Thursday 5th April Brusson to Contrisson 16.7kms 11 locks

Chateau d'Etrépy from the canal
About the Chateau

7.5ºC Heavy rain first thing but we were lucky and there were no more showers today although loads of black clouds had been threatening rain, very cold north wind blowing. Set off at 9.20am. Mike continued scaling the ladders (whenever possible without being dangerous) with the centre rope and I lifted the blue rods. The sun came out briefly en route to lock 67 Ponthion, up the lock then I made a cuppa. Lock 66 Bignicourt was a deep one and it had emptied quickly. Heard the first cuckoo of the year. First signs of life at lock 65 Etrépy when we passed several dog walkers and a jogger who were using the lockside as a convenient place to park their cars. Two locks at Pargny close together. Up lock 64 and passed a moored cruiser, Liberty, which had passed

The very muddy rivers Saulx and Ornain

through Condé a couple of days earlier, spoke to the skipper as we passed – he was heading in the same direction as us. The next lock 63 was a deep one and the ladders were in the wrong place so we rose ropeless. Over the river Saulx on an aqueduct immediately after lock 63, the river was flowing fast and very muddy. Made a cuppa soup to warm us up as we went up lock 62 L’Ajot which was already empty before we went through the sensors. Lock 61 La Chaine was likewise empty although water was pouring over over the top gates on all the locks. We

Old lock house at Pargny

didn’t get a red/green so Mike backed through the sensors and made a second approach, this time they worked. The towpath was very muddy and pot-holed as we came into Sermaize-les-Bains and we went up lock 60 of the same name. There was a VNF man in a van at lock 59 Remennecourt, he handed out a telecomand for the rest of the locks after lock 56 as there were no more approach sensors. Had a chat while the lock filled. Two peniches following us up, should pass us tomorrow. Two ladies were walking the towpath as we went on up to lock 58 Chevol. Our last lock of the day was lock 57 Contrisson. A man from the renovated lock house

New houses below Contrisson Lock. Wondered if the Dutch
were involved with the architecture.

(probably nothing to do with waterways) chatted with Mike about the weather – looks like it’s going to be a fine weekend. We attached to the bank above the lock, on an embankment with fine views over farmland, windy and the occasional freight train passing, but otherwise very bucolic and quiet - just the brown sheep and the birds.