August

A bridge on the Baïse River

A log 1/2 a metre  long  x 1/3 metre in diameter which prevented the lock gate from opening

An old building in Nérac on the Baïse

Barry driving Cézanne    ...Nérac on the Baïse

A croustade

Buzet, where we left Cézanne while we were away

The barge removing the tree which had fallen across the Garrone canal. At the stern of the barge there is a long pole which has been lowered to the bottom of the canal to keep the barge stable when it lifts each heavy piece of log from the water

The last big piece of tree being removed

Judy & Neville spent 2 days with us during mid July, then we had a few days socialising with couples on 2 Australian boats, before Michael & Celia joined us for 8 days. We took them up the Baïse River to Valence- sur- Baïse which is as far as one can go on this River  Twice we had a  problem with the lock (écluse) gates, as logs & bits of wood can prevent them from opening & closing There is a telephone at each lock. If there is a problem one can phone the éclusier , who comes with equipment to remove the offending wood. He usually uses  a type of fork with long strong prongs, bent at a right angle. In NZ we call them a drag fork & use them for cleaning drains.

One evening for desert we sampled a croustade, a tart made of filo pastry, apple & armagnac, which is similar to cognac. Croustade is a speciality of pâtissieres (pastry, cake makers) in the area.  It is a round tart. The filo pastry top is crunched into small peaks before it is baked. Prior to serving, the tart is sprinkled with a small bottle of armagnac,which is then lit. This gives more flavour & helps to make the top crunchy.

Armagnac grapes are grown on sandy soil. The wine is distilled only once, giving the spirit a lower alcohol content but more flavour. Aged in local black oak, armagnac matures quickly, so young armagnacs are relatively smoother than corresponding cognacs.

Some days we were able to get TV coverage of the Olympic games & saw NZ competing in the horse events & winning 2 gold medals in the rowing events.

On the 1st August we took a train to Bordeaux, where we picked up a eurolease rental car which we have had for 4 weeks. It is to be returned tomorrow.

Now we are at the port of Damazan. Damazan is a smallish French village.On Saturday a large tree fell across the canal near here, haulting all boat traffic. A big barge with a crane on it arrived on Monday morning, creating a lot of interest, as it removed the tree, in pieces, from the canal.