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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