Peter Margaret and Matilda: The Canal they could now close.

The canals of France were constructed to provide inexpensive, simple and reliable transport for materials and commodities throughout the country. The extensive use of the canal system is graphically illustrated in the history of the mining area known as Montceau-les-Mines. Coal was mined there in the 18^th and 19^th century and the canals were the transport system used to take it to where it was wanted. In the system's heyday there was a company here that owned over 600 barges. That is a lot of transport! Given that a barge would spend 1/3 of its time with a load (about 250 tonnes), 1/3 stationary and 1/3 returning empty, this company would have had 50,000 tonnes of freight on the move at any time. This is impressive even by modern standards. The city is now a modern centre and parts of this history have now been modernised but the canal still has features that remain from these times. Three wonderfully different bridges span the canal within 100 metres. There is a lifting bridge, a swing bridge and a hydraulic lift pedestrian bridge. All classics of the era in which they were installed.

Unfortunately the person in charge of the camera was so enthralled by the mechanics of these two bridges or their dramatic colour schemes - or the good looking French lady on the towpath or something - that the hydraulic elevation bridge was completely missed. It can just be seen lowered further up the canal in the middle picture.

The harbour has been mostly reclaimed these days (for a car park) and there were only about eight large vessels there and the harbour was full. We “rafted up” with an old Freycinet freighter that was owned by an American who used it as his French hangout. It was painted yellow and looked like a forlorn party barge. He was somewhere else.

The town was fairly modern and nondescript and although historically important, we did not spend too much time there. One thing we found that was important was a big supermarket complex with a fuel service station that backed onto the canal. We tied Matilda to the fence on the edge of the canal and while Ali and Marg purchased essentials, John and Peter ferried about 500 litres of diesel into Matilda's tanks.

We continued on down the Centre and a few kilometres from it's end were met at one lock by a Dutch lady who had just taken a picture of Matilda and wanted to talk to us. John of course was our spokesman and they chatted away in her native tongue for some time. We gave her a card and she emailed us a copy of the picture that she had taken.

We were now approaching the end of the canal and would soon be in the Saone River. The canal joins the river just upstream from Chalon sur Saone, a bustling city full of history.

Then through the last lock – Ecluse 34Bis with a 10.75 metre drop into the Saone river.