Heavy rain in the night, hot and sunny with cloudy spells and a few spots of rain in the afternoon then back to sunny and hot again. The tjalk was still there by the cattle pens when we left at 9.45 a.m. – no tunnel tug on Sundays. Into the top lock 18 Lesdins (2.10m) I got off with some money and a bread bag, lifting the blue rod as I set off for the boulangerie half way between the first and second locks. The boat dropped down in the lock and was just coming into lock 19 Pascal (2.00m) as I arrived with two new loaves (1€ each). I lifted the blue bar and stepped back on board. Mike suggested that we did some more washing after St Quentin as I hadn’t washed his favourite long sleeved polo shirts. (It’s much too hot to wear them, but he has the choice if they’re clean!) The towpath was teeming with Sunday walkers, joggers, runners and cyclists – most of the fishermen wisely preferred the non-towpath side. 1.2 kms to lock 20 Omissy (2.30m) so I went inside to sort the cabin out, put stuff away and get the washing in the machine ready. Down the lock then I sat out to enjoy a nice cooling breeze as we ran down the 2kms pound to lock 21 Moulin Brûlé (2.20m) the first of the fenced locks through the city. A large DB Luxemotor called Alcazar (Belgian flagged) went past heading uphill. 1.2kms to lock 22 St Quentin (2.70m) and I held a rope while Mike put the pins in to run the generator as we dropped down the deep lock. Left the lock on the 7kms pound with the washing machine running, passing a fishing contest all along the quai Gayant in the middle of town. Mike saw a man riding a uni-cycle with a large wheel, about 1 metre. (I missed him). A small cruiser overtook not long after we’d passed the Port de Plaisance. Mum sat outside again on the front deck enjoying the sunshine. We put the sunshade up over the stern, but it was very breezy and we had to take it down again as the wind was too strong and might break it. We arrived at lock 23 Fontaine-lès-Clercs (1.90m) at 12.40 p.m. to find the cruiser had gone down it already. It refilled and we went down. The siren that sounded when the top end gates closed or opened was strident and loud like a police siren, very irritating, wouldn’t want to live in one of the houses surrounding it. 4.5 kms to the next. Continued with the generator running, as the washing hadn’t quite finished. The sky was clouding over and it was becoming very muggy. I made sandwiches for lunch, the new bread was very nice. The washing finished just before the lock so we drifted and I steered while Mike took the pins out of the drive. Down lock 24 Séraucourt (2.00m). A British DB, medium sized Luxe, was moored at KP65 in the middle of nowhere. Its skipper came out to say hello and ask where we were headed. Lock 25 Pont-Tugny (2.80m) was the last lock for the day. A small Dutch cruiser flying a French flag went past as we left the lock at the start of the 8kms to Jussy. It was getting very hot and close, but no thunderstorm. The skies cleared again before we arrived at Jussy. We’d just winded and tied to the old silo quay when a little cruiser called Atlantis from Wachtebke went past heading uphill! We’ve been there! He’s a long way from home. Gave Mike a hand to glue some tubing round the brake cable which was wearing away against the framework of the moped, then he rolled the bike off the roof on to the quay which was the same height as the roof. He went to get the car and I set the TV up. Mum stayed on the front deck, sleeping.
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