Locks & Quays

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Before we leave Le Somail to start our long cruise west to Negra, we have to visit that bookstore with over 50,000 books on offer....

The "Le Trouve Tout du Livre" - a World famous bookstore that was a delight for Brenda to visit.

So the crew (that's Brenda) and the captain (that be me) need to master the canal locks. Over the next ten days we have 66 locks to get through. These days, fortunately, there are full-time lock keepers who have remote controls to operate the locks. So it's important to remind the crew how much easier their job has become. No more running over the the top of the lock gates and grinding away to open and close the sluice gates - it's so easy for them now. Of course the captain still has to skillfully manage the vessel through the lock and keep an eye on the crew while they fiddle around with some ropes!

The locks are big enough to fit three cruise boats at a time.

Then after a day of cruising it's time to tie up at a quay.

You can parallel park at some of the quays (here we are parked up at Trebes)

Other quays require you to back into them (as here in the basin at Carcasonne)

It has been really hot here - consistently over 30c degrees. Even the lock keepers are saying that it has never been this hot in September. Global warming I suppose. 

If there are two foodie items the French excel at - it is their baked products (baguettes, croissants, puff pastry palmiers, brioches, etc etc) - and of course their cheeses, all soft and gooey and so full of flavour. While we choose to dine out at night, we have been really enjoying lunches on the boat made with a fresh baguette layered with soft brie cheese, some sliced tomatoes, maybe some sliced avocado and topped with a squeeze of Dijon mustard - yum - hard to beat!

Then of course there is usually a glass (or three) of fine French wine to wash it down!


Comments

  1. Veronica Lund29 September 2023 at 15:48

    Wonderful, I'm imagining cruising down the canals while enjoying torrential rain here. Not jealous, no not at all

    ReplyDelete

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