Beaulon to Pierrefitte-sur-Loire

18 kms, 5 locks, 3.25 hours

We were delighted to have the first two locks of the day all to ourselves.  But as we approached the third one there was a hire boat already waiting in the lock having come from the branch canal to Dompierres. They were at the front of the lock and we had an easy time at the back.

Tiny ducklings, so late in the season

A lock keeper's cottage with flowers and gnomes

Sept Fons has a large abbey, I think this is the entrance

...and we saw were three towers separated by long walls, a huge property

Behind the hire boat in a lock

Traversing an aqueduct over a river

A glimpse of the wide Loire river

An old barn

The weather was grey and cool with rain threatening but it held off until the last lock, when it started to drizzle a bit but not enough to do any damage.  We made it to the last lock at 10 minutes before the lockie’s lunch break at 12.00 and were tied up at the halte nautique at Pierrefitte by 10 past. Then the rain came harder so we made it in the nick of time.  This halte is free, again, and has water but no electricity.

Last year we saw this beautiful old tchalk in Melun on the Seine

It's distinctive rudder

After the rain stopped I walked into the little village, which is really rather quaint. I hoped to find a grocery store, and there are two of them, but I forgot that it is a public holiday today!