A funny old day started with the crew
hurting her back getting off of the loo. This could be calamitous news for our skipper who showed great concern and told her off again for her refusal to learn to helm the boat. This was evidence of the absolute neccessity. sadly I cannot repeat he crews response.
Excited for the departure from uk to these shores of Fred & Zoe today on Chartwell. Looking forward to seeing them here soon. Grapefruit,
strawberries and greek yoghurt for brekky before a departure en route to the line of demarcation museum at Genelard.
Plan to get there at 11am to look round before lunch, then off to Monceau les Mines.
The journey provides some great bird spotting
And some very low bridges
and even a rather lazy homeowner who has still not taken down the xmas decs
All goes well until last lock, no lights. Waited an eternal 25 minutes for the vnf man.
It was now touch and go for the museum so the race was on but we got to Genelard at
11.35, staked right outside museum. We rushed up to the entrance. Closed on Tuesdays! Now this is all just too much for our normally placid skipper. Shops closed mondays, restaurants closed wednesdays now a museum closed on a tuesday. We just keep getting our timings wrong. I kick the floor in frustration and stub my toe. Ok lets get out of here but first I send the back struggling crew off to the boulangerie some 500m away whilst I ready the boat and get her into the lock ready for her return. The locks close at 12 so we need to get through this one fast. Untie ropes, turn keys, batteries
were turned off. Made lock just in time. Lunch at next lock. Pate from fab farm
shop, Puy de Angloy cheese. Nice rural stop.
Phoned Mum and Robin. We decided we rather like the Central. Got to
Monceau les Mines. Dominated by power station with a fantastic 1920s built fasade.
Through
4 rather gaily painted lifting bridges as we near the city center in busy rush hour, we get priority and its a bit embarrassing but somehow satisfying in a naughty sort of way to watch the faces of the hacked off car commuters sat in long lines of citroens and renaults coughing fumes and a heady mix of booming radio sounds whilst regarding Doucette with nothing but frustration and angst. We had planned on a city stopover but with no room by
Nick & Pam and deciding its all a bit too hectic mid town and leaning towards feelings that we should leave Nick & Pam
to their friends, we continue 4/5 kms to Blanzy. Nice halte free electric and water. 2 Dutch
boats already there of course! Pleased to recieve a text advising that Fred & Zoe are in France and all good. We take the bikes to Casa which closes at 7, got
there at 5.55pm, Staggering, Manageress tells us exceptional today and
closing at 6. Leave in disbelief of our current luck with closures and timings. We pop into port to say hi to Nick & Pam
and return Hot Fuzz. Their friends are not there yet so we stay for G&T. Back at Doucette fabulous fajitas for dinner.
After dinner the crew turns in for an early night but I fill another glass and sit in the wheelhouse reading when suddenly I hear a huge splash and commotion. A young teenage girl has fallen in. The boys help her out but she looks terrible. A girl runs off. I soon go out with a towel as she is sat on the canal side clearly in shock and very very cold. I offer her a hot drink and ask what is happening. She says nothing but the dude says her friend has gone for dry clothes and everything is cool and he refuses the hot drink on her behalf. I ask how far she lives as she looks grim but the dude assures me all is fine and they will look after her. All a bit dodgy and I decide to keep a vigil as a bit concerned about the girl. They lurk for an hour and still no return of the friend with dry clothes. At last there is movement and the dude returns my towel with very polite and exaggerated gratitude. The girl never said a word from start to finish and I will never know how she ended up in the canal. Can honestly say I was pretty pleased to see the back of them. Time to turn in.
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