Turning the Corner

Day 17

Friday  12th July 2013

We encountered the steel sided mooring as we pulled away....copped 2 scratches on the hull....bugger!

We were still our of contact....and in some ways, I was happy being insulated from the outside world. It was a form of self defence.

Barometer up, bikinis on. Jill's infamous chocolate chip cookies were already prepared.

This morning was shaping up to be a busy one....tightly spaced locks.....and the young domestic goddesses downstairs were primed and ready help.

 

We discovered that "lock habitat" fostered another resident....slugs...huge ones! Personally, I much preferred watching the copulating dragonflies who were in abundance everywhere!

The expanse of water, at the quiet little village of Selles, was still. It appeared like glass and shimmered in the bright sun light. The terraced village houses, with their shutters and forested backdrops were perfectly mirrored. The keeper came out to operate the swing bridge and waved us on......in this picturesque setting, I felt pangs of envy. Life appeared so honest and uncomplicated.




Selles

And how lovely were the lock houses WHEN they were occupied...so pretty, bursting with flower pots, window boxes and trim, tidy, small flower beds....... The abandoned, derelict versions were sorry reminders of an era when all the locks were manned.

 

At 1:00pm we reached Corre. We were now OUT of the Vosges canal and onto the petit  Saône River. This was it.......the home straight....cruising downstream with occasional locks!!

The lock operations were different: poles hanging over the waterway, slung from a rope scaling the width of the waterway, to be turned counter clockwise as you passed. The countryside opened up more: forests as well as open paddocks, farmers on machinery with dust billowing behind, bales of rolled hay and the smell of livestock.



Twisting the pole to initate the opening sequence for the lock



Cow Country

 

We felt the confidence to project an arrival time now.  We could even contemplate the possibility of a relaxing day trip. ......in fact...arriving at the beautiful mooring in Port Sur Saône meant we were back on the original target.


Port Sur Saone

Port Sur Saone

 



A walk around town, a frenzied spend up on French magazines at theTabac shop,and dinner at " The Marine" restaurant, facing the water front, with it's nautical theme and tantalising menu, proved a much better suggestion than staying in for IKEA meatballs.




A more relaxed Skipper



Our mooring
 

Sitting out on deck, in the cool of the evening, bidding passers by a  " Bon soirée ", sipping drinks, and perusing magazine pages,.....(.well,......more like looking at pictures in our case.)...was the perfect finish.



DAF NO. 1 required a leaf basket inspection in the morning....the temperature was starting to rise.

Locks: 12

Overall: 203 out of 218

Distance: 50 km

Overall: 830 out of 959

  

Swing Bridges: 2

 

A Communication Vacuum

Day 16

Thursday  11th July 2013



Bain les Bains

Bains-les-Bain

The Romans settled here, near the mineral springs, during the Gallo-Roman period.

It was destroyed by a violent earthquake in 1682, explaining the absence of precious construction. However, a small heritage is left: several fountains, wash houses and stone troughs filled with flowers enhance the street landscape.



Bain les Bains

Another intense day of closely spaced locks. Our "etudients" had been disrupted enough by the heavy workload of the uphill staircase. It was time to take the reigns and allow them to study.

 

We found ourselves without any connectivity today. No phone or Internet...We could not send messages, or even contact the VNF regarding lock malfunctions. We were in our own bubble.

But phone apps and weather forecasts are superfluous here anyway ........ We have the ol' trustworthy and incredibly accurate barometer to predict the slightest change.

Program wise, we are currently a half a day behind.

 

 

 

G and I worked like a " well oiled team".

We negotiated the locks with streamlined efficiency. It was a joy today, ......the scenery was still gob smacking, the strong comradeship between us strengthened and the crew below were focused.
 

We both confirmed how addictive this  " boating business" was. We had found our future. Neither one of us wanted it to end...especially me.....I felt a heavy burden and a very deeply embedded dread.......

By now, I was "match fit". Hours on my feet, lifting and walking constantly....and absolutely NO dozing! Physically I was hitting my straps, mentally on top of my game, emotionally calm on the surface but numb inside.

 

Shopping must be expedient. Whereas I would always price check, never buy at little grocery stores and certainly never stock up at a petrol station, here we are not afforded the luxury of choice. The outrageously priced receipt is filed in memorabilia.

 

Maddi knew exactly what buttons to press to send particularly Ali into uncontrollable, hysterical and contagious laughter. An infamous "U Tube" video, featuring a well known New Zealand skate boarder,  talking in terms of minutes, was one of her inspirations. The phrase: " NEK MINIT", having gone viral and been coined and imitated everywhere, found new meaning and definition on board. It made light of so many potentially worrying moments. Laughter is wonderful medicine.

A pair of clowns

 

Fontenoy le Chateau was a magnificent location. Le Boat, the hire company, was fittingly represented here ....consequently, we saw our fair share of hire boats and were grateful they were coming from the opposite direction, thus emptying the locks.



Fontenoy le Chateau. Hire boats queued on the left.

Fancy this mobile home moored at Fontenoy le Chateau?



Fontenoy le Chateu



Fontenoy le Chateau

 

We had a couple of delays today, locks which didn't perform, but we were fortunately well attended by VNF vans who continued to service the boating population.

At 4:38, we said goodbye to the "Vosges Department" and hello to "Franche Compte".

 

It was another standout day! Finished at Pont du Bois, lock 39

 

 

Breath taking surrounds continue

A residence located right on the bend of the canal

The effort made with floral displays at Lock Keeper residences

G and I watched the French movie "Papillon" whilst the 2 "Bones" addicts absorbed the last special features disc. 

The French dialogue was simple, the discoveries were innocent and touching and steadfast morals were upheld. A totally delightful movie. Here, the caterpillar was revered...... I wondered just how they got to be so darned resilient !! ...how in a completely rarefied environment on our boat, with just a few pots of herbs to munch on, they could survive!

Every morning I wipe the bench clear of multitudes of minuscule caterpillar poo. I examine the pock marked leaves of the basil......thankfully these critters were tiny.

 

Updated Totals: Locks: 25

Overall: 191 out of 218

 

Distance: 28 km

Overall: 780 out of 959

 

Like "Lock work"

Day 15
Wednesday  10th July 2013

9:00am...we're hovering in front of the first lock for the day. 4 locks until the "Golbey Staircase" .... a 14 lock challenge.



The Golbey Staircase



You can see the next set of lock gates in the sequence

 

1 out of 14 accomplished and the bow thruster loses charge.....BUT this time we know what to do....run DAF No.1 hard to increase the charge!

In a sequence, locks automatically open ahead to keep continuity. It went like " clockwork".

With no traffic to contend with, the engines running smoothly and the cooling system working efficiently, we nailed it!


The last lock of the staircase

 

2 1/2 hours later we exited... 30 minutes quicker than suggested in the nautical guide .....not one minute spare to take a bathroom break, have a drink or sit down...

The cook only offered a " Carte de Jour" for lunch...not " A la Carte".....

 

I remember, so vividly, taking Maddi, as a toddler, to the rail bridge at the end of our street, watching the trains go under. Some even tooted! ........Locks seemed to attract the same interest. We passed so many parents with toddlers on their hips, grandparents holding the hands of "youngsters "  or school age children out for a family ride...... watching us intently.

1:30...... We reached the " Dividing Pound"...the high point of the river. From here, it was literally ALL DOWN HILL!

We were back into beautiful, folding, forested hills, the canal sides lined with trees like an Avenue of Honour. This was stunning stuff...the Vosges Forest continued to impress. Cool, shadowy breezes soothing the sting of the burning sun, dense layers of foliage and groves of trees in a myriad of forms, shapes, styles and shades if green.



Encountering locks downstream is SO much easier: there is NO surge of water, NO constant fighting and rope tightening, the bollards well within reach, no need to extend your pole, reach on your tippy toes and extend beyond your centre of gravity just to hook on.......this was a doddle!







A noticeable difference today....the VNF vans were ever present. Bike paths line the waterways, winding alongside the canals, next to the forest. These paths, just wide enough for a small van, were in constant use by the water authority, a surveillance, a reassuring presence that today, we wouldn't be left stranded.



The ever present VNF vans



The mind blowing beauty was our reward....

Gorgeous Green!!!!

 

We resisted a private, green sanctuary, with picnic tables and grassy foreshore. We pressed on, a steely determination was driving all of us now...even the valiant girls.

 



A missed opportunity





 

 

Our remote controls needed to be in range of these markers

 



Close clearances

 At 5:48 pm we moored. Lock 15, Thillots.



With our stockpile of snack food replenished, we took delight in opening up multiple packets of chips, all our favourite flavours.....we sipped beer,wine and cordial, toasted a successful day and chilled.

In reflection, we wondered whether we shouldn't have bought " Boating for Dummies". Without knowing what questions to ask, we had to trial first hand what experienced boaters took for granted. We were literally " babes in the woods".

We a felt relief, for the first time, that the fear of the unknown was gone.

In the evening, after the locks close the current stops. The forest had a reflection in the glassy, still water. An evening chorus of birds resounded through the foliage. There was a total peace and serenity.

Whilst seizing the serene moment for a snuggle, Ali pops her head up, “Canasta anyone?”

The girl, who swears by beginner’s luck, has been wiping the floor with us!

Locks: 32

Overall: 163 out of 218

 

Distance: 28 km

Overall: 730 out of 959