Chatillon-enBazois to Panneçot

Scorchingly hot! Horrible, horrible, horrible.  I can really do without days like this. At 8.00 pm it was still 33C inside the boat, just a little down for the 35C it had been most of the afternoon.

21 kms, 9 locks, almost 6 hours

But back to the beginning of the day.  Just before we left the mooring to head to the downstream lock, the barge astern of us headed for the upstream lock.  And only one lockie services both locks.  It was still well before 9.00, lock opening time, and we had no idea who would get preference.  Well, it wasn’t us.  

Looking back towards the town

Finally,  at 9.20 the lockie started preparing our lock.  But after that it all ran smoothly.  There was no other boat travelling in our direction, so as we approached each lock it was prepared for us, apart from one lock where we had to wait a few minutes for a boat coming upstream, and we were handed over from one lockie to the next without a hiccough. As usual the locks closed for an hour between 1200 and 13.00 for the lunch break, but our lockie made sure we had a good place to tie up just below the Fleury lock. 

We passed 3 hire boats going upstream

A well decorated lock 

A renovation project?

Waiting for a boat to exit a lock

  The relentless sunshine beat down throughout the day and the heat built and built.   Not my idea of fun.  We put up our window covers during the lunch stop, which make a huge difference to the interior temperature provided you get them up before it gets too hot, and the side screen on the aft deck. 

Side screen and window covers to keep out the sun

Even the cows were seeking the shade

Our lockie was also feeling the heat

And this is her home, a lock keepers' cottage where she sells honey, jam and post cards

This is she!

By the time we stopped at Panneçot at 14.45 it was 35 degrees inside the boat and 33 outside; cooler to sit on the aft deck where a faint suggestion of a breeze lifted the oppressive heat now and again.  This mooring is at a campsite and, today being Sunday, it was full of families fishing, picnicking, playing games, generally just having fun.  Plus there was a private function with live music going on in the campsite communal hall.  By 18.00 everyone had packed up and gone home and I moved from the boat to the picnic tables in the deep shade for some relief.

This is a port de plaisance plus camp site with water, electricity, showers, facilities to wash dishes, etc, and it costs €9.00 all inclusive.

There was no way I was even going to think about going into the galley to do something about dinner (or the blog!) before the temperature had dropped considerably.  We ended up with 3 (miniature) fans going to disperse the heat, while I boiled some potatoes, marinaded 2 pork chops and made a salad. 

Can’t wait for some clouds and rain!