Namur and across Belgium.

We thought this could work along the waterfront in Auckland… powered by the drinkers sitting at the bar.!!!!

So finally leave Namur along The Sambre. The canal into France was finished in 1835, mainly to transport coal as Charleroi had become Paris’s main supply. With the closure of the coal mines in 1960’s, the boat yards disappeared but Charleroi still shows the signs of the collapsed heavy industry. It’s a sad and depressing sight as its one we don’t really ever get to see.

After that we headed on down towards the amazing Strepy-Thieu funicular boat-lift. First we went past what was to everybody in 2002, a futuristic flood control gate leading to the vertical lift.

The Strepy-Thieu was built on The New Centre Canal, built in response to EU requirements that canals here take vessels up to 1350tons.(The existing canal only takes up to 300 tons.)   This amazing  structure is 117m high, and working in unison drops/raises two large transport tanks, 112m x 12m each, suspended by huge counterweights made of 1000tons of concrete. The drop is 73m.

You can see the lock gate at the top where we entered the tank. It was a very smooth ride at 20cm a second.

Absolutely incredible. The the huge gates open at the bottom and out you go, 73 m down stream.

Finally arrive in Valenciennes and catch up again with David & Mel.(Perth, and Namur) and meet their friends Roger & Margaret,(Welsh) and 2 Americans for a great drinking BBQ night on the quai.

Melanie just getting rid of a few empties!!!;

Found out the lock 3 down was closing for 7 days to replace a lock gate, so off we go ,,onward and southward to PARIS.

ARRH but a 5km tunnel in the way.  Again another amazing thing that has a 1km passing area in the middle of it, and huge ventilation fans.

And finally moored up after a lovely clear run on the Canal D Nord.

Music, Max’s beer and experimenting with the new drink of the year,,,,,,,,,,,      Margartia’s!!!!!!

Its been a long day.

Namur and back again

Anybody who has boated on the canals of France knows that best laid plans, etc etc etc.

So with us, after a long debate with ourselves on which way to go to Paris, we decided not to branch off down The Sambre, but go south and down the Ardennes Canal to Reims and into Paris that way.

Off we set on The Meuse towards Dinant, Givet and Fumay, with the Ham tunnel looming, (500m)  which was Max’s first tunnel 7 years ago. (and has stayed imbeded in his memory ever since.!! (say no more))

Dinant, home of the Saxaphone and it’s amazing Citadel that we have visited before.

Weather not so good today, so with everything down for the Ham tunnel so we got a bit wet.

With all the rain the River Meuse was starting to swell and run fast, and the next day we only managed about 3km going against a current of 6-8kms before giving up and returning to Fumay, quickly followed by 4 other boats who had been turned away at the lock ahead. It was closed because it had been choked with trees and rubbish from the swollen river.

The changeable weather here sometimes makes us wonder what it is we like about boating…

At 7am, the outside temp as shown by our sexy lady thermometer( she is all buttoned up with the cold), is 8 degrees,and the inside not much better at 13 degrees!!!                But quickly by 10am the sky is blue and its much warmer, and the river is slower but still helping us go back down stream.

By now we heard about The Ardennes Canal, our route to Paris…….a  whole lock had caved in and work would not finish till the end of the year,,,,

As we say best laid plans…. so we have returned to Namur, again going through that dreaded Ham tunnel, twice in 3 days,,,but in much nicer weather.

So the ghost is laid to rest now.

So at Namur again, (7 days later), we are now changing course and heading across Belgium through Charleroi, to Mons, and down The Canal d St Quentin and into France,,,,,,now that route has a 5km tunnel that you get towed trough in a convoy,,, so wait for new of that.!!!!      

Before we left Namur, they had a Ducati test drive day at the Marina. Sadly because we don’t hold a bikers licence we couldn’t take one for a spin…..,

And Sunday water games….

Only in Belgium.

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