Monteclair

We managed 10 locks, three lifting bridges and a short tunnel today not bad going but only 13 miles travelled. The tunnel was only 380m and two way but we met no one else all day. The scenery and small villages on this stretch were lovely we saw lots of properties we would love to own except or the paying French tax aspect. The Froncles mooring was part of a caravan park but only a small one surrounded by trees. Here we met a British couple who had been stranded in Spain for Covid but were now back on their Dutch barge and were shortly going to St Jean de losgne for some repair work as they were hoping to sell. They gave us a bit of advice about 1 the first lock after Saint Dizier being very full and prone to cross winds making entering difficult rom upstream and 2 a gypsy encampment a couple of kilometers outside Saint Dizier, where VNF no longer replaced the lock lights as they were repeatedly shot at and where NOT to stop as anything loose or even only lightly fixed would be gone. From Froncles we rode to Vigny as the guide said we shouldn’t miss the town with old laverie, church and Chateau, the ride was pleasant but the village not that impressive. Looking at the floor of the church I think the worshippers must bring brollies if the forecast is for rain, there were lots of puddles. Church was very old and a different style to those we had seen before. On our way back we stopped at a Artisan Boulangerie, wow the cakes and breads were really beautiful and those I tried were delicious. We also saw our first fresh egg dispensing machine !!Read more