17th - 28th April 2017. Having eventually descended Bourg-le-Comte lock, we continued on to Digoin, joining the Canal du Centre there. Then it was on to Génelard where narrowboat Quaintrille joined us. Continuing on the Canal de Centre to Savernay.

Bourg-le-Comte lock should have had its new gates fitted two weeks ago, but they are now ready to use, although there is still work to do round the lock

On Monday morning we went into the lock, which was then emptied. It is a very deep lock.

Madame Eclusier then tried, and tried, to open the bottom gates, but failed. Eventually the lock was refilled and we backed out, to return to our place above the lock. I then had to walk round to the other side to retrieve Shannon, who had hopped off in the lock while we were busy minding The Puzzler! A couple of hours later we were again in the lock, with a hireboat too, while the bottom gates still were not opening. They attached some webbing strapping from the top of the right hand gate to the crane, and winched it tight. Monsieur Eclusier climbed on top of the gates to drive a wedge in, and forced the gates open. The problem was that the wooden seal between the two gates had swollen in the water, and it seemed that the winding gear had then been damaged by enthusiastic use! It was a relief to be able to continue.

At Digoin we walked by the river Loire, where the vegetation caught on this tree shows how high the floods were last year.

Sailing on over the aqueduct.

At Génelard we were joined by narrowboat Quaintrille, with Aileen and Mike on board.

After a pleasant evening on Quaintrille, we shared locks on Sunday.

There are some commercial boats on this canal, making a narrowboat look very small.

We are about to be eaten by this crocodile-type lift bridge!

We moored here at Montchanin with Debbie at the same time last year. The reservoir for the canal is reassuringly full, after a dry spring.

Our flowers are now in the big pots, but have to come inside at night still, because of the frosts. It was minus 2.6 last night, but the days are really warm. Here we are starting down the Mediterranée locks.

This last week has been one social whirl! After a pleasant evening with Jake and Rachel at Saint-Julien-sur-Dheune, we moved on to Saint-Léger-sur-Dheune, mooring by Owlpen apartment. First it was a quick(ish) drink with Gill and David there, then back to The Puzzler where Aileen and Mike joined us for the evening. Next day we caught up with them at Santenay.

On Friday we walked down to Santenay, then up through the vineyards on the other side of the valley. Every possible part of the hillside is used for more vines. They are just starting to grow.

Further on, Santenay can be seen below the vineyards.

We have reached our destination! After only one wrong turn, where the windmill was hidden behind a tree, it just took two hours to get here. It seems to be in good condition, although it is not currently in use.

We walked back down the road and then everyone had a much needed rest.

Later on Jake and Rachel arrived on Catherine Clark, and we all had a very enjoyable evening round the picnic table. Trigger and Shannon are becoming friends, though he is more enthusiastic than she is. Our pre-dinner drinks lasted until 10.30 pm!

30th March - 16th April 2017. Our last few days in Roanne, followed by a pleasant weekend on the canal with Jean-Charles, Ghislaine and Escot.

As we come to the end of March, people are returning to their boats in Roanne, ready for the new season. L'Authentique is busier than ever, every Thursday, when we meet for Happy Hour there.

I have spent some time renovating our fenders, which were in a bad way. Meanwhile Andy has cleaned and polished The Puzzler so as to be ready for the season.

Several of us met on Sunday for a game of boules. As new people arrived, they joined each team alternately, and I think that we ended up with eleven altogether, in two strong teams! Who won is anybody's guess! No-one is leaving the Port of Roanne yet, as the lock at Bourg-le-Comte is still waiting for new lock gates.

The Puzzler has meanwhile been treated to some new LED strip lights, which are great fun.

This car was driven into the canal in the early hours of Saturday 8th April, but no-one was badly hurt. He took the corner too fast, and fell down the bank into the canal below.

Jean-Charles, Ghislaine and Escot have joined us for our first week-end of cruising from Roanne. Shannon has lent Escot her lifejacket, but he is not impressed! Escot a peur!

We cruised halfway up the port to collect Jean-Charles, exchanging hoots with our friends as we left the port.

Further on, Jean-Charles took the tiller and we moored by the bridge before Melay.

We walked to visit the village of Melay. The church is impressive, but was locked, so we could not look inside. Back at The Puzzler, we played boules on the track nearby.

Next morning we saw this stork, which showed no fear of us. Later on we saw one flying overhead – they are so graceful in flight.

It is cherry blossom time again, as we pass Artais.

Walking back from the mooring, which lies just beyond the village, we passed below the old pont-canal, or aqueduct, which was first built in the 1830's. It was widened between 1895 and 1904, to allow the passage of boats. We have just sailed over it, but it looks more impressive from below. After visiting Artais, we returned to The Puzzler, then enjoyed a game of table tennis.

Both Shannon and Escot like being with Ghislaine at the front.

Meanwhile Jean-Charles is helping to work the lock. Il est un éclusier nouveau!

We finished our week-end outing above the deep lock of Bourg-le-Comte, and walked up to the village.

The view is wonderful, looking back over the canal. C'était un bon weekend!

22nd - 25th October. Up the Canal de Roanne à Digoin, from Digoin to Roanne!

This is a mixture of smoke and fog as we eventually set off at 11 am up the Canal de Roanne à Digoin. We had planned to go earlier!

Later on the weather cleared, so that we could look across the valley of the river Loire. Our canal runs parallel to the river, all the way to Roanne.

It is quite tight, sharing in these deep locks. Monsieur VNF can be seen up above the bottom gates, as he winds them shut. These locks are completely manual, but we can help with gates, once we are up in the lock.

We stopped at Bourg-le-Comte, and climbed up the track to the village. The Puzzler can be seen,  to the right of the white cottages.

This is another old church in Bourg-le-Comte.

The most interesting item in the church was this list of all priests of the parish since 1598. The only gap is from the time of the French Revolution. If this list is up to date, then Father Renard has been priest here for 50 years!

We moved on to Artaix for lunch, and stayed overnight, as it was so nice there. There was even a table tennis table, which was a bonus.

We walked to the village of Artaix, and met these big donkeys on the way. Shannon was not impressed!

The church at Artaix overlooks the canal.

Inside the church there are many interesting carvings.

The bridges on this stretch of the canal are all made using these unusually shaped stones, and look really attractive.

The leaves are all changing colour, and look wonderful.

However, as this canal is fed from the River Loire at Roanne, all of these pretty leaves find their way on to the water above each lock. The lockkeeper does not think that they are lovely at all! Our propellor is not too keen on them either.

Even as late as this in the year, the towpaths are kept in good repair.

Shannon is very fluffy, and is in need of a trim.

We are on a wild mooring, near to the prison, and have brought some of the best pots inside, as heavy rain is forecast for tonight. Tomorrow, we will be back in Roanne!

31st July - 5th August. On along the Canal de L'Oise à L'Aisne to Pinon for shopping, fuel and table tennis in the park. We join the Canal Lateral à L'Aisne from Bourg-le-Comte to Berry-au-Bac, then the Canal de L'Aisne à la Marne to Loivre.

Guny lock was beautifully kept, with flowers everywere, including the bridge and the lock gates.

The sun set very majestically over the bridge at Pinon, still on the Canal de L'Oise à L'Aisne.

Early next morning we were treated to the sight of mist over the water. It was an extremely busy day, starting with table tennis in the park, followed by two trips to Carrefour supermarket. As we were moored near enough to bring the shopping trolley back to The Puzzler, it was a lot easier than the normal heavy rucksack loads. Andy did two fuel trips too, at 40 litres a time.

After lunch we moved on up four locks to Pargay-Filain, mooring opposite the Monapteuil Reservoir, which can be seen here beyond the canal. On the far side we could see a lot of people on the large beach, so thought we would walk round the reservoir, passing the beach at the end of our walk. All went according to plan at first, as we crossed the canal and found the track on the near side of the lake. We walked the full length of the lake, then left-handed across the end, before returning back on the other side towards the beach, which starts by the red arrow. Disaster then struck, in the form of a high metal fence, designed to prevent nice people like us from visiting the beach! With no alternative, we had to retrace our steps round this 40 hectare lake, making a much longer walk than we had anticipated.

Our resident kitchen spider had been busy again, but this evening's catch had him sitting there in the middle of his web outside the window, thinking, “Wow!”

Carrying on on Tuesday, it is a really deep cutting on the approach to Bray tunnel.

A heron made the mistake of flying into the tunnel ahead of us, then had to continue all the way through. Each time we caught him up, he would fly just a bit further until eventually he reached the other end safely.

We think that this ventilator fan is used as needed, as it was not put on for us.

We met Ton and Yanne, with Juultje, another Shih Tzu, at Bourg-et-Comin, and spent a pleasant evening together. The dogs do not seem to have realised that the table should be out of bounds! We are at Bourg-et-Comin, where the Canal de L'Oise à L'Aisne meets the Canal Lateral à L'Aisne.

This unusual craft came to spend the night on the mooring too. It looks rather like a raft, but they have cruised in it all over France.

Maizy was an interesting village, with a variety of different houses to be seen.

These were two more different ones.

It is harvest time again, with the champagne grapes growing on the far hills.

At Loivre, unusually, there are two lock cottages. However, the one on the right belongs to the “conducteur des voies navigable”, rather than a regular lockkeeper. We are now on the Canal de L'Aisne à la Marne. From here we went on to moor at Courcy, beside the Dutch Tjalk, Johanna Maria.