Bonjour France

Day 5

The alarm was set for 7:00. Sunday lock opening times were respectful of the need to rest. 9:00am was opening time.



The setting for our mooring was positively enchanting...a dreamy little nook in the river set within a wooded green valley with the thick dark Forrest alongside.

This little quay provided all manner of visual pleasure....enhanced by the sound of water lapping gently against the hull. It's was a scene of utter calm and tranquillity .



Our dreamy mooring at Waulsort

 More delays at the next loch due to technicalities saw us finally heading towards our last Belgium loch at 10:00am and the border.




Admiring the houses whilst waiting for the Waulsort loch to open

 

  
Armed with paperwork we walked into the customs office expecting the worst.

But our current vignette ( license for using the waterways) was accepted, we were instructed on automatic locks, given our remote control, visitor information and wished a bonne journée.

 We were now in the Champagne - Ardennes region of France heading down the canal de la Meuse.

 

Champagne - Ardennes Region

Canal de la Meuse

That little spike on the north east border of France, characterised by grand mountain scenery, is our doorway to France.

The village and towns of the Ardennes have a unique character thanks to the mountainous terrain in which they are nestled. Acting as a natural line of defence, the towns were protected and rendered scarcely touched by successive wars

The Ardennes is a game rich region offering many specialities in the form of pies, ham and sausages. In fact, the undisputed capital of white sausage meat is located here.

Passing the town of Hastiere



Hastiere



Hastiere



Hastiere

Givet

Givet

Givet from above

Givet is a small town situated on the border with Belgium, in the department of Ardennes, a beautiful wooded and hilly area covering a part of the south of Belgium and the north of France.
The Meuse River divides the town in two parts. The bridge connecting the two was destroyed in World War II but rebuilt after the war.Givet was occupied by the Germans on May 12, 1940. The city was liberated September 7, 1944.



Because trade, cultural activities and tourism seem to be more orientated towards Belgium than towards France, the atmosphere of the town is more Walloon (Wallonia = French speaking part of Belgium) rather than French.




Givet


 

Givet

We reached Givet before folding down the biminee. We were approaching our first tunnel. With the spotlight on and all crew on deck, we blew our horn and entered the narrow, stone passageway, dripping with water.

 

We were silent, on full,alert, focused, guarding the sides, encouraging the skipper, and for my part, holding my breath. It took 10 nerve racking minutes.

 

 

 With lots of hand and back slapping later, we headed for our first remote controlled lock.

 .......it sounded easy..it became problematic....FINALLY......40 minutes later!!

First Automatic Lock



 

Tension levels had risen. We were reacting and not always thinking. To add to our heightened sense of awareness, the lock conditions had changed. They were now much narrower.



Narrow locks

Passing Haybes



Haybes



Haybes



Haybes

With familiarity refining our lock procedures, we overtook our original itinerary timetable and arrived in Fumay at 4:45! And what luck...the boat harbour seemed to be empty. Closer inspection revealed a fete, fishing competitions along the quay and the festivities of a fair. We were issued strict instructions not to return until after 6pm.



The Fumay Fete

 We hovered, we returned and toasted our excellent timing with beer and some antipasto.

 

Note to self: Up loading photos onto the blog eats up our paltry Internet allowance!

 



Our idyllic mooring in Fumay

 

Fumay



 FumaySituated in a loop of the Meuse river, Fumay is surrounded by magnificent scenery. The gastronomic speciality is “White Pudding” where there is a gourmet festival every July, in its honor.

Fumay was the former slate capital of France where slate was mined for 8 centuries.

 



















Totals:

Locks: 9

Distance: 35 km

Overall: 370 out of 956