Cruising with the Carters: Vincelles to Mailly-la-Ville

14 kms 8 locks 5 hours (including 1 hour waiting during the lock keepers lunch break)

Yesterday the locks ran so smoothly we were sure we would run into a problem today. For a start we had not arranged a time with the lock keeper to be at the first lock because we had intended to spend 2 nights at Vincelles. But, consulting the weather forecasts, we found that today there would be a chance of showers late in the day and on Tuesday it would rain all day. So, better to move today and stay put on the rainy day.

But these locks do not have VHF communication and we did not have any telephone numbers. However, there was a boat moored on the same quay with us last night and as they left this morning (going in the opposite direction) I asked them to tell the lock keeper that we were waiting to go upstream. 20 minutes later the delightful young lady lockie from yesterday turned up said “OK, I’m here, we can go”.

A chateau at Vincelles

The lady lockie

A beautiful garden at the Vincelles lock, but my goodness they like their statues.

She took us through 2 locks and at the second one she was joined by another lovely young lady who took us through 2 locks.

A large trailer home site - gypsies? Not sure,it was very clean and tidy.

Well, where else do you do your laundry?

Two wonderful lady lockies

All ran smooth as clockwork till we hit the lunch time break. Exiting a lock at 5 minutes before noon our (third) lady lockie informed us that the next lock would only be opened at 13.00 but we best tie to the bollards right above this lock because there was no waiting quay at the next lock. No problem.

We were at Lock des Dames. There is not much there besides a bistro (how do they manage to make a living?) and an ancient church at the top of the hill. My camera led me there: it is a 13^th century church that was once part of a village which was destroyed during the 100 Years War with England (I must do some research into this war. In English history it is considered a glorious war, I think, but I had never considered the harm it inflicted onto the French villages.)

Waiting above the lock during the lunch break

The lonely church

From the church, a view to the hills on the other side of the river, could that be a field of lavender?

So a church with no village and just a couple of kms further upstream we passed a village without a church!

This is a beautiful canal

Alternative transport

What is this crop? We have never seen this before

At the last lock the lockie gave us the telephone number for the next lockie because we want to spend 2 nights here. Hoorray, at least we have a link to the outside world. Actually, that is unfair, the lock keepers have been fantastic, but it is a bit frustrating when you need to contact them and there is no evident phone number.

We stopped in Mailly-la-Ville at 14.00, 5 hours in time but 4 engine hours, after leaving Vincelles. It is a tiny village but very endearing. There is an epicery , a boulangerie and a boucherie (grocery store, bakery and butchery) but the bakery is closed tomorrow. Pity.