Valenciennes to Tournai

37km, 3 locks

A grey and rainy day.  We started out quite late at 10.45, no particular reason.  The first lock is right around the corner from the Port de Plaisance.   A big barge had just come out and the light was green; both Lynn and I called in, neither of us received a reply.  About 10 minutes after we had tied up inside the lock a young man appeared and asked if we had called in:  yes, twice.  He looked at his portable vhf radio – ah, he said, not charged!  There were 3 locks to traverse today, all biggies on the “grand gabarit” scale:  144m by 12m.   We were the only traffic going downstream throughout the whole stretch, and so having these big locks all to ourselves.

The weather, which started off heavily overcast, deteriorated to a drizzle as we entered the first lock, cleared slightly, then turned to a persistent miserable light rain at the second lock.  This is Murphy as his worst – if there is a cloud in the sky with a few drops of rain in it, it will descend upon you when you in a lock!

Enjoying the commercials on the "grand gabarit" canal

A grey lancscape

Getting darker and rainier

After the locks the long straight stretches of canal were pleasant but boring.

Maintenance crew at work

We crossed over the border from France into Belgium

Border between France and Belgium marked by a barrier across the towpath

then stopped at the fuel barge in Antoing, a very ancient town with plenty of ancient structures to get excited about.

We have been on the move since 25^th March, some 150 hours and I’m not sure how many Kms, I’m guessing about 800, so it was time to get some more fuel into the tanks.  We took on 100 litres, but the tank is not quite full.

We finally tied up at the pontoon in Tournai at 17.00.   We thoroughly enjoy being here watching the big commercials going through.

Tonight is our last night with Lynn and Shaun on Elle so they treated us to a fine dinner of barbecued steaks, Belgian frites (which Shaun dashed off by bike to buy) and salad.  And a few glasses of wine.