These are the adventures of Andy and Sally Rawnsley on their narrowboat "The Puzzler". We have been living on the boat for over nine years now and are still loving it. Our Ulster born Shih Tzu, Shannon, has grown up, and has taken over the boat! After three wonderful years in Ireland, we transported The Puzzler to The Netherlands, and spent a year there. In 2015 we went southwards, to reach the north of France by June. After glorious weather throughout the summer, we arrived in Roanne in late October, and enjoyed our winter in this friendly port. We cruised extensively in France in 2016, 2017 and 2018, returning to Roanne each winter.


Friday 17 August 2018

14th - 16th August 2018. A trip to Lille for Andy, then on to Bosscuit in Flanders, followed by Kortrijk.

On Tuesday morning, Andy went to the station to collect the train tickets, which he had bought on-line. He needed them to go and collect our car from mid-France next week. However, as it was a French website, he had to collect them in France! So off he went to Lille! Meanwhile I counted 14 commercial barges going past our mooring in Tournai. As we are now the only boat on this mooring, they do not slow down for us, making it a bouncy morning!



As soon as we set off, Shannon found a comfortable place to sleep. She has been worn out by the passing barges.!
There is a one way system for all boats passing through Tournai. It seems that this bridge, Le Pont des Trous, is the structure which is being protected by this system. It is certainly not wide enough for two barges.

Once out of town we are on the Haut Escaut river, which is the most attractive river we have seen since leaving the Belgian Meuse.
There is a huge lock at Bosscuit, where we got our Belgian licence. This was complicated by the fact that the man in charge did not speak either English or French! We are now in Flanders, where Flemish is the language spoken. The old ruined church in Bosscuit was lit up by the sun.


There was a concert here this evening, but we had no chairs with us!


Continuing on the Bosscuit-Kortrijk canal, we came down one big lock.


Followed by three small manned locks.


They were just like English canal locks.


Shannon likes the look of Kortrijk. She makes a good figurehead!
We stopped in Kortrijk, where the two Broel Towers are a major attraction. They were built in the mid 14th century, as part of the ramparts and city wall of Kortrijk.


The town shows much Dutch influence in the buildings. It is an attractive town.


These shoes are heading for the town mooring.

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