Briare to summit.

Here’s hoping!

Up through the automatics to the summit in cool overcast, past Rogny sept Ecluses with it’s tourist and hotel boats.

Milk shopping expedition in Rogny, but apart from bread and milk, there is little there except restaurants.

Moored up at the same picnic spot as last week (?2 weeks, 3weeks ago??) just past the summit lock overlooking the lakes, etc. Very very pretty.

S. to sleep. Otherwise, much experimenting with new camera.

It’s marvelous - but they say "RTBM" = read the bloody manual. This one (the manual) is almost incomprehensible, let alone understand the camera. Being digital, experimenting is free and immediate, so will do lots.

Weather changed, and had perfect sit outside in the shade till 2100 and enjoy the evening.

July 8 Monday

Summit to Chatillon-Coligny.

Hot and dry, S feeling it still, so collapsed to bed for afternoon, and self carried on single handed.

Stopped just above camping site above Chateau-Coligny lock, in shade and short grass. Site of "short rope trick" - see week before last, and 2 years ago.

Met a guy from a boat we met last year in Strasbourg, and several times on the way up, in the local Super Market wearing the kilt. Always taught that the kilt was never worn south of Perth (Scotland), so no comment. His boat is Lapin d’Or (Golden Rabbit), and I suspect he is well known in Briare - indeed countrywide - boating circles.

July 9 Tuesday

Chatillon-Coligny to Montargis.

Didn’t actually intend to stay in Montargis 6.90€ for us.

However, tied up - came in much too fast with strong following wind and belted jetty hard - loud bang. However, wood fender took it manfully, and we looked round as if to say who made all that noise.

Asked bystander where nearest establishment was that sold gas. Super chap said get in my car and we’ll get it. So did - after I had tried to climb into the driving seat. Should be used to the fact that their steering wheels are on the wrong side in this country.

Shot off to S.M. - usually the only reliable suppliers of gas - then asked to go to bricolage on way back for loo chemical. Bit of a performance - they hadn’t got right sort (by our reckoning) and check out girl kept fiddling with bank card machine, so it didn’t work. Just enough cash by 15 centimes.

Back to the boat like bat out of hell - in all innocence had made the guy late for work.

Rolled gas cylinder along jetty, kicking it to keep it rolling. Very dangerous if done downhill, but they are far too heavy to carry.

Made joke to perceived French boater, stating that I was a member of the Brazilian football team, winning world cup.

Joke become totally hilarious when French boater turned out to have a large German flag on his boat. He was very Teutonic, very German, and "spoke no French".  What will Ferdi think?

Got launderette washing done, so unintended visit to Montargis turned out highly profitable. Kilted boater - wearing shorts - passed on. (to Cépoy, not Nirvana).

Montargis to Madeleine-sur-Loing (beyond Souppes)

Booked lock for 0815. We are taking this early start quite seriously.

Managed a boat clean, and hoovering, and watering, and buying bread and spuds, before departure. We moved it some.

Still trying camera - trust results will be noticeable in this log. Totally fascinating.

Rain off and on. Incredibly cold, and exit from Montargis very ordinary on cold damp overcast morning.

Madeleine-sur-Loing (beyond Souppes) to Episy.

Nice boating day - interrupted by necessity for a super market.

Stopped on old building materials quai in Nemours, offloaded bikes, offloaded trailer, offloaded rucksacks, and girded loins.

The trailer was filled with a few flowers - just for fun - when we left the Canal de Digoin a Roanne (or the Canal de Roanne a Digoin).

Said flowers have gone crazy, and as reported last week - or was it the one before - are now completely over the top, so that we are looking like a floating coffin.

Trailed ourselves round S.M. and set off back to boat - fortunately - downhill all the way, with everything from beer to pate.

Smoking brake blocks all the way down the hill, terminated by cutting across traffic into left hand Tee junc to a very minor road, paved with cobbles.

Re-loaded everything, had lunch, and carried on to the little country mooring we had seen on our way up.

Joyfully, little country mooring was waiting for us where expected, but it was not the placid quiet place we remembered. Large road behind trees, and not far away gliding club doing aerial tows with thoroughly noisy tug aircraft.

Both were got used to very quickly, but lady L.K. slightly knotted because we hadn’t gone through her lock - 50 metres round corner.

She came looking for us. Slightly different from the other L.K.s on this section of the canal, who having been found, have to be persuaded to put us through within the next 30 minutes.

Episy to Moret sur Loing.

Had arranged with lady L.K. round corner to come through at 0830. However, shrieks at 0805 appeared to be a gentle hint that we should up sticks and go through at once!

Nasty shock to us - but it saved her an extra locking through as the lock was presently full - set for us, but there were sundry boats below wanting to come up.

Gently on, to hoped for week-end "survive the 14th July" mooring we spent 2 happy days at on our way up at Moret-sur-Loing.

Full!!

Found a corner, and hung around looking hopeful. (Looking hopeful, in this context, is a fixed look which says "if you don’t take your boat off that mooring quickly and let me have it we will haunt for the rest of your life and well after".

Whilst doing our hanging around and waiting act, approached by skipper of boat in best position.   He was Paul Merschdorf of Flojita,  - in our eyes a very large motor cruiser.

He had written a book (and published it) of his voyaging in 2001, and there - large as life - or nearly so - was a picture of Albert in the preface.   Apparently he has been chasing us since Briare - but it is typical of the waterways that one can be 20 minutes behind another boat all day, and never see him - and if  one is a day in front or behind, one can go 6 months without meeting - although only 20 kms apart. He very kindly presented us with a copy.  Reading it, they (Linda as well) seem to have had many a dicey adventure! 

Found we were only 2nd in the "hopeful" queue, but 2 lots of boats took the hint, cleared 2 out of the 3 jetties, and we got the top or best mooring.

Set now for w.e. (Probably the most difficult mooring finding w.e. in the season).

Cycled up to Moret, then down the other side of the canal to St Mammés. Ridiculous here - to get to St Mammés we have to cycle back to Moret, then all down the other side of the canal - some 75 feet away - to the tarred towing path, and into the town.

Moorings there full, as well, with the boats being well rocked by the passing traffic, and a loaded ("chargé",  is the cool word) peniche doing a "U" turn opposite the P. de P. with a loud lady on the front vociferously addressing a tiny hire boat.

Wandered around, and found Gordon and Gwen from Redquest in amongst it all.

Called in - long gossip - suggested they come and breast up to us, out of the hurly-burly.

Maybe to-morrow, we’ll see.

Moret-sur-Loing.

Terrific rain storm in night - so am informed - nothing heard.

Dull rainy morning, so to make it worse, decided to clean boat. Cleared roof, and started, but fortunately Redquest arrived, so was able to stop - having converted jetty and surroundings to normal gipsy-like encampment.

Sat in intermittent sun for tea/coffee, but it started raining again, so repaired inside for drinks.

Shower pump gave up ghost in middle of clothes wash, but a quick repair (clear bathroom cupboard of accumulated junk, remove shelves, look knowingly at pump, suck teeth, pick up pump, thump it on the floor) and it is working again.