Thursday 13th June

Up at 7am and fought my way through the laundry room for a shower. Having paid 2euros for the water, despite its taste I made another raid. At 8.40 a French hire boat incredibly left its berth. We left at 8.50 following Duet into the lock making a tight trio. Easy at the back for us and with the locks coming thick and fast we were at number 4 of the day within 45 minutes. The lovely and now tranquille Collette sporting an interesting hair arrangement today had me wondering if I had taken the snips to her during the night in protest at the washing saga.

She noticed 2 lovely cows and chickens in the garden “they may have eggs”. 2euros 40 for a dozen was a nice result. It was a lovely lock and a nice eclusier who was justly proud of his cottage and garden.

  As I helped him with the gate he took a call. Bad news. We had to wait at the Locaboat marina before the next lock letting a fourth hire boat behind us catch up and join our noddy in front. They had to get through the Sardy staircase today so a further 24 locks. The next 8 locks were operated by 2 eclusiers but there were 3 boats descending. After all our efforts to get an early start we were buggered backwards by a brace of bloody bumpers.

With 3 hours to wait, at least it was a scorching day and the much heralded orage looked an impossible forecast. We mounted the wheels of steel about to set off for a vitals expedition. The Frenchman on the adjacent penichet asked where we were going. He explained that Atac was 5km all uphill in Corbigny. “I have a car here would you like me to take you?” This is not the first time we have encountered such kindness and cements our feelings of the French in general. Speak as you find but outside of Paris dealing with them in general is a delight.

In need of exercise we declined the generous offer and set off. Almost there I heard a loud booming noise and that deep sensuous French advert voice. What the hell? Passing an industrial building, on a narrow grass patch adjacent some sort of contemporary dance thing was being rehearsed. It was a full dress rehearsal and we sat and watched for 10 minutes as the ballet style story was told around the building of boxes using wooden pallets to some very funky music and drums. Classic French stuff.

At Atac we got a brilliant text with some fantastic news from home. The day was even sunnier. On our return to Doucette, we had goats cheese, melon, tomato and cucumber salad on the poop and suddenly it was 1.30 and the eclusier had got back early. A rather rushed lunch then but with the news that the storm would hit between 4 & 6 we should be ok.

We caused havoc at lock 4 of the afternoon when our engine noise spooked a herd of dairy cattle returning to the farm along the towpath. The herd broke into a frenzy with one cow mounting another and it took the 4 farmworkers in attendance some time to calm them.

Minutes later the awfully impressively hung bull came lolloping down the track to fits of embarrassed giggles from the crew of duet and doucette. (Thankfully his hind leg covers the offending swingers in the photo, )Girls girls girls!

By 3pm we had 3 locks to go but the forecasted orage was now looking threateningly likely. Incredible the change in just 30 minutes. With 2 locks to go, the wind had got up and it was cold. We prepared just in case in the lock. Donned wet weather gear and went down to lower helm. It hit at 3.30pm as we approached the last lock. By 4pm we were moored and drowned. Wow, this was serious rain and it went on all evening.

At 7pm we were amazed to hear a knocking on the hull. It was a lady asking if we wanted anything from the boulangerie in the morning. I ordered a pain and a pain au raisin from this hardy sodden angel.

Had salmon, roasted veg and haricot for dinner followed by cheese, then cooked a corned beef hash for tomorrow before an early night to watch a Matt Damon movie – The Adjustment Bureau. Still it hammered down as the lights went out.