Best Laid Schemes....

Royal Mile Edinburgh

No, we're not back in Scotland. Just a nod to the bard. 'Best Laid Schemes' indeed. We've never been enthusiastic planners and today we've been reminded why it's often best not to bother because, as Rabbie tells us, they 'gang aft agley' (often go wrong).
We set off this morning on our last morning on the Saone, during pouring rain, remarking that it would be so nice to travel along this river in the sunshine and so fully enjoy its scenery. Be careful what you wish for. We also commented on the lack of boats. Strange that it's so quiet. The locks on this part of the Saone are all automatic. About 100 metres from the lock you twist a bar hanging over the middle of the waterway and this sets everything in motion. There are lock keepers living in some of the adjacent cottages but we haven't seen many apart from the ones supervising the tunnels. The ones we have seen have ventured out to sell us bottles of wine, tarts and terrines which we always buy despite the probable hefty price mark up. People have to make a living after all and who are we to turn down a bottle of chilled rosé? We didn't see any lock keepers today until we reached the end of the Saone and entered the first lock of the Canal de L'Est.

Corre

The keeper emptied the lock for us so we could enter, took our ropes and secured us to the bollards and then knelt down to tell us the bad news. The canal is closed for several weeks due to a lock wall collapse 2 days ago. The same thing happened last year and the canal was closed for the best part of the season. Apparently this is a different lock. The keeper was most apologetic but there's nothing to be done. We backed out of the lock and moored up in a nearby marina. Who knows when it will be repaired?
So, we will have to retrace our steps, pick up our forgotten key and make a decision as to where we go next.

On a brighter note, the capitain of the port has been entertaining us this evening by playing such classics as Amazing Grace and Oh Mein Papa on his Alpenhorn. I think the Alpenhorn must rank along with the bagpipes, the didgeridoo and trumpet as one of those instruments where people say, 'Could you please go and practise that somewhere else?'