48:11.900N 004:05.319W
Whisper
Noel Dilly
Wed 25 Jul 2012 12:36
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"Canal Nantes a Brest"
It has not been possible to hire bicycles, so this
morning we took a short hike up the canal on foot. It was gloriously
tranquil and still; the reflections an artists paradise. We passed two
locks on our 12km round trip hike, both had very pretty and beautifully
kept lock keeper cottages with gardens adorned with flowers. There were
various benches along the way, even a covered picnic table beside a lock,
an ideal resting place for our lunch. The shade of the trees was
very welcome as the sun was blazing and we were pleased to have come out early
in the day. The tow path was certainly well frequented by cyclists and walkers,
even the odd car or two. The area is a national park region and
the path well maintained by workmen driving tractors spreading grit, followed by
a labourer leveling by manual means before rolling with a
motorised roller. The lock keepers, however had a very quiet day as
we did not see any boats at all. What a lovely job to be able to tend
ones garden and open the lock gates every once in a while to let a boat go
by. All the locks that we have seen have fish steps so that the spawning
fish can make the trip up stream to their breeding areas. At Chateaulin
there is an observatory so that you can watch the fish make their
way up the steps. The peace and beauty of the river did make me
wonder if perhaps a Canal Boat might be rather fun?
The rest of the day was spent stocking up for our
next long leg across Biscay and refilling our water tanks. We shall leave
the tranquillity of Chateaulin tomorrow and make our way back down the river to
Brest to meet up with our Italian crew member on Friday.
Photo: "Are we going the right
way?"
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