April 2003
we made a short voyage on the Canal latéral ŕ
la Loire. We traveled from Dompierre-sur-Besbre via Digoin to Decize,
from where we pursued our way on the Canal du Nivernais. By way of the links
on this page you can read about our journey.
Three years before I had taken a look at the
Canal lateral a la Loire near Briare. In Briare is a special canal bridge
across the Loire from the year 1896.
It's a metal channel of 660 meters long filled
with water high above the Loire with a broad towpath on both sides. At the
railing a endless series of old lanterns. The aqueduct also crosses
old Loire Lateral Canal. At that point I see an
enormous black spot in the water which moves. I first suppose it 's a big fish or
musk-rat. The form however changes. It appears to be an large shoal of
little fishes which moves as a dynamic clew through the water. According to the
information I got from a lock-keeper the species
is called 'poisson chat': cat-fishes. I think they are called this way because
they have whiskers. The French pull up their noses for them. Cat-fishes are, even if
they are grown up, not edible.
I
follow the old Loire Lateral Canal from Briare upstream on the towpath. It is
closed for boats nowadays. Nature takes the canal slowly back.
As I cycle a
couple of kilometers between canal and the right bank of the Loire the canal
suddenly turns right towards the Loire. I arrive at a lock to the Loire: the
lock of Combles. The lock is closed wit a couple of extra gates. I see a large winch and
pulleys on the quays. They
were used by the boats to cross the Loire. At the other side of the Loire I see
a slanting dike which was been used also to escort the boats. At the end I
expect
the lock of Mantelot. A lock in the Loire Lateral Canal at the left bank of the
river.
As
I look over there I see the same kind of lock. There is a huge basin behind it.
I presume that the boats used to wait here for a suitable point of time
to cross the Loire. There are some signs that depict the old ways of crossing
the Loire. The way of crossing the Loire changed in the course of years. Before
the slanting dike was built boats used just some anchor-ropes in the river. Crossing the
Loire was always a risky operation. Every year several ships were wrecked with
crew and cargo. That was the reason to build the aqueduct at the end of the
nineteenth century.
I go on following the old canal (now on the left
bank of the Loire). Soon I can see the new Loire Lateral Canal. I can see both
canals now. I don't see the spot where they meet each other but cycle along the new
Loire Lateral Canal back to Briare. I am cycling again between canal and Loire
but now on the left bank. The grass on the towpath is cut long ago. Suddenly I
see a deer. She sees me too and disappears in the wood. After a while I am fed
up with the high grass on the towpath and take the asphalt road from where I
have no visual contact with Loire or canal.
Soon
I arrive at the aqueduct. I cycle on one of the towpaths along the channel. When
I have to give way to some pedestrians I cycle at twenty-thirty centimeters from
the water. In the middle I stop for a while, high above the Loire water and look
in the far distance. It 's good that there are no traffic-bridges or
railway-bridges beside this monument. Just water crossing water.
Canal latéral ŕ la Loire
