 |
| Inquisitive Canada goose - no we don't want a pet goose - we had enough trouble with the adopted duck who flew up the road to the pub to follow Mike (in a different life back in UK) |
 |
| Modern "rusty" lock cabin at 2 Les Vallées |
8.7ºC Sunny. Light showers. Mike decided he would
move the car as we could get the bike on and off the front deck easily where we
were moored at Cépoy. I was left with instructions to blow up the blue fenders
– but I couldn’t find the adapter. Got on with other odd jobs, cut a new
piece of mosquito netting for the side doors, then got the photos downloaded
and up to date and finished catching up with blog posts. Mike returned at
2.45pm and I gave him a hand to get the moped back on board, with a nosey lone
Canada goose watching every move in case
food was forthcoming! We set off at
3pm, 2kms to the first lock, 2 Les Vallées, which was full. In and down 1.8m
slowly. No signs of life although there was a VNF van parked next to the
artistically rusty modern lock cabin fascia. 800m to lock 3 Montabon. An elderly couple, who
had parked their car on the towpath, walked to the lock to question Mike about
the boat, where we’d come from and where we were going, etc, ie the usual questions. Down a further
1.3m. Below the lock there was rural auberge
 |
| Above lock 6 Brise-Barre |
called Le Martin Pecheur (The
Kingfisher) and a voice shouted “Good afternoon!” and it took me a while to
locate the speaker among all the parasols – an Englishman and his dog. 2kms to
the next. An unusual ULM – a helicopter – flew over following the canal/river.
Trees lined both banks and the water was clean, with yellow water lilies and
eel grass at the edges. A low hill in front was also covered in forest. A light
shower of rain, but not enough to warrant a jacket. Lock 4 Retourne dropped us
down 1.9m. A couple on bikes paused
 |
| Locking mechanism at base of lamppost lock 6 Brise-Barre |
to have a rest and watch us lock through.
Mike hopped off to take a closer look at an aluminium boat shaft (about 6 or 7m long)
which was attached to a tall lamppost on the lockside – no idea what it’s for –
he took photos of the locking mechanism at its base, there had been one at each
lock. Why would the mobile keepers need a very long lightweight pole? Obviously not intended for use by boat crews? Answers
on a postcard. 1.4kms to lock 5 Nargis, in the village of the same name. A short
wait while it filled and then we dropped down 1.7m. A British cruiser was moored below by the picnic tables, we chatted with the
 |
| Banana palm near Nangis |
lady on
board as we passed. 700m to lock 6 Brise-Barre. The first one of the automatic locks to be stubborn to
activate, Mike zapped it several times before he got a little orange light to switch on to
say it was working. Down 1.5m then 4.7kms to the next. Noted that the VNF had
gone mad with fencing and fenced off the stepping on/off places at the tail of
the lock – do they assume that everyone stays on their boat or climbs lock
ladders? Below the lock the cycle path and the road alongside it were very
close to the edge of the canal on our left,
 |
| Chateau buildings Nancay dated 1514 |
so (we would guess it's for the cyclists’
safety) an ornate fence had been installed – green-painted wrought iron panels
– under the beautiful avenue of plane trees - for the next kilometre. Wonder
how much that cost and did the VNF pay for it? The river Loing was also very
close to the canal on our right, the water was a very muddy dark brown colour. There
was a chateau between the canal and river on our right, it was named Nancay and
dated 1514. We moored at 6.30pm beyond the official moorings by the picnic
tables in Néronville -
 |
| Moored at Néronville |
no TV there due to trees – so we went on under the
bridge to moor next to piling with grass over a meter high. Perishing satellite receiver had lost all it’s memories for some
unknown reason and we had to set it all up again including making a new
favourites list.
No comments:
Post a Comment