Hazey Days: Into the Canal Champagne and Bourgogne

We stopped and extra night in Chalons, as we found a tourist trip into the medieval tunnels and canals under the town. They’ve sorted out a sound and light show at night through the tunnels showing off the structures and some of the towns history - it started at 23.20 - late night out for us!

Bizarre floating elephant near our mooring.

French cakes are a work of art.

The night trip - fascinating .

Dave's coffee and fishing after a hard locks day - perfect.

This moth pretending to be a leaf

Our latest lock remote control - we are going down so dark blue button needed. Pale blue pressed when inside and safely tied on.

The following day at Pogny we met up with Ian, Jilly and Lola, friends from England who were driving further south in France for their holliday - great to meet up.

Dave worked with Ian.

Short siesta needed after lunch with friends (wine included).

Take away pizza night1

Onwards, eventually stopping at Orconte Halte Nautique and them continuing to a really pretty stop at Chamouilley, it was Sunday night and everything was shut and as we cycled around Dave said that if we find any restaurant open we’re stopping, seconds later we came across a take away pizza oven van - great pizza and red wine night back on the boat.

These locks have filled right to the very top - tricky for the fenders and getting back on to leave but the Fender Queen reigned supreme!!

The water overlaps the side on these locks - makes fendering interesting!

Then the start of the weeds.

We did 14 miles the next day to Joinville - the weeds were horrendous - had to clean the water filter every couple of hours as the poor boat ploughed its way through this forest of weeds - hard slow going. Lots of weeds wrapped around the keel, then the prop, then the rudder, then all three. The boat handled like a barge - not a happy skipper.