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| The "large" at Berry-au-Bac. C. Lateral a l'Aisne |
7.0°C Warmer overnight. Mike
bought a baguette from the boulangerie then we got ready to move on. Overnight
rain and milder temperatures had brought out the cowslips and violets on the
bank alongside the boat. Mike parked the car down by the lock house and we set
off at 10.20 a.m. heading up the 4.65 kms pound. A lone tern was flying up and
down the canal searching for fish. The two swans we’d been feeding bread for
the last couple of days were busily building a nest at the top end of the
“large” opposite the busy (and noisy) grain and animal feed depot.
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| Low bridge below Berry lk 1 C. de l'Aisne a la Marne |
Mike took
photos of the shunting engine and then of a large tractor which was coupled to
a line of railway wagons waiting to be unloaded – the shunter must be out of
sorts! Under the A26 motorway, busy with lorry after lorry. The canal was
extremely quiet apart from loud birdsong from a stand of white poplars off to
the right of the canal. We’d seen no one at all along the towpath until we arrived
at lock 2 Condé-sur-Suippes and a silent man on a bike stopped to watch us lock
through. The automatic lock worked perfectly. Took pictures of the two
redundant lock cabins, a large capstan and a smart, lived-in lock house. Made a
cuppa on the 7 kms long pound. Noted a new tap by some picnic tables at
Variscourt.
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| Tractor acting as shunter. Berry-au-Bac |
The canal becomes more like a river after Variscourt, with
overhanging trees on both sides. The water was very clear at the first wide bit
with an island and we could see how shallow it was off to the left and the
underwater tree debris. Through the village of Pignicourt, passing a house with
an enviable antenna farm (radio amateur) then the VNF house – and spotted the
man getting into his van. He was there in the cabin at the lock, number 1 Pignicourt,
last on the Latéral à l’Aisne and only 1.89m deep.
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| Lock 2 Conde-sur-Suippes. C. Lat a l'Aisne |
He waved as we left,
presumably he was just making sure that the lock worked OK for us. Just beyond
the lock we left the department of Aisne and entered Ardennes. 6.9 kms of canal
left before the start of the Canal des Ardennes. Black clouds loomed in front
and made a contrasting backdrop for the photos Mike was trying to take of our
new king-sized VNF flag as the wind swept it horizontal. I made some sandwiches
for lunch. Fortunately the rain clouds were not coming our way. The bird life
was very varied, we passed moorhens, coots, jays, ducks, crows and a lone
buzzard, plus Mike saw a kingfisher on the way to lock 14 Vieux-les-Asfeld. I
turned the pole and the lock emptied - it had been three-quarters full.
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| A musk rat! Sharing lock 14 Vieux-les-Asfeld. C des Ardennes |
No lock
house or cabin, completely deserted except for us - and a musk rat! First time
we’ve ever shared a lock with a musk rat. It swam up and down at the top end of
the lock, diving down and popping back up by the gates, keeping well away from
us. It sat in the hole by the blue rod, having a rest as the lock finished
filling. As soon as the top end gates opened it was out and gone. A couple of
kilometres further on we arrived at the little town of Asfeld and moored next
to a quay almost as high as the boat roof – ideal for getting the moped off the
roof without a plank. It was 2.55 pm.
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Lock 14 Vieux-les-Asfeld. C des Ardennes
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| Moored at Asfeld. C des Ardennes |
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