Retracing Steps

Joinville - on the canal entre Champagne et Bourgogne as well as the R Marne

Well, we didn't toss a coin after all.  Caution and Sense (me) prevailed and we turned around 180 degrees and set off back down the Canal entre Champagne et Bourgogne. The route may be the same but it seems different - all the locks we went down in we're now going up and we're seeing the countryside from the other side of the trees so to speak. Things also look different in the rain....
It is most definitely Autumn now. The trees are just beginning to lose their  leaves and there are lots of people out along the tow path collecting nuts and apples from the laden trees. We've collected quite a pile ourselves which might stand us in good stead when we run out of shops in a day or so. The farmers are also out in force, collecting and wrapping hay bales and harvesting the sweetcorn and sunflowers.

There is even less traffic than a week ago. Today, for instance, we travelled for 6 hours and didn't see a single other boat. All very peaceful, the only drama being stuck in an automated lock for half an hour when the road bridge which is supposed to work in conjunction with the lock got stuck half way up meaning we couldn't move and nor could the road users.

A little maintenance whilst stuck in a lock

Another phone call to the control centre. Perhaps it happens regularly as none of the drivers seemed upset. They all just got out of their vehicles for a chat and a lot of shoulder shrugging. I even had the chance to do a bit of sympathetic shrugging myself. Eventually a liitle white van arrived and a lock keeper leapt out to save the day once again.

Holding up the traffic