Panneçot to Cercy-la-Tour

14 kms, 5 locks, less than 3 hours

Oh my word, just as we cast off the lines the heavens opened and a deluge turned into a thunderstorm.  It was looking like another scorching day when I went for a walk at 7.00am with not a cloud in the sky.

By the time I took this photo the clouds were gathering

But by 8.30 the big thunder clouds rolled in, the rain fell in sheets, the thunder rolled and lightening cracked around us  until we tied up in Cercy-la-Tour at 11.30.

We have met lock dogs before but this is the first lock cat.  As the boat tied up in the lock this cat, who lives in the lock keeper's cottage, ran across to say hello and invite a tickle and a stoke, even though it was raining.

We have been delighted to see so many lock keeper's cottages inhabited and well looked after.

Interesting adornments to the gate posts

Bad picture of a chateau through the rain

An old lift bridge, now permanently open

A hire boat approaching, keeping very well to their side of the canal

And a British narrowboat with the skipper sheltering under an umbreller

This lock keeper grows tomato plants instead of flowers

A stork with 3 chicks

Aproaching Cercy-la-Tour

It was a relatively short trip today with just 5 locks, fortunately, and refreshingly cool after the heat of the last two days.

After lunch I took my chances with the rain and went for walk up to the church on top of the hill. 

The remnants of the old tower with a modern statue atop

A very steep street leeds from the riverside to the church

As you round the corner it gets even steeper. The steps have now replaced a section of really steep road known as "Casse Cou" (break neck road)

It really is a very old church, dating from the late 11^th century.  So different from the gothic design of the latter half of 12^th century which flooded the churches with light from the high windows, all supported by flying buttresses.  But, actually, I have seen so many gothic churches and cathedrals that it is a rare pleasure to find an old Romanesque church.: small, squat and dark with very few tiny windows.

As I entered the church it took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust to the darkness inside, but modern cameras take care of all that

From there I wandered up to the modern (and not particularly beautiful) statue of Notre Dame which now graces the place where the old tower used to be (Cercy-la-Tour means Cercy the Tower).  Magnificent views but Njord was hidden behind a tree.

A hire boat passing Njord hidden by a tree