Namur to Auvelais

26 kms,3 locks

Locks open at 9.00 and at 8.45 five boats left the Casino Quay all at the same time, 4 headed South up the Meuse and one, us of course, headed North to turn into the Sambre River.

Heading north, another view of the Citadel

Turning off the Meuse onto the Sambre River

Cute, pretty and opportunistic - a garden that extends over the road below

We got held up for 30 minutes at the first lock, not 100% sure if I understood correctly,but I think the lock keeper said we have to wait for other pleasure craft.  Well no other pleasure craft appeared and eventually the gates opened and in we went, all on our lonesome!

Well, it was a bit of an anti-climax after the Meuse.  Especially the first section  immediately out of Namur.  But it got better.

Never seen a lock like this before - it slides sideways.  And it was being painted.

Floreffe

Getting prettier

 In the absence of the magnificent scenery, we got to enjoy the commercial barges all over again.

Just after the last pic was taken a barge appeared

A barge unloading

Canalside maintenance - cutting the grass with a tractor

A rather charming farmhouse

Now this got complicated.  We had just passed a barge tied up on the left, were manoeuvering to pass this barge on the right, and another one appeared around the corner.  He had to go to mid channel to get around the barge we had just passed on our left - so where do we go?

We tucked in behind the boat that was loading, and got a cheery wave from the passing barge.

We tied up at a good pontoon at the town of Auvelais.  It is free, there are no services, but there is a Lidl supermarket not more than 100m away.