got the attention of this skipper. We never waived from that centre line.

Upon entering the port, we saw that It was busy. We ended up against the wall on the opposite side to the capitinnaire. This was a very busy restaurant bar and also provided electric hire boats for tourists.

Collette was keen on watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics but we had a row of large trees obstructing my signal. I moved and we got it sorted still on the wrong side of the port but hey ho, it did!

We took the bikes to suss out epinal. There were signs for two town centres in opposite directions. Very French! We picked the right one and ended up in the old citadel. There was a jazz concert on at 9 in the main square but we had other fish to fry.

 

We popped into the tourist office got some info and headed back for spag bolognese and the glorious opening ceremony. A patriotic night but I for one thought the queen parachuting into the stadium was a little undignified for this great lady but after calls to home, perhaps I am just getting a bit old!

It was a hot and humid night and with the Olympics finishing after 1 we slept in the main saloon.

 

 

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