Thursday 12th May 2011 Tournai.

8.9°C Lots of grey clouds with sunny spells. The cruiser that arrived the day before was still moored on the end of the pontoon when the DB we did a lock with last week, called Parelion (Swiss German couple), arrived and wanted to moor on the pontoon. We moved up a bit so he could get into the gap behind the cruiser. Michel, who had been watching proceedings like a hawk said he didn’t like it, the boat was too heavy for the pontoon and he pointed to their stern rope attached to an aluminium cleat and said it would break it. He’s probably right, but what can you say? There were no visible weight restriction notices on the pontoon. We chatted with a couple of Brits on bikes who were visiting Tournai (in a camping car), who had paused when they saw the boat and asked the usual questions, spoke to the couple off the cruiser who were off shopping in town, then we went by car to do some shopping at Carrefour on the road out of Tournai towards Courtrai (Kortijk). A very large store, better choice of fruit and veg; an excellent choice of breads, but the prices on the whole were more expensive than in France. I bought reduced price meat, a small leg of lamb at 7,99€/kg and pork filet at 9,99€ plus some excellent sausage. Spent a fortune 124€, the only reduction we had was 27c off the sausage and were very surprised to find that the French Carrefour fidelity card didn’t work in a Belgian Carrefour. Back around 1.30 p.m. Marjorie hadn’t phoned Anne, so Anne ‘phoned her. Bad news, the trolley won’t be free until 30th  May – but then we could have it for a month, if we liked. That is not going to please our insurers. Decided to go and pay her another visit next day to find out exactly what the problem was. I packed all the groceries away. Mike had a tin of his favourite pea and ham soup (and forgot they have concentrated soups here in Belgium, you have to add a tin full of water!) and I made myself a sandwich with some nice little soft brown buns. I gave Mike a hand to change the rubber gas pipe on the gas bottle. It proved to be more difficult than expected. He had to get inside the gas locker to operate two spanners at the same time  - so all the stuff had to come out so he could get in. Meanwhile Anne had made us coffee and cut up a tarte au fraises. It took a bit longer than expected to change the gas pipe. We got cleaned up and took our chairs to sit out on the end of the pontoon with Anne and Olly. They weren’t very happy with the delay at the chantier. Mike said he and Olly could go next day and have a chat with Marjorie. They said if we have to wait until the end of the month they might go on up river into Valenciennes as there is a music festival on all month in the town. We’ll see what happens tomorrow. Put all the stuff back in the gas locker.