Progress into a more peaceful quiet waterway...

Dear all,

After travelling through the industrial areas we are now in the real French country side ,parked in a village called Frise on the Somme river. (Click here to view map of where Frise is.) We arrived here at about 11.30 on sunday ,just in time to go to the local restaurant for a sunday lunch .We arrived at 12.15 & left 3 hours later. 4 very good courses with the menu,& lots of house wine.I am writing this at 8.30 pm the sun is shining & it is so quiet.!!

On Wed we left Armentiers in the afternoon travelling for about 3 hours . The next day (thurs) we intended to have a big day, but it was so windy, so decided to give it up when we reached the junction of the river Lys & the grande garabit (Click here for info). Parked there for the night,we got a bit of a wash from the passing barges, but not too bad.

Fri morning ,no wind !!! left at 6.15 am , intending to stop in Douai for the night ,not very nice stopping places ,so carried on to the junction of the canal du nord  at 5.15  A long 11 hour day 78 km & 4 big locks & lots of commercial traffic, who were very good, nearly all gave us a wave.Sat we travelled up the canal du nord 38 km & 7 locks ,all 93 m long, made to take 2 barges & a pusher. Went through an interesting tunnel. It was 4.3 km long ,but had a passing bay (1km long) in the middle, so we had 2 barges & 2 pleasure boats passing underground.  click here for more info on tunnel then scroll down... Ruyaulcourt Tunnel 4.354km with 1km passing bay.

 

photo by john smethurst.

Had another peaceful night near a lock. Left this morning at 8.00 am & had a dream run through the 5 downhill locks ,as barges were coming up, & all the locks were open for us. Turned onto the Somme, what a difference !! narrow, quiet, no traffic . Our type of waterway. click here for info on the somme

B&M.