Froncle to Chaumont Canal de la Marne a la Saône

Regrettably, had to share with small boat that was "deserted" at last night’s mooring. Virgo with SSR registration, and under Red Ensign, but driven by Swiss couple. They were a dangerous menace, mooring too far back so we couldn’t get in, then pushing us physically out of the lock backwards by our bow tee-bollard when we finally made it!  L.K. took over, and took their ropes right up front - no more nonsense!

Weather wet and nasty - spoiling another pleasant run through lovely countryside.

Moored up - as before - just along from P.de P. so that we could run electricity, but not pay for mooring - paid only electricity - seems they are well used to this action!

In Chaumont Canal de la Marne a la Saône

Late start in morning with visit to S.M.

Weather vile, and got caught completely by heavy thunderstorm when just too far from SM to take cover. Sheltered under trees, but too heavy even for that.

Second daughter + her first daughter - arrived per taxi - ex plane and train - to stay. Much pleasurable confabulation - followed by celebration and present giving for extremely important birthday.

Dinner - traditional on these occasions - fillet steak aux poivres and Crement d’Alsace Brut, followed by a good red, and lots of it.

More rain most of night - didn’t hear a thing - not even middle daughter’s daughter demanding sustenance.

September 24 Tuesday

Chaumont to Vessignes-sur-Marne (lock 12) Canal de la Marne a la Saône

Very cold - bighting north wind - all day. Lit fire when we stopped, and toasted boat and selves with some real hot heat and got good and cozy.

Enjoyed run - but would have been nicer if winter clothing hadn’t been necessary.

Middle daughter’s daughter proving reliable and sensible crew member.   Grandmother re-learning facts of babycare.

Moored up on sheet piles in "sticks" - good safe mooring with deep water and 4 chains through holes in sheet piling, very similar to mooring of 2 years’ ago, at Verbiesles, where we had lunch this time.   This is our favourite mooring method - most too fast peniche proof we have devised.

Being much hassled by LKs to wait for "yacht behind", but not co-operating - we know damn well there is no yacht behind!  Suspect they think that because we have a brand new shiny French courtesy flag - the old one of 4 years finally flapped itself to pieces on the way to Belgium - and because at first sight we look small - that we can be had into lying around all day so they do no work, then be squashed into 5 metres of lock over the cill!

Vessignes-sur-Marne (lock 12) to Langres. Canal de la Marne a la Saône

Night very cold, and shattered to wake to a beautiful morning, with white frost!  Not a heavy one, but dew frozen on boat roof, and towing-path grass, and last flowers in trolley - other 2 baskets gave up ghost a week ago and were ditched - not looking well.

Wind gone, so not in fact cold, and much camera work followed - scene was beautiful. Frosty and misty.   Just as we emerged from nice warm cabin,  loaded peniche crept out of lock behind us, and passed so slowly and quietly he was in-audible. Skipper came out of wheel house to photograph Albert, so quickly photoed him, but got muddled in excitement, and missed him!

Beautiful morning for run up to Rolampont for lunch. Jetty empty, but shortly after we arrived dirty great big barge tied bows only to jetty. Too big to get other end in, so left it dangling peniche-wise in canal.

This was the "yacht" - pronounced by all and sundry as "yachit" they were still trying to get us to share with! All 25 metres of largely uncontrolled and uncontrollable Dutch barge!

After lunch further attempts made to double us up, but we prevaricated - in friendly and reasonable fashion (!), and big guns (sous chef) arrived on scene (know he was the sous chef - he had an orange van, as opposed to a mobilette. He spent a lot of time with the barge, and with the LKs, then took one look at us from the side in a lock in presence of both LKs, asked our length, and rather scornfully told L.K.s to get on with it.  

Heard no more about sharing, and our L.K. continued to be the happy bunny she had been all morning! Strange people and stranger entrenched customs - this constant and rather silly hasslement and untruth telling can go a long way to spoiling a superb canal, and the way they rush boats past tourist attractions and shops must kill any water borne tourism stone dead. We were lucky to be "permitted" to visit the gardens in Joinville last week, and still lucker that we insisted on looking for the "klaxon" yesterday.   L.K. (different one) swore blind (a) that it wasn't a bread van, and (b) that even if it was it wouldn't stop near us, and we couldn't wait for it.   Silly bag - it was good bread, too, and the van stopped just over the bridge from the lock behind some trees.

Into Langres on cool overcast evening.

Plugged in electrics, and turned on all heaters.

In Langres. Canal de la Marne a la Saône

Cold and drizzly morning - we intended tourist visit to Langres - walled town!

Middle daughter on bread jankers first thing. Heard bread klaxon but it was probably a railway train, so ended up at SM half way up mountain to Langres buying bread, wine, and most of rest of SM.

Discovered red Brompton brakes not stopping red Brompton at all - so in view of hilly area considered it appropriate to swap rear used up break blocks for front unused ones.

Like all quick simple jobs turned out to be dirty, long and complicated - but red Brompton now stoppable again.

Caught bus up to Langres, and tried to do the tripper thing - but rain stopped play, and temperature again plummeted. Cocked up bus timetable - beware readers, the single Langres bus follows similar, but completely different routes on each trip, so read timetable carefully and intelligently.  We  phoned for a taxi - it was much too cold to hang around for next trip - who terrified us as she drove fast and furiously down the hill from Langres to moorings.

Paid visit to office of "point control" at VNF to arrange to-morrows departure, and tunnel passage. 11.30 no good, but 13.30 happily agreed to.

Tunnel exit to bush mooring, Dommerian. Canal de la Marne a la Saône.

Had planned breakfast bread buying for Piepap well down canal, but last night's escapade foxed this, and famine threatened. Fortunately "klaxon" caught in village, and crisis averted.

Off in beautiful weather down a really glorious stretch of canal, through lovely countryside.

Long automated flight, and after usual tussle at start over waiting for yet another "yachit" ( it was Patriarch at 20 metres, and we need 18 - locks are Freycinet - 39 metres -, and he wasn’t even out of the tunnel yet!) off we went. Now going downhill to-wards River Saône, so views all ahead of us. Lovely morning’s boating in splendid country and splendid weather - cameras going flat out.

Stopped 1 lock from end of chain for lunch, tried to ring on lock side telephone to tell them, but official lunch hour, so no reply. Had lunch on Piepap jetty - having visited village shop on bike to buy more bread and salads against possible famine in "remote" country we are heading for. Herself took boat down 3 or 4 locks on her own.

Nice stop - slept over here on last visit. Result of no reply, light stayed green for 15 minutes then got bored and went out.

Shortly after - more or less at time we had asked an empty void to re-start, lights came on - red and green - so shot off cheering, as gates opened.

Only when descending in lock did we see Patriarch behind us - most likely that we had pinched their lock and our message hadn’t been received.

Sorry!!

Found favourable gap in trees - this canal has great lengths with rows of superb trees growing on each side - so we had view, and the sun could get through and warm us, and there tied up.

Sat in sun, read a bit, did nothing a bit, and got nice and warm.

Super mooring - total and complete silence - not a buzz bike, car, lorry, fisherman, boat, or even an aeroplane. Total rural tranquility.