Another chilly but bright morning and with a sharp getaway required for a big lock day, we settled for tea and toast.
At 8.55 I watched curiously as our husband and wife team left home and went off in opposite directions and yet leaving the ecluse gates closed and the ecluse empty. Odd!
At 9.15 I decided to walk back to the previous lock just 100m round the bend to see if a Vnf man was there. As I arrived two mopeds whizzed past on the opposite bank. I returned to find our friend from the Pont Remy incident late on parade again. We finally cleared the first lock at 9.30. I was a tad frustrated but we were into it now.
At lock number two, the cottage owner, an old boy of about 70 opened up diplomacy channels with a garbled rapid fire report featuring the word hirondelle. By the time we were ready to leave the lock, he had gone into his cottage and retrieved a tiny translation book. He was desperate to make me understand. He then opened up in Japanese. "farrow" hirondelle farrow! We were dropping fast. He sunk to his knees with much difficulty thrusting the tiny book at me. I had no glasses and had no chance. He suddenly started flapping his arms l,oiseau. Ah bird! I exclaimed,
"oui oui bird, farrow"
The eclusier was getting impatient for us to leave the lock when suddenly It all became crystal clear. sparrow, you mean sparrow!
His beaming face was one of relief. The hirondelles had 5 babies, I hope one day they will return, and you, will you return? He shouted above the sounds of my throaty fords bursting into life.
As I drifted out of the lock, I realized I must be talking to mr cantona senior. It was possibly the most bizarre conversation I could recall.
After such a querky start to the day, normality was resumed as we worked our way down the staircase. We had a fifty something dude in a straw hat for an eclusier. It would be fair to describe him as a tad workshy and it was astonishing to watch his antics in avoiding the heavy work of opening and closing the gates. He needed to be smoking weed stretched out in front of a fraying canvas tent at a bob Dillon concert as opposed to transiting us through such a labour intensive staircase of locks. His colleagues did not appear to mind but it was clear they were on to him. His bonhomie clearly gave him some slack. It was no surprise when at 11.30 he approached us looking forlorn and said " last lock before lunch, we will return at 1.30"
I took the opportunity to add some chorizo and fresh tomatoes to the remains of last nights kotofol and fried up a leftovers lunch whilst the crew settled for yoghurt and honey. Healthier option certainly!
The dude and his crew returned at 1.15 sharp along with our husband and wife team. These guys were now on a mission. The locks came and went usually just 100 m apart. We were in a groove. It took all afternoon to get to Venerey though and whilst some may think this sounds tedious, we found it far from it. The scenery is lovely, the eclusiers good sports and every lock is different in its own way. It's all about a mind set.
Venerey has a small marina port which is a nicols hire base depot. We stayed out on the quay rather than enter as there were just 6 hire boats inside and a lone plaisanciers barge on the quay. We had water and electric and as it was 5.30 boarded the steeds and rode the km to the supermarket for some vittals. I was delighted to get the butcher to prepare my lapin entier for me ie saved me from the beheading bit and those bulging eyes trying to wreck my eating enjoyment by filling me with pangs of guilt at the moment of swallowing as I remembered those eyes stareing at me from the grave but still managing to say " can you really cut my head off and eat me sucker?" The crew played safe and went for another slab of entrecôte.
Back at Doucette, Collette immediately got her stale bread out for feeding time with clo. I was quietly having a cold 1664 when a scream of " oh my god! Andrew, quick"
Thinking jaws had risen from the depths and ripped off her arm, I nearly smashed my toe as I leapt from the foreplay relaxer chair. She was pointing at a floating bit of stale bread. Yes I said, a tad impatiently realising that all was ok but the feeding time had created a wierd excitement in her. " Wait wait." Just then, in a slow lazy surfacing, a monster purple headed catfish extended his jaw and elasticated lips over the sodden bread and appeared to wink at us as he disappeared back into the blackness. The crew was beside herself. " did you see it did you see it, its the biggest I have seen and I think there is two of them" I desperately tried to calm her afraid she would burst a blood vessel. " get the camera get the camera" she had been afflicted by that strange condition when over excited of repeating everything twice. " there's two of them" yes dear! You told me!
Dinner was leftover chicken, mushroom and potatoe Chinese curry. Rapidly becoming a crew favourite. Merlot was the chosen accompaniament.
The crew was settled into bed early after the excessive excitement of the fish feeding frenzy.
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