Fampoux to Bassin Rond

40km, 6 locks (5 going down, 1 going up)  6 engine hours

Early this morning I walked to the Brown’s Copse Cemetry to visit the graves of 3 family members who are buried there.  Ian went late yesterday afternoon while I was doing the blog and preparing dinner.  He got lost, ended up in the next town, then finally found it just a 12 minute walk from the boat! 

There are 2000 men buried there, including a lot of South Africans who fought in the Arras campaign in April-May 1917.  Three of them are ancestors of my brother-in-law; they were cousins who joined up together and were all killed in action on the same day, 12^th April 1917.  It was very moving, and sobering, thinking about these 3 valiant young men who died just doing their duty.

The day started off really cold (2.5C) and clear and windy (again).  By the time we left at 9.45 it was nearly 8C and the temperature climbed steadily through the day to peak at 18C.  The sun shone throughout but the wind never dropped and it was too cold to steer from the aftdeck.

The 5 locks on the Scarpe Superieure worked like dream.  We were  now going downstream and the locks were already full so, as we approached and clicked the telecomande, the gates opened immediately, in we went, pushed up the blue pole, gates closed, lock emptied  and 12 minutes later we cruised out the other side.  It took a lot longer going in the opposite direction yesterday when we had to wait for each lock to empty before we could go in.

We saw lots of coots nesting.  Their nests look so vulnerable.

Spring has definitely sprung - at last!

At about 13.00 we turned out of the small and delightful Scarpe River onto the Canal de la Sencée, part of the Grand Gabarit – the large gauge canal system.

There was only lock to negotiate and the light was green with the gates open as we approached.  I called anyway, we went straight in and when we got to the top we handed back our faithful telecommande.

The Grand Gabarit - wide but not unattractive

We leave the Grand Gabarit and turn onto the Escaut River which will take us to Cambrai tomorrow

More signs of spring - the willows are breaking into leaf

It was 3.45 before we tied up at the pontoon in Bassin Rond.  A long cold day but at least we had lots of brilliant sunshine.

The pontoon at the Halte Fluviale in Bassin Rond

A grebe sitting on its nest, the first time we have seen this