Honeydew

Back where we started - Moissac. The port already has an end of season feel about it with quite a number of boats double banked and closed up for the winter. There are still a few hire boats passing through - mainly Americans and Australians it seems, Europeans having returned to work and school. Summer is over for many- not quite for us though. We still have another month in France before we follow the sun south.

A few survivors (or late bloomers) from the summer crop

The change of season is evident all along the canal. We, unfortunately, missed the full glory of the huge sunflower fields. The plants look rather crestfallen now, heads dipped towards the ground with their heavy load of dark seeds. The plane trees, of which there are still many along the canal du Garonne and which provide not only welcome shade but are also very lovely to look at haven't yet lost their leaves just the moisture and colour from them. The hoped for autumnal russets don't look as though they are going to happen. Disappointingly they seem to have just 'browned out'. Speaking of 'browning out' plane trees have an unendearing quality - that of completely covering boats with a mass of brown spots and dust. A sort of speckled egg finish which is nigh on impossible to remove without removing the underlying paint as well. Strictly speaking it is not entirely the fault of the poor trees themselves. We assumed it was some sort of resin but have recently been given a less appealing explanation for me to ponder on as I scrub away. Apparently, it may be the sticky 'residue' excreted from sap feeding insects and is called, rather prettily, honeydew. (I'll never look at honeydew melons the same way again).