Sunshine and
warmth today. We have only 13 km to go to the tunnel so decided to stay here
and do some chores. When we were in
Cambrai we were moored under flowering trees which not only dropped petals and
leaves all over the deck but also covered everything in a fine yellow
pollen. Plus it was pretty dusty there
with being right next to a parking lot.
Yesterday, after we arrived, we cleaned the hull and fenders – today was
deck day for me and soaking dirty green mooring lines (the ones we used in the
winter) in bleach.
Meanwhile
Ian was busy sorting out tow ropes for the tunnel tomorrow. Each boat has to supply two tow lines each a minimum
of 30m long, which meant that Ian had to measure all our lines and join them
together to get 2 lines each about 40m long.
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| 2 barges passing each other next to us. They move very slowly and gently between these 2 locks. |
But before
all this, a local chap who lives on the side of the canal, stopped in his car
to say he was going into town and would we like him to get us some bread. Oui, bien sur, une baguette, s’il vouz plait. An hour later he was back with a baguette and
spent a while chatting (no English), such a nice man. How do the French have such a bad reputation? 99% that we have met have been super friendly
and helpful.
After lunch
(fresh baguette, brie and Bleu d’Avergne cheeses, and ham) we went for a bike
ride to the Abbaye de Vaucelles, which I have tried to find more info about but
the internet is just too slow. Anyway,
it is very impressive. If I had been on
my own I would have paid the €7 for the guided tour but that’s not Ian’s cup of
tea.
 |
| It's called an echauguette and dates from the 12th century, but there was no more information about it. |
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| The Abby of Vaucelles |
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| Pretty countryside |
Then back to
the boat for a SCAN (Senior Citizens’ Afternoon Nap) - all this fresh air is
exhausting! Chicken braai tonight.
Yummmm!
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