On route to France: Sadness and the Vosges canal

Day 13
Monday 8th July 2013

The day started with a phone call bearing crushing news...mum was not expected to survive my return. I knew it was a possibility .....I had faced that already .....but the reality cut deeper than I could have anticipated.

She was no longer responsive, her medications were intravenous. Tears and phone calls marked the morning.

This mercifully coincided with entry into the Canal des Vosges, which glides through the forests of the Vosges, an amphitheatre of ash, silver birch and other trees, without doubt, the most picturesque passage thus far. The travel "intel " was accurate, but even that hyperbole was found wanting...it was more beautiful and luscious than words could describe.

The Vosges Forest

We were travelling the Vosges Forest. This was the best remedy for my sadness...to be totally immersed in leafy splendour....over hanging boughs casting dappled light, sun and shadow flickering behind my closed eyelids, and a cooling breeze tempering the hot sun...the ideal environment to lick my wounds and restore some perspective. This was good for the soul.

Traversing the viaduct, late morning, roused much interest......we all scrambled on deck to witness the crossing......we were elevated, perched high above another river. Our path, lined with flower boxes, showcased the surrounding countryside and distant views of villages, steeples, hills and pastures. The clear skies and sunshine added clarity and colour and helped impress a lasting memory.

The Viaduct

View from the Viaduct

I wondered about the polarity between mum's life and my own right now. At my stage of life, I maximise the moments, " living the dream", so to speak...grabbing with both hands the best life has to offer...according to my own definition.

And there's mum, robbed, and for some time now, bereft of hope. No prospects, all opportunities spent.

The cycle....a painful reality.

In a trance

We nailed it today.....9 locks, smooth as silk. Our tightest bridge clearance, small enough to be affected by turbulence, ...successfully negotiated .......16 locks......it was a great day, without doubt, the most stunning....but not however faultless with a scraped balustrade resulting. Such a shame the sounds of 2 sirens rang out forcing a shutdown and a cooling off period....both engines had worked so hard...disheartening but not surprising.

Cooling the engines down after a hot day

Sitting at the last lock for the day without engines didn't pay off....a sudden surge of water caught the crew off guard, and without engines, we sustained a back corner swipe.

Missed the last lock into Charmes by 5 minutes......time now for G to contemplate... Restudy the facts, rationalise the reasons for over heating...he has a new theory!