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Tuesday.
Paul and Kevin got the bikes down this morning and biked into the town where they managed to find a boulangerie where they bought 2 x baguettes and some scrolly things with custard and raisins in them for lunch.
Off at 9 am to get to the first lock when it opens. Once there the lock was closed to allow another boat coming down, so we had to wait about 20 minutes. We did about 5 locks before lunch, having a cup of tea on the way. It is really time consuming going through the locks and sometimes they can take 30 minutes or more. Stopped just before 12 noon just before another lock that was about to close for lunch and tied up on the bank. We have some spikes that we use to tie up when there are no bollards, unfortunately in this case the bank was covered in stinging nettles and Jan got stung. We had a lovely lunch of baguettes, salami, salmon, cheese, etc. and of course the obligatory beer. There was a huge paddock on the other side of the canal where a farmer was baling hay, or straw a very rural French scene.
On again to our destination of Mailly la Ville, where we arrived at about 2 pm. We tied up on a pontoon where there are spaces for 3 boats, water and power if needed. Our plans where to take the bikes off and ride to the next village Mailly le Chateau about 4 km away. We got the bikes down (no small feat) and temporarily propped them up on the pontoon while we locked up etc. Cameras, bags, and bike locks in the baskets on front. Three of us wheeled our bikes up onto the footpath while Paul locked up. All of a sudden there was a huge splash and I immediately thought Paul had fallen in the canal. However it was one of the bikes. Sacre Bleu. Fortunately it was the one bike that didn’t have anything in the basket. Paul and Kevin managed to haul it out of the canal with the special pole thing we have on board. Paul was killing himself laughing. Eventually on our way and it was all reasonably flat along a country road, but so hot – at least 35 deg. again. Talk about mad dogs and English men.
Once we got to the destination we were all seriously hot and dehydrated and the one bottle of water I had taken was empty. Then to add insult to injury we locked our bikes up and climbed up an enormous hill to the chateau and village at the top of a huge cliff where we searched in vain for a bar – no such luck. A kind French lady took our water bottle and filled it up so at least we had that. The view from the top was stunning over the French countryside with the river and canal winding away down the valley. We were given directions several times to the nearest bar, but tono avail. What we did see was closed. We cant get over the way everything shuts down between 12 noon and 2.30, even some of the eating places – go figure!!! We spotted a canal path from on high, and rode back along it stopping on the way at a small café by a river recreation/picnic spot where we had a welcome beer and a plate of chips complete with Dijon mustard?!!!
Back to the boat, but not until I managed to fall off going up a small hill!! Apart from hurting my pride I did bang my knee and wrenched my hip, but it seems okay now. The boat was like an oven by the time we got back. Jan and I stopped and bought some ice creams and now we are all trying to cool down and find somewhere shady to sit. Not easy when we are parked right out in the sun!!! We have borrowed a short hose from a neighbouring boat and washed our hair out on the grass in freezing cold water. It was lovely.
Just off to have a cold shower.
We were all ready to go to bed by sundown – usually about 9 pm.
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