Entering the Centre

After leaving Dave and Louise at Lere we continued up the Canal lateral a la Loire. This canal travels through a variety of country types, generally open farming country but sometimes winding through forest. The trees closing in and making the passage quite small. The authorities continue to clear the banks but sometimes areas seem to be missed.

The Sancerre area is wine country and the hills were regularly covered with vines. The old stone and steel girder railway viaduct here carries a main line high over the vines.

After passing the village of le Guetin we find the second of the great Pont Canals (aqueducts) that make this canal famous. This one crosses the Aller River where it joins the Loire. A point of difference to the Briare Pont is that the downstream side is almost at river level and to get on to the Pont the engineers built a “staircase” of three locks to raise the canal above the river. Modernisation has removed one lock and the second is now a seven metre lift. We found to our dismay that it can get quite wet on board as the lock fills.

The third of these Ponts is at the entry to Digoin at the end of the lateral a la Loire canal. We were joined in Digoin by Ali and John who were to stay with us for about three weeks on their way to Ethiopia. They arrived on a railway bus after a few days in Paris. We met them and walked with them to Matilda which we had moored on the canal, slightly out of town. We have found that the more modern facilities for tourist boats on the canals don't cater well for vessels of Matilda's size.

We entered the Canal du Centre at Digoin and on our first morning out with Ali and John, the first lock we entered failed to close and we had to ring the VNF. Marg rang and advised that we were in "number 26 ecluse en panne” (in pain). The call was answered by a mechanic quickly and we logged the problem as another experience.

Incidently, none of the eclusiers (lock keepers) were aware of the possibility of the canal being closed. We continued on.

We stopped for lunch and cycled two kilometres over the hill to view this magnificent chateau. It is today the centre of the local farming community and we saw the preparations for what appeared to be a livestock display outside the grounds at the main gate.

The next big town is Montceau-les-Mines, we will take up the story when we arrive there.

Till then, keep in touch.