Sombre moments in Sillery

The first overcast day for us in months happened to coincide with our arrival in Sillery boat harbour. We had no idea that Sillery was home to a Military Cemetery for 11,259 French soldiers. Each headstone shared by two young men.

The reaper held his scythe high and did his work.

More from the canals

If not locks, then lift bridges.

Coming into the wheat belt

And harvesting

Approaching another lock.

Cooling off in 40 degrees

This little cat waiting for a fish

Just like roadsigns :)

Some non-Boaty sights in passing

Butterflies land on us for some R&R

Lovely wrought lamphangers

  love that plants beat the concrete

They just keep coming

Book exchange in middle of nowhere :)

Citroen Masarati collecting dust in a garage

An Eriba Camper van

Dragonfly on Greg's hand

Risque gnomes in a Lockside garden

Going through the Balesmes Tunnel

Entering the longest canal tunnel in Europe. A mere 5kms long.

Joe helming. A 5km tunnel. 8m wide. towpath one side. 6m from waterline to roof. Depth 3m. Speed limit 4km/h. No much space if you lose concentration.  I sang - enjoying the acoustics provided by 200 year walls.

Lit towpath.

Popping back into sunshine after an hours passage.

Blue Eye pops out fifteen minutes after us.

What do you fancy tonight

Which bit we asked :)

Another Dog friend made

The dogs come right up to our boat to say hello - at least one a day :)

Places we moor for a night or two

Here we use 'pins' ( large iron rods hammered into canal bank) to secure our boat overnight. We could use the bollards as well.

Always plenty of shade :)

Here we use 'pins' bow and stern, midships secured to canal bollards with handy passerelle onto towpath.

Only birdsong and starlight - heaven

And sunsets

Rural Lock Life

Quiet idyll canalside

Another happy resident

Colonization never ceases to amaze me

Lock Keeper house - many are derelict, however it is possible to 'lease' them!

Fabulous soil  hereabout -  Lock keepers grow and sell the ultimate in homegrown vegetables and fruit to us. Truffles free! And found by a dog :)

Quintessential

How many ropes have held against this lock wall

Nearly full.

Joe joins us

Joe seems to enjoy the boat

Meeting a lovely Wizard

 Waiting for the VNF folk to open a lock

Knocking in pins for the passerelle

Helming into a lock

Passing images

 Flowers to greet la tour de france

 Dogs love coming to visit

Where the bullfrogs sing

More for the tour at Chalon-sur-Soane

River signage is explicit

Having whacked into the Lock gates, they lost their lines and started to spin!

I love sunflowers and plenty here

Another canal traversed

Lock keepers houses are helpfully signed,