Nederlandse versieFourth day: Vandenesse

It is the first of May today, a national holiday in France. We have to stay in Vandenesse for that reason. Near the post is a second hand market all day long. Unfortunjately the weather is cold and wet . Because we are laying next to it we walk a view times over the market but I don't see anything specific. There isn't much merchandise as far as I can see. The only remarkable item is a nest of puppy dogs which is offered. The children are attracted by the little dogs very much.

Marga and I are cycling back to Pouilly at the end of the morning. The part of the canal until the tunnel is very beautiful again, the most beautiful part of the Canal de Bourgogne I have seen so far.

I take a look at the end of the tunnel again. It looks different now, The sun is failing. The groove of the tunnel is overgrown with moss, ferns and black-berry bushes. It is quiet there, just the birds are singing. I climb along the stairs up until I reach my bicycle again.

As we come closer to the watershed I see more channels and little weirs. There are also some on top of the hill above the tunnel. They all serve to supply the upper sections of the canal with water.
We follow the Allée des Platanes straight above the tunnel as well as we can. Several times it is crossed by roads, also by a motorway. Between an access to the motorway and the motorway itself I find an air-shaft which isn't covered. I look down and see the water glittering under a safety-grate.
In Pouilly I see a typical French shop-window of a Quincaillerie, a shop where they sell this, that and everrything.
Back on board I take a litlte nap but not for long because they wake me up. The boat has to be moved. Two hotel boats are arriving: La Reine Pédauque and the Niagara. I photographed the last one yesterday on the Pont d'Ouche. They must have some kind of deal with the lockkeepers so they could navigate on the first of May.

They have some disabled people on board and want our place for that reason. 

I start the engine but when I want to make place for the hotel boat we appear to be stuck in the mud. I push and pull with some bystanders but the boat doesn't move an inch. Also the propeller isn't working. Meanwhile La Reine Pédauque is turning in the basin and throws a rope at me. Without any trouble it pulls us out of the mud. I moor at the other side of the canal.

 

The English also have to move for the hotel boats but they have a broken engine. Ultimately the hotel boats moor at the side I have moored five minutes ago. I changed place for no reason. The cook of the hotel boat gives us a bottle of wine for the trouble. Strictly speaking we should have thanked them for pulling us out of the mud.

From our new place we have a better view on the castle of Chateauneuf. Charlotte makes a cycle-trip to the castle in the afternoon but it appears to be closed on the first of May.