Rachecourt-sur-Marne (more calls to VNF)

The plan for Monday had been to move onto Chamouilley so we walked down there first thing to see what the mooring situation was like.  There were a couple of boats already moored there and we both instantly agreed we would prefer to stay on our own where we were. It wasn't just that we were being antisocial, it  also wasn't the sort of place where Buddy could be outside unless we were with him. 

Rather than coming straight back we had a wander around the village which seemed to be as well looked after as many of the villages we've previously explored in Champagne.  It also had one of the best presented lavoirs we have seen.  We know the garde genoux (wooden kneelers) and the other wooden items were probably not original, but they were great examples for visitors to understand how washing was carried out.

Inside the stream fed lavoir at Chamouilley

We stopped for a rest in the square next to the war memorial and mairie.  The mairie, as usual, was of an extravagant size and finish for the number of dwellings as was the church.

Having a rest

The flower displays around the place were quite unusual:

There were half a dozen camper vans dotted around the port as well as the boats, so it felt like holiday season was getting into full swing.

We then walked over the River Marne to look around the next village, Roches-sur-Marne.  There were no lavoirs but the church and mairie were even grander than the ones in Chamouilley.  The current population of the first village is around 880 and the second 550 but no doubt these figures were a lot higher in the past.

The church at Roches-sur-Marne

We went back to the boat for lunch and sat in the shade for a couple of hours.  We then spent the afternoon down by, and in the river.

The river Marne next to the canal at Guë

Karen thought I looked like a commando who’d lost his gun

Buddy wasn’t sure why we walked up the river rather than across it

Sitting on the bank we were fascinated by dozens of butterflies, the large majority were small whites, ‘puddling’ to get minerals from the moisture along the water’s edge.  I think this picture caught the most – 22 in one shot!

Small whites 'puddling'

It was amazing walking along the river's edge having so many butterflies flying around us 😃

On Monday we cruised zero miles.

We set off at 8.30 on Tuesday morning which is really early for us.  Karen & Buddy walked along the towpath, and I picked them up just before the first lock at the port in Chamouilley.  If all went to plan, we would have five locks and six lift bridges to get through to reach our chosen destination of Rachecourt-sur-Marne.

Coming around the bend to pick up Karen & Buddy

All was going well until the second lift bridge.  We set it in motion with our télécommande and the red and green lights came on indicating that it had acknowledged us.  The bells sounded and the barriers dropped across the road just as a herd of cyclists turned up.  We're not sure what they did but the next thing we knew was that the barriers were up again, and the cyclist were going across the bridge.  The barriers dropped down again but two red lights appeared indicating the bridge was now out of service.  There was nothing for it but to ring the control centre and, embarrassingly, it was the same girl who answered as when I rang the other day.  She recognised me and gave a chuckle but said an ‘homme’ would be out soon.

Two red lights = Out of action

Our man arrived pretty quickly in his van and soon got us on our way, and we got through the next couple of bridges and locks without any more issues.

Passing through Baudray forest

At most, we held up a vehicle or two at each bridge (and fortunately none at the one where we had to get help) other than at Eurville.  Here, we held up a couple of quarry lorries, an artic and a few cars.  I mention it because the bridges stay up for what seems an eternity after we’ve passed through and it makes us cringe at the thought that the drivers are getting cross at boats.

Vehicles waiting for the bridge to go down outside the Mairie at Eurvile  

When the gates started opening for us at the final lock of the day, Karen went to the front to assume her position on the roof for getting us through the lock.  I started off towards the gates, timing my arrival for when they opened, and they suddenly stopped and two red lights came on.  This is where you know it’s always foolish to be close to the lock gates before they open as I then had to manoeuvre back away from them to keep a decent distance until the lock was operational again.

Before we rang the control centre, Karen suggested she walk heavily across the lock gates.  The last time we had a lock gate problem it was fixed by the éclusier walking across the gates.  To his surprise (and ours), the added weight or motion sorted out the problem and the gates opened.  No such luck this time, but our rescuer that time was a heavy guy compared with Karen 😉.  As we had run out of ideas, there was nothing for it but to make a call to VNF.

When I rang the control centre, the girl already knew there was an issue and told me where I was and just to wait there for the ‘homme’.  It made sense that she knew as it would be expected that an alarm is raised in the control centre when a lock, bridge etc. becomes inoperable.

Ok one minute and then ooops, two red lights

There wasn’t a boat at the mooring spot when we arrived at Rachecourt-sur-Marne and we were able to tie up to a couple of steel stakes which, like our previous mooring at Guë, were just on the edge of being too far apart for us.

Moored for Tuesday night

We went for a walk around Chevillon, a village further away from the canal, and agreed with Aileen who’d said in her blog that it had an Alpine feel to it.  The hill was extremely steep behind the village and many of the houses had that mountain style.  As you may well know, Buddy relaxes under one of our parasols when it's hot.  It made us laugh when we passed a goat doing the same thing.

We followed a stream as we walked into the village. A stream is often our route of choice, because if there’s a lavoir in town, the chances are it’ll be on the course of the stream.  Sure enough there was a lavoir looking building as we got into the centre...

...at least it gave Buddy a chance for a drink and cool down

Here’s a couple more views of the village:

Before I go I must mention Shaun Cullen.  He, and his partner Lyn, live in South Africa but have a boat in Europe and currently cruise in France every year.  Sadly, like many other people, they have been unable to do it this year, but he did send us a note after reading about our weed hatch trips the other day.  It’s always good to learn something new and this is what he told us:  

"Just as a matter of interest, quite a few Dutch cruisers have weed hatches which are called 'koffers' which means chest or suitcase. In English it is coffer and hence coffer dam."

On Tuesday we cruised eight miles up five locks and through five lift bridges (one of the six we were expecting had been removed).