BACK TO CALENDAR 2002

 

This Weeks "We're Here" Map

 

(The Map is a "thumbnail", same as the pictures - click on it for full size when connected to www.)

 

June 17                                                                              Monday

Bagneaux-sur-Loing to Chateau Landon (Héronville). Canal du Loing

 

Still very hot, and us very torpid.

 

Chateau Landon is a favourite of ours - very quiet, and unknown, so always comfortable and peaceful.

 

Arrived in lock to see Hotel Boat in residence.  Emerged from lock to find 3 other boats filling rest of moorings. 2 Germans (think) and an Australian.

 

Went on 50 metres to more revets - this part of canal is difficult to tie up to sides, as very shallow. Found another length of revets sufficient for us, did full scale ladder tie up with new ladder anchor points on side of boat.  Most successful - survived - without fidgeting - passage of hotel boat, 2 loaded péniche, and sundry hire boats going too fast.

 

Price of success - streaming sweat in unbelievably hot day.

 

All boats dead quiet during afternoon - football world cup? We covered ourselves in glory yesterday by having to ask a French lock keeper - in France - the result and score of England’s game against Denmark - no marks for loyalty.

 

2 more boats stuffed themselves onto the moorings during the course of the evening - good thing we were down canal a bit - jolly parties, barbecues, etc going on. Think that regarding this little mooring as ours is a thing of the past.

 

Much intrigued by constant splashing and heavy noisy rising of large fish along far side of canal. Were assured it was carp, mating. Very vigorous.

 

During hair cut (frontal) discovered digital camera very hot. Considered result of holding in hot sweaty hand while going through purgatory of beard trim. Found, in fact, batteries were completely flat, and upon further investigation discovered that camera was shorting new batteries flat within 20 minutes of insertion of new ones. Actually works perfectly, until batteries go flat, but just gets very hot. Very worrying, although using re-chargeables.

 

 

June 18                                                                                     Tuesday

Chateau Landon (Héronville) to Cépoy. Canal du Loing

 

Bikes out and up to Chateau Landon at 0700, in the knowledge it would be much too hot to move later on. It was.

 

Had a look round - super little town, high on a bluff, with terrific views all round over the Loing valley and canal, complete with very large religious "retrait" establishment still in the process of incredibly expensive make over (last year concerned by a crane right on the edge of a bluff that looked dangerously ready to slide into the valley, but it had gone, and there was no sign of disaster).

 

Look round, bought bread, battled with camera - seems only hope is to carry batteries loose and insert and click, then take them out again.

 

Back to the boat - super - downhill all the way.

 

Set off up canal, discovering in the process of unmooring, that canal had risen during the afternoon and night, and we could probably have moored against the revettes.

 

However, setting the planks up for a rigid off-canal side mooring was a very useful exercise - even though it resulted in enormous loss of body fluids in the heat. Now we know it works!

 

Had the balance of breakfast - honey sandwiches in new baguette - on the hoof. Still screamingly hot until about 11.30 when strong wind got up.

 

Day’s target was a mooring we enjoyed a couple of year ago - nice deep concrete wall, shade for us and boat, and view.

 

Found it all just before lunch, when we would have had to stop, anyway, and also found that the shade, and view weren’t actually in the same spot and as remembered. Put Albert in the shade, put ourselves under the shade of another tree, and breathed heavily and deeply.

 

Wind finally cooled things off, and incredibly foolish spits of rain arrived at tea-time, with grey overcast sky. Relief indescribable.

 

Replaced blown outer tire on bike, but messed up a funny little special nut that holds the plastic chain tensioner onto the hub. The nut, instead of being proper - drilled and tapped - like any sensible nut, has a larger than required smooth walled hole drilled through and a pot metal threaded sleeve let into the hole. What a ridiculous carry on.

 

Now have a £425 Brompton bike with chain tensioner held on with twisted bailing wire - it works, but watch this space.

 

 

June 19                                                                        Wednesday

Cépoy to Montargis. Canal du Loing and de Briare

 

Into Montargis before lunch - we are being disgracefully idle this trip - and onto the nice new moorings (all facilities - 6.80€ for us) that were under construction last time we were here in a sea of sand and windblown dust.

 

Little spurts of rain off and on all morning - but cool.

 

In the deep lock coming up into the town acted as object lesson for harassed official from VNF showing a party of school kids how canals and locks worked! He came and thanked us after very nicely in good English. Fortunately, all went well, and we had a rope on a bollard, for once.

 

On arrival, across to SNCF rly station for times of trains to suit imminent arrival of next grandchild - baling wire repair to Brompton held well in quite hairy traffic.

 

Then to try and find camera shop to do something with digital, but no go.

 

Back to moorings to find - like last night at Héronville - absolutely stuffed, but no-one had tried to breast up to us, or move us! Nearly all Brits, or yachties caught out by perceived closure of Bourgogne. Semi Hotel boat arrived at 8.00 p.m. Locks close at 6.00 p.m. and nearest lock is 25 minutes away - what had he/she been doing. Strange craft - very elderly Dutch thingy. Nuisance - probably expected everyone to squeeze up and let them in. Some chance!

 

 

 

June 20                                                                                  - Thursday

Montargis. Canal de Briare.

 

In Montargis - fiddled about as one does.

 

Fitted and "commissioned" charger. Seems terrific - quiet and simple.

 

Visited rly station, info office, supermarket, etc, and tried to find a camera shop - all camera shops appeared to be film developers only.

 

 

June 21                                                                             Friday

Montargis to top of 4 lock flight - Montcresson. Canal de Briare.

 

Still in time marking mode awaiting addition to family.

 

Set off in morning in pleasant sunny warm weather.

 

Awaited the emergence of a hotel boat from bottom of 4 lock automatic flight, with an incredible modern English Motor Boat. Huge gin palace with elongated droop snoot.

 

However, found tug Teal registered at Skipton, last seen by us 2 years ago moored up on the River Doubs whilst owner assisted at the building and fitting out large wooden sea going yacht. Teal was flying enormous Australian flag. Had been "leant to and borrowed by" Bernard and Kate for 10 months whilst owner did a stint as "pilote".

 

Long lunch-time gossip session, then wandered up to automatic flight of 3.7 metre locks in middle of afternoon.

 

Not a happy ascent. Just as we went in, a little yacht appeared behind, so we had to go up front.

 

Managed perfectly in first, but L.K. appeared in 2nd, and moored us up to wrong wall for ground paddles, so we wandered and banged all over the lock when water came in, whilst yachtie insisted on tying himself to ladder on other side exactly in middle.

 

Third lock, sent yachtie ahead, but he again tied himself to ladder at exact half way point, so there was no room for us either in front or behind. Squeezed in after the gates were shut in gate space.

 

4th lock the same, but yachtie had tied himself to the ladder half way up, and had to cut himself free when the water came over the knot. Muttered a bit - but couldn’t see his problem - except possibly the boat was just too small, and 3.7 metre locks are not really appropriate for single handers.

 

Tied up for night in shade about 500 metres after locks.

 

Fine evening - visited by yachtie over a beer. Many bugs, but pleasant and peaceful, nevertheless.

 

Much phoning after receiving text message daughter on way to hospital to have baby.

Promptly at 1930 mobile comms failed - it seems they switch off the masts in the evening and at week-ends.

 

Much worrying and provisional plan making.

 

 

June 22                                                                               Saturday

Top of 4 lock flight - Montcresson - Montargis.    Canal de Briare.

 

Most confusing day, much be-devilled by unreliability of mobile phone on particular section of canal.   Are strongly of the opinion that many masts - particularly in the country - are switched off at 1900 in the evenings, and for the week-end.

Arrived back on Montargis moorings to considerably ribaldry, and just awaited tel call from UK re daughter and potential Grand Child - sending rows of text messages and e-mails to all we could think of.

 

Interesting moorings - apart from Grand-daughters - who was not on the mooring - 2 narrow boats, and a 1 time sunk British Waterways tug, all to-gether.

 

Eventually received tel call mid morning - grand-daughter had arrived safely, and all was well.

 

With great relief - and, it has to be admitted, a certain amount of joy - normal boating activities were resumed, and lit off to S.M. with trailer - having unloaded quite ridiculous OTT flower box arrangement first - for beer supplies.   (We look a bit like a floating coffin at the moment, with great swathes of flowers pouring out of pots and boxes - daft).