Back to Calendar 2000

 

August 14                                   Monday

Guny (Lock 2) back to Pargny Filaine (Summit of Canal lateral a l’Aisne)

Woken at 0700 by dread sound of peniche - but really no problem so long as one set of moorings - i.e. main end ropes, or springs, are tied to something permanent like a tree or bollard, and oppose each other. Almost inevitably, the others will be in "made ground" - dredgings dumped behind revetments in the dim past, allowed to tumble back to weeds and coarse grass, but never settling and hardening properly - but these only serve to keep boat close to canalside, and are easily re-inserted.

Climax of day - indeed of this part of the summer since the "spectacle" (Pronounced with the emphasis on the last syllable, not as in "4 eyes") was mooring Albert by the lock 3 at Crecy la Mont, and visiting the 12th and 13th Century fortifications and village at Coucy-le-Chateau.

This involved a cycle ride across the river plain - hence reasonably flat and comfortable - and a climb up to the quite large village (almost small town), which is built within the old fortification walls.

The whole episode/project was quite fabulous - from seeing the fortifications in the distance from the boat on the sky-line, to cycling across the plain, and wandering around the village itself.

To those of us knowing Edinburgh and Corfe Castles, the fortifications are in good order, but apparently they were even more complete until the Germans blew a lot up in 1917 in a fit of bloody minded vandalism when they were being driven out of this part of Picardy.

Stopped briefly at Anizy - S.M. - for gas, and to cycle up to Pignon - next door  village - for medicines

Moored up for night opposite leisure lake we had lunch by on the way up. Had thought it would still be deserted, like last Friday, so timed ourselves to spend night on pontoon.

Arrived to find pontoon full, and several boats nearby.

Moored up with chains to the revetments, co-incidentally, and very luckily as far from habitation as possible.

All the parties - singing, shouting and general carry-on - were 200 metres away down the far end.

 

August 15                                         Tuesday

Pargny Filaine to Maizy, (Canal lateral a l’Aisne)

Woke after disturbed night - at least 2 parties last night of the G.U. with revving motor-velos and idiots shouting and reggae playing 4 million decibelles

Overcast, cool, and odd spot of rain.

Although on the summit level, hadn’t realised how close we were to the 2.5 km tunnel - hence had only just settled down, when tunnel portals appeared. Quickly worked out that we were only 8 kms from junction.

Green light, so went for it, then red light appeared so went to the loo, then violent revvings indicated green light had re-appeared.

Came upon a péniche in the tunnel - showing a tiny little white light going same way as us. Good thing.

Took forever following him - and sundry others coming up - to get through 4 lock chain, then past our tricky mooring of 4 nights ago, and onto the pontoon at the junction with sec going to Soissons.

Enormous GWW unoccupied on pontoon - set about watering, and getting lunch.

Occupants of GWW returned - all fatter and grosser than others, from some indeterminate French/German speaking part - Swiss? Belge?? Really, did God intend part of the human race to be so unattractive?

Fiddled about, had lunch, and came on up against strong current.

About 12 kms up, just after Maizy found possible mooring site - first even possible.

One stray bollard in the bush held both springs (it is vital, on these occasions, to have a really firm hold-fast), main ropes went to pins, but extra right across towing path to tree, and extra bow pin into ground.

Some 8 péniches then passed us between 1800 and 2100, 6 empty and 2 loaded - all slowed down for us and waved - but 250 to 400 tons of moving boat and water require attention.

Changed engine oil, and engine oil filter - latter major achievement having bought special "filter changing tool" from S.M. (fr 17.00!). Used last spare oil filter from batch bought 2 years ago from favourite garage in Devizes.

Cleaned up, but being a warm day (not as bad as yesterday, but still very warm) had changed into overalls on bank by removing shirt and shorts and dumping them prior to donning overall. Was just in process of re-donning respectability, when yet another peniche approached. Said peniche found elderly gent on towing path wearing underpants, specs, Tilley hat and shoes and a little - but, it has to be said, not much - embarrassment.

Managed to repair decency, return to g & ts and receive visit from an old boy (probably younger than us) from house just behind towing path, hidden by weeds, thistle and bush.

Suspect he was dead curious - no dwelling 2 kms down, and 3kms up stream - but took great trouble to engage us in long (French) conversation, then congratulated us on speaking the language at all.

We glowed! (Bet he could speak perfect English).

 

August 16                                     Wednesday

Maizy to Barry au Bac , (Canal lateral a l’Aisne)

2 loaded peniches up stream before we left.

Most enjoyable and quiet run back against current following 2nd peniche at his speed - slightly less than our normal cruising speed - but we really were in no hurry, and enjoyed the morning.

Stopped in shade below Berry-au-Bac lock for early lunch.

Countryside rural agriculture - minimum hedges but some high reeds.

Autumn very much visible for the last week now - many poplars already completely defoliated, and other trees turning.

Weeds and wild grasses all hardened and end of season bleached.

Virtually all the small grain corn is now harvested, and ploughs and harrows at work.

The grain silos and driers seem to be going flat out, with lorries, tractors and peniches moving it all from hither to yon, and probably back again when the E.U. gets it’s hands on it.

Interested in "family management" on several peniches run by young husband and wife teams. The children - very small some of them - are put on land when the peniche is waiting to load or unload (and there were about 10 in that state at Barry-au-Bac, there is both a large grain silo, and a road stone depot) with toys, rugs, and a water bottle, and possibly the latest baby in a pram, and left to their own devices. They appear to be tough and competent - although grief was audible from one boat.

Biked into village for bread after lunch, and moored up 500 metres up the canal on same spot as 2 weeks ago.

Were much concerned that deserted railway track behind mooring that we would happily have moored Albert to if convenenient (but didn’t because it wasn’t) had a dirty great aggregate truck train on it.

Considerably disturbed by a Belgian peniche storming past empty, far too fast, who destroyed our moorings - pins hammered really hard into hard chalk - completely.

Settled happily down to busy evening doing not a lot, when air movement of all sorts stopped completely - it was totally calm - air became warm to hot, and mosquitoes - who have been getting increasingly worse this last week - arrived in their armies.

Sat outside for coolth with citronella candle between us, an aerosol at the ready, gallons of "agent orange" on exposed body parts, and put up with it. Slightly ridiculous act by S, offering to share aerosol with party of 3 fishermen - felt that was taking friendliness over the top.

Life uncomfortable until dusk, when cool enough to go in, have showers, and go to bed with electric bug killer giving off noxious vapours and running batteries flat.

 

August 17                                         Thursday

Barry-au-Bac to Courcy (Canal de l’Aisne à Marne)

Appreciably cooler, partly overcast, but sun very strong, and shade necessary for sitting out till dusk.

We are returning over "ground" covered at the end of last month, but apart from vastly improved weather, have always felt that returning along a canal once visited is like going along a new canal where one knows some of the dodges. All the views are quite different, and in this case, autumn is arriving and all the small grain harvest is in, so countryside looks quite different,

The entire day’s trip was up 2 "chains" of 5 and 4 locks, over 13 kms, and took all day - including long comfortable lunch properly tied up.

As before several of the automatic locks - this seems to be a bad section - didn’t work, but we are well drilled even in this now, just straight off the boat at the slightest whiff of problem, and shout down the phone system on the outside of the lock house the plain bald statement that "it doesn’t work". No explanations, or anything, and in due course out they come on their scooters, unlock, fiddle, and away we go - no frying pans or feet across "seeing eye".

It seems that there are intermittent faults somewhere in most of the electrics, and Albert is too fast, too slow, too low, or just plain too different from the standard 38m long by 3.5 metre high peniche, and so somehow on occasion misses tripping the radar, or the seeing eye at entrances or exits. Even the frying pan trick didn’t help - and anyway is difficult going up hill - the seeing eyes are out of reach.

However, both going down and coming up, there seemed to be more here than elsewhere.

Even so - we love automatic locks, and haven’t experienced a manual now for 2 months - nasty shock coming.

Tied up at Courcy, 8 kms out of Reims - again a mooring we liked on our way down.

Nipped into village and bought bread - last time was a Sunday, and they were on holiday anyway.

Checked trains into Reims. "Station" is very much a halt - just 2 low platforms a foot crossing, and a locked shed. How often have Bromptons been ridden over the railway tracks to get to the far platform?

 

August 18                                           Friday

Courcy (Canal de l’Aisne à Marne).

Day set aside to remain moored up and take public transport into Reims.

Trains from Courcy to Reims - 9 minute run - only go at 0700,l 1341 and evening, and return equally infrequently.

Decided on 13.41, so spent morning doing chores - in this case Income Tax returns!

Early - or rather prompt - lunch, and off we went on very comfortable and very prompt little local shuttle train - by the way, why do sncf drive all their trains on the left track, just like UK?

Into Reims, straight across to tourist info office and cathedral via 1 hour photo developer shop.

Why do they have Tourist Info Office by the Cathedral, instead of by the station? Bit silly, really. Needed the Info office to find the Cathedral, but couldn’t find the Info office either.

Round Cathedral, inside and out. Utterly magnificent - how did they even think of building anything like that in the 12th and 13th century - and how could anyone include shelling it in their war plans?

Noticed Reims City very quiet - no throngs of tourists - just a few here and there.

Is the season dying?

Wandered a bit more - life on Albert and bicycles does not prepare one for pavement bashing, so began to fade quite quickly.

Back to Albert by 1800, tightened up ropes - being bounced around a bit by peniches - supper and bed.

Rain, later, but didn’t seem to cool things.

 

 

August 19                                         Saturday

Courcy to just below Sillery. (Canal des Ardennes).

Decided to try SM Le Clerk on outskirts of Reims. Spent an inordinate amount of time faffing with mooring, and sussing route through, then decided it wasn’t worth it, and it was an extremely suspect area, anyway. Some very strange people wandering around.

Gave it up - we only wanted beer and lemonade, and still have 2 cases of the former, although no lemonade, at present.

Tried for diesel re-fuelling station, but this was also a non-starter. Pumps and everything looked in good nick, but there was a peniche moored and deserted right across the jetty, and the whole place was dead and abandoned.

Had lunch moored up on the way out of Reims, where the canal borders on a complete ribbon of industry, from scrap iron works onwards. Rows of Belgian peniches loaded but moored up - Saturday? They usually keep going.

On up canal, where 2nd lock in chain of 3 didn’t work. L.K. arrived on scooter before we called, and started complaining that we were coming out too fast for the radar to detect us. We should break the beam for 10 secs, and we weren’t waiting long enough. Pointed out that a 15 metre boat passing a point in 10 secs was going at 5.4 km/h, and it was extremely unlikely that any boat could accelerate to that speed from standing start to lock exit, so there was a fair chance that we were breaking the beam for a lot longer that 10 secs and that the failure of the lock was nothing to do with us. Then muttered that maybe our windows were the cause - the beam was passing through, but pointed out that we had not - so far in 2 years - had this sort of trouble!

Left him upside down praying to his radar beams - suspect Saturday afternoon-itis.

Out of Reims into Sillery, where happiness - a SM could be seen over the trees about 100 yards from the moorings, complete with fuel.

Bikes and trailer to SM to find it was brand new, and not yet open! Probably next week.

Didn’t want to stay in Sillery - some sort of leadership course with young men playing the fool in canoes on the mooring with loud voices.

Went on for another half hour through 2 more locks, but got hit by heavy thunderstorm and lightening.

Next lock no lights at all - unfortunately this was the top of the flight and we wanted through to moor up beyond.

It was now 19.00, and thought it was knocking off time, when it is maddeningly customary to throw all switches, regardless. In fact knocking off time in summer is 1930, and we should have got L.K. out, but found a reasonable mooring - although pound was short, so snugged down for night - rain intermittent, but stopped later.

Subsequently discovered that lock electrics/electronics are very vulnerable to 

 

 

August 20                                          Sunday

Below Sillery to Condé-sur-Marne (the tee junc)

Cold, bleak and misty damp morning.

Lock finally fixed about 09.30 by 2 chaps in a white van, who evinced no desire to greet or talk to us. Funnily enough, this was in nice time for us - as we were just finishing breakfast at that time.

Went through, and eventually, after a dull run through mist and dripping trees, passed through the Billy-le-Grand tunnel.

Down the Mont-de-Billy flight of locks chain all of which behave perfectly, except the last, which we assisted with my Tilley hat over it’s seeing eye - it worked splendidly, then.

This flight took us 4.5 hours going up sharing.

It took us 90 minutes coming down, including a pause of about 15 minutes for a thunderstorm with lightning.

Into Condé-sur-Marne halte, only 2 other boats, and a long jetty left free.

Wretched fellow ran out to take our ropes - always gets untidy mooring up with a stranger "helping".

Early, and Sunday, so between rain showers took bike ride around village, and lots of gossip with the locals.

Started a big planning session with books and maps all over cabin.

Went to bed still undecided - but for the first time this year we have to behave vis-à-vis time and space.

More and ever heavier rain.