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| The nerve centre of the Marne-au-Rhin canal West. |
9.9ºC Overcast and chilly, jackets back on. Set
off at 9.50am. A VNF van passed us en route to lock 42 Fains where our VNF man in a
van worked the liftbridge for us. A very chatty elderly lady, with a big bagful
of bread for the ducks, waved as we went into the lock.
Lifted the rod to work the lock as the liftbridge closed behind us. The towpath from
Fains uphill was tarmacadamed. A couple out walking the towpath wished us a bon
voyage. Lock 41 Grand Pré worked OK, on to lock 40 Le Pont Canal de
Chantereines which had
the ladder on the opposite side to the rods. Mike got off up the ladder, threw the rope across and I shoved the boat over. Cyclists and
walkers went past. We left the lock, crossing over the river Ornain on an
aqueduct with a sign to say cyclists must walk – wonder if any of them do? Into
the large town of Bar-le-Duc, passing the central control office (waves from
some of the staff) and our man in a van set off to work more lifbridges for us,
there was quite a queue of road traffic waiting to come out of the town, only a
couple of cars waiting to
go in. On up lock 39 Bar-le-Duc. No signs at all of
the old lock house that was here when we first passed through here. It was
within a meter of the edge of the lock walls. Two cruisers and four campervans were at the
halte fluviale, the cruisers looked permanent, the vans didn’t. A bit further
on a nicely converted péniche called Commodore was moored. Mike took a photo of
the parked trains –SNCF were having a two-day strike. Our man in a van worked
the double liftbridge for us and the liftbridge at lock 38 Marbot, which was not
far from the double bridge. Lifted the rod to work the lock. A short distance
to lock 37 Popey where the occupants of the former lock house were selling eggs
at 2€ a dozen, tempted but we’re going shopping tomorrow anyway. Factories and
commercial premises spread out along the road and railway to our left, then we
followed the winding course of the canal under the railway and we had a short
wait while lock 36 Savonnières emptied. Water was cascading over its bottom end
gates. A jogger went past. The next lock, 35
Longeville, was empty. The former
lock house still had a notice asking people not to feed their dog – no signs of any dog today. Above lock 35 the scenery changed as we left the town behind to large
open fields on our left, backed with wooded low hills and more low wooded hills
bordering the canal on our right. Lock 34 La Grande Chalaide was empty and easy
to work as the walls and ladder were dry and ladder and rod on the same side.
As we left the lock we noticed a fisherman walking the banks of the Ornain
fishing as he walked. Wonder if he catches anything.
Lock 33 Maheux was full,
so we had a short wait and were back to muddy ladders and rods. Mike fished a
couple of mating toads out of the lock and put them into a tiny bywash not far
from the lock – they wouldn’t have got out unaided. More cyclists. The last
four locks were all empty which made life easier. Up 31 Silmont, 30 Guerpont (a
few spits of rain started and stopped) 29 Bohanne (ladder and rod on opposite
walls) and finally lock 28 Tronville and more mating toads but thankfully not
in the lock. Dark clouds were gathering
over the hills, hoped we would be tied
up before the rain started. Above the lock we chatted with a man who was
collecting dandelions for his rabbits. He also wished us a bon voyage. Tied up
at 3.10pm in the layby with bollards. A van was parked at the far end of the
empty moorings, its driver fishing in the turning basin. Before we’d finished tying up our
man in a van went past, waving, followed by another VNF van, finished for the
day and heading back to the control
centre. No signs of rain.
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| Our man in a van about to set off |
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| Bar-le-Duc from the canal |
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| Railway gantries - wires and more wires |
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| Moorings in Bar-leDuc |
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| Parked trains. SNCF on a 2-day strike |
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| Wonder if anyone does? |
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| Spring is in the air - mating toads |
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