Digoin to Chalon

The locks along the Canal du Centre are automated - supposedly. The way it's supposed to work is that you slowly approach the lock, a radar beam detects you, the lock either fills or empties depending on which way you're going, the gates swing open, the traffic lights turn from red to green and in you go. Then, once you've secured your lines, you pull on a blue rod which activates the lock for you. (Apologies to those who  read the blog last year and know this already). There are many opportunities for things to go awry and they do but eventually one, or two, or three men will turn up in their little white vans and sort things out. Unless it's lunch time.
Arriving at the first lock out of Digoin we discovered it was turned off. Eventually, little white van man arrived and told us that due to the water shortage we would have to wait until such times as another boat appeared in order to share the lock. Apparently days and days of rain had made no difference to the level of the reservoirs at the summit which supply the canal. I have to confess I don't really understand this as all the way up the canal there is water pouring over the top of the lock gates and extra water pouring over the spillways. Even at the summit there seems to be plenty. But, as I've said before, what do I know? Luckily for us another boat arrived within the hour and the keeper returned and turned on the power. The other boat was only travelling as far as Paray le Monail so Monsieur Lock Keeper told us we'd have to wait there overnight  for yet another boat to travel with. Any annoyance at a delay immediately dissipated when we walked into the little town. It is lovely.
Paray le Monial is dominated by the Basilica which has been restored and whose honey stoned interior is filled with light. Many thousands of pilgrims visit every year as a nun claimed to have had miraculous visions of Christ  here in the 17th century. There has even been a papal visit. The town is also famous for its mosaics and there are lots of artists exhibiting. We wished we'd spent more time there rather than in Digoin.

Another boat did turn up. A flying Dutchman intent on getting to the end of the canal as quickly as possible. We travelled with him for a couple of days but eventually the pace was too much for us and we suggested he went on himself. I don't know whether the rain has eased the situation or it's just that we were getting further away from 'head office' but the rule about sharing locks seems to have been relaxed. Sharing locks can be entertaining though. (There was supposed to be a picture here of a boatload of English wine buyers on an all expenses paid tour of Burgundy but disaster has struck and all my recent photos seem to have been deleted by my computer. I'm a bit upset....)

This canal has been very scenic as it winds its way through the rich Burgundy countryside. For the last stretch we have been high up and overlooking the slopes of the vineyards of some of the most famous French wines. Tomorrow we reach the end of the canal and will descend the 10.5m lock (that's deep) onto the River Saone.
Next stop the town of Chalon sur Saone.