Friday 16th , Fumay to Givet

A day longer in Fumay than what we first planned. Strike by the VNF put a spanner in the works. As it was very sudden it caught everyone by surprise. General confusion as boats lining up at the locks Thursday morning could suddenly go no further. Knud had to reverse 500mt back up the canal to get back on the river before he could turn to return to port.

Inge Lise and I doing some exploring of Fumay

Cute garage

How many different building materials can be used in one building


Dinner on board Linquenda

All too soon its time to say goodbye , been lovely having Inge Lise and Leif on board these past 4 days. They head home to Denmark and we continue north towards the French Belgium border. Not much longer with the yummy French bread, probably just as well as I am not able to resist it.

VNF working today, cruised the 25km , enjoying a smooth run . 6 locks and 1tunnel
gorgeous slate wall

French do love a wood stack, this not one of their better examples but suddenly realised maybe not many more opportunities to take photo of one.


Slate cliff just out of Givet

Fortifications Givet

Bit more for the 14th

. The French have been using this tried and true method of controlling the river flows for hundreds of years. Simple and effective, sticks are removed when more water required down stream.

Modern km marker along the canal/river

The old markers, now very weather worn.

Large, solid bridges that somehow escaped being blown to pieces in the last 2world wars.

Leif in lock doing the ropes

Wednesday 14th Joigny sur Meuse to Fumay, the past few days

Such a beautiful stretch of river, steep treed banks, river doubling back on itself, rocky cliffs.
Inge Lise (Knud's favourite cousin )and Lief drove down from Denmark to join us in Joigny sur Meuse,
Lief has helped with a lot of work on Linquenda, he and Knud fitted the bow thruster 8years ago, welded plate onto the hull 4years ago.
Weird things that can be made from bits of melted wire and plastic cable. Seen outside a house at Laifour

Rocky cliffs

Rocky cliffs

View from wheelhouse in Fumay, finally a sign of sunshine

Sunday 11th May Joigny sur Meuse

Left Lumes yesterday, Saturday morning.
Had said our farewells to Jim on Rezy Thursday morning , he was heading into Charleville Meziers where he was leaving Rezy while he went home to Ireland. Has been great travelling with him down the Meuse, I wonder where and when our paths will cross again.
Yono and Michele also left Thursday, departing in the afternoon. Has been a great 5 days together and so lucky to get a couple of sunny days!!!
Friday was spent doing chores, getting shopping done, dodging the rain. Weather forecast gave a window of opportunity Sat morning with limited wind and no rain so decided that would be when we moved. Decided against going into Charleville Meziers but continue down the Meuse, heading north to Belgium. Traveled about 20km when we came across a brand new pontoon at Joigny sur Meuse, finished mooring just as the wind and rain hit. Wind gusts up to 80km predicted though I don't think they quite reached those speeds it has been good to be moored securely. Went for a cycle to the supermarket, first up huge hill ( saw on map latter it had chevrons) and then got caught in a heavy downpour, by the time I was finally coasting down the hill towards the supermarket the Coolgardie safe principle had kicked in, I was bloody cold to put it mildly.
Today we have had all types of weather, typical Spring, in between some sun just to warm us up a bit, very welcome. The wind chill factor is daunting sometimes.
View from the wheelhouse,

The Dutch are on the move heading south. Usually they are cruising in very new , big ,smart shiny modern cruisers but these guys were in the cutest little tjalk, one could be excused for thinking a clog was cruising past.

The style of architecture changing as we head towards the border

Verdun to Lumes

Monday 5th dawned bright and sunny, !!!! 2 days in a row !! We set off bright and early, wanted to get as far as we could before the forecast wind and rain arrived. Jim on Rezy joining us in the locks, its a great little system we have going. Never before have we had such a great run. Locks along this section manual so have a lock keeper each lock, each lock open and waiting for us!! Dream run 14 locks and 73km !! Jim left us in Stenay and we continued onto a lovely rural mooring middle of nowhere near the barrage Alma.
Next morning, overcast and little drizzle in between, continued heading north, luckily promised winds not yet arrived. Passed through Sedan, small problem with one of the locks but quickly rectified ( not like last time here when we had a 2 hours wait outside a lock!) By mid afternoon we had arrived at Lumes , another one of our favourite rural mooring. Strong winds arrived shortly after we moored, what great timing.
Wednesday, a days outing planned in Charleville Meziers. Charleville started off as a Gallo Roman town, destroyed by the Barbarians in 5th century, became a market town, then latter got a royal palace. Meziers on the other side of the Meuse was still a village until about 1000AD.By 1590 a citadel built, Place Ducale built 17th century, Meziers headquarters of the Germans in WW1.
Sitting in the local cafe waiting for a taxi to get to Charleville Meziers

Yono and Michele at a lovely restaurant where we had lunch

Michele standing in Place Ducale , one of the finest Louis Xlll style squares in France.

Michele standing in the arcades of Place Ducale.

Stunning evening on the river Meuse

More stunning views from Linquenda

Great evening on board. Jim on Rezy arrived late afternoon so came on board for the evening, a great time had by all

It wasn't just all partying, Michele and I also got some cycling in just before their departure.

Verdun

Woke to SUNSHINE !! what a !lovely change.
Michele and Peter arrived as planned, nice and early, great to see them here.
A leisurely breakfast then off to explore.
Verdun has been here for thousands of years, has had an exciting history. Gauls and Romans fought over it, and in the last few hundred years the French and German.
Can you remember that I mentioned Vauban? well he has been busy here too building fortifications. Fortifications so massive that by the beginning of WW1 Toul and Verdun the most heavily fortified towns in France. A huge battle fought around Verdun from Feb 1916 to Aug 1917.

Peter and Michele out side the underground Citadelle

Lunch time on deck of Linquenda

Porte Chausses 16thcentuary

Linquenda in Verdun port

Starting down the Meuse

After a 3 day wait for the Canal to open we finally got going early on the 2nd May. The Canal de l'est actually had a name change a few years ago to Canal de la Meuse and runs along/with the Meuse River until it reaches the Netherlands and the North Sea.
We had met a delightful Irishman Jim on boat Rezy , in Pagny sur Meuse, he too was going our way so we set off together. A relatively smooth run, covering a lot of ground/water. Passed through Commercy, their claim to fame is that it is the home to the Madeline, a small butter cake. Beautiful rural scenery along the way. Pushing to get to Verdun by Saturday as Michele and Peter arrive early Sunday morning
The famous Madeline

All forms of transport covered, the canal, a train bridge then the road up above

Jim on Rezy

Beautiful rural landscape

Rezy setting the pace