Wednesday 9th September 2009 Génelard to Paray-le-Monial. C. du Centre.

Warm and sunny, clouding over later. We left Génelard at 10.10 a.m. following The Big Boat to the next lock. An old Bermuda, which had moored in front of us overnight, had just set off to go uphill so we had a few minutes wait before our girl in a VNF car came to set the lock for us. Lock 17 Montet dropped us down another 2.5m and we set off on the 4 kms pound to the next, lock 18 Thiellay. Just as we went through Palinges we spotted a Locaboat behind catching us up fast, so we increased speed for the last 500m to make sure he didn’t try to overtake us and get in the lock behind The Big Boat. I pulled the cord and we descended another 2.51m. The lock house was empty and shuttered. 1.5 kms to the next. The Loca hovered above the lock waiting for the keeper to return and reset the lock. We passed a field of maize being harvested with a convoy of tractors and trailers taking the minced green stuff away. Another VNF car sped past heading uphill; an older lady with specs was driving. Lock 19 Digoine was ready for us and I pulled the cord again (four poles to choose from again) to start the slow drop of 2.84m. The lock house was lived in, probably by the lady keeper who returned in her car before the lock was empty. A man drove the car down to the next and came back again before we halfway down the 3.5 kms pound to lock 20. The lady with glasses arrived not long after and watched while we went through lock 20 La Gravoine, emerging 2.49m lower down. 2.7 kms through rolling farmland with Charollais cows took us to lock 21 Haillers. Down another 2.58m then 1.6 kms to lock 22, Volsevres. Down 2.53m and we said au’voir to our lady minder as it was her last lock. She reset the lock for the Loca who was not far behind us. It was 1.05 p.m. as we started the long pound, 5.2 kms, and we ate lunch as we went along. Our last lock was 23 L’Hyron, where we were watched over by on older man in a VNF car with two antennas and a flashing light on top. He asked if we were stopping and for how long. He gave Mike his phone number to call to continue down the locks when we said we didn’t know how long we’d be stopping (might be for the winter, who knows?) He sped off in the van before the lock was empty. Down another 2.73m and on to the pound leading to Paray-le-Monial, a famous place of pilgrimage to the basilica which dominates the town. Passing a park full of flowers and a splendid assortment of grasses we entered the outskirts. The layby was almost filled with Dutch Barges. On through the town to moor next to the cycle path/towpath beyond a British flagged tjalk and a couple of cruisers. The town fathers in their wisdom had erected a wooden pole fence all along the towpath to stop cyclists falling in. It made mooring rather awkward. Volunteers came off the other boats to grab ropes for us. M and D said they were going shopping at Aldi, then Leclerc. I gave Mike a hand to unload the fizzer off the roof which we did without resorting to using a plank as the towpath edge was higher than the gunnels. He went to get the car. The post office at Perrecy-les-Forges was closed, only open mornings during holidays, so he couldn’t collect the insurance certificate sent by our insurance man in Nevers. No French digital TV and French analogue TV was ropey.