Trip. Departure 10am Locks
I topped up the water and slipped into town for some bread and a couple of grougeres. ( cheese choux buns) we had bacon and egg baguettes for breakfast. The bacon was more like belly pork slices, very salty and absolutely wrecked my teeth so a one time selection. Despite that I enjoyed it.
I noted the jeunes had not let me down and had cleared there site such that there visit was invisible. We dashed to the supermarket for weekend provisions before slipping lines at 10sharp.
1km later we arrive at the first lock. Gates closed and no sign of life. I tie onto a rotting wooden quay. Waiting half an hour, we phone the navigation numbers. No answers. I go off to investigate the lock and see if there is an emergency call button. Meanwhile the crew have found a number and got through. She hands me the phone and it's sackcloth and ashes as toute suite is the cry.
By 11 we have three eclusiers on hand. They are mortified at our wait and assure us they were not informed by the last eclusier that we were leaving today at ten. They would work through there sacred lunch hour so as we had not lost any time. Phenomenal!
The run was beautiful. The classic burgundy scenery
One of te locks goes down as one of our favourites. An artist whose work was fun and perfect for this particular gallery. Loved the pair of jeans.
The next locks were under the charge of a Dutch lady. We bought some orange marmalade from her.
We arrived at Tanlay at 2.30. We chilled in the shade protection from the 90 degree heat and the crew suggested I had snored. Such nonsense of course!
We walked through this lovely town to the chateau.
Strolled though the grounds and down the arbour of trees alongside the old and now nearly dry grand canal, all apart of the chateau estate. Centuries old stone benches evoked thoughts of prancing white wigs, satin tunics and ruffled cravats from a time long ago and yet oddlthat seemed so near as we stepped in there ghostly footprints. The cry of quatre from a lady golfer across the dried out canal bed brought us back to reality as her husband looked on defeatedly sking his head and shrugging knowingly whilst checking her gaze was safely averted. It was going to be a long 9 holes for him this wonderful Sunday evening.
We returned to Doucette and following rum and coke and gin and tonic apparatifs, enjoyed a tuna and egg salad with a bottle of rose. Deliciously summery as the sunset on this beautiful mooring and view from the poop.
The crew demanded an early night of romance and love but I managed to dissuade her from such nonsense and settled for a couple of chapters of " ant & dec and simon, the truth!" riveting stuff!
Another fabulous day!
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