Canal latéral à la loire, travel-report 2003: second day

It a wonderful spring-evening. The red sunlight glows over the Canal latéral à la Loire. We are moored at a beautiful spot. The canal and the Loire are almost touching each other here. From our boat we have a view through the trees on the Loire which is much more wide here than at Digoin.

Meanwhile we have almost reached Decize. We navigated an enormous distance today: 53 kilometers.

I went to the bakery this morning in Coulange, a village at about a kilometer from our boat. The sun was shining already and above the canal was a light morning-haze which added a magic sight to the canal.
We passed the first lock at nine o'clock and navigated to Diou. We tanked water in Diou. Because of the noise of the N79 we navigated on to the next lock: l'écluse de la Bêbre. This lock was our first yesterday morning. I take a look at the canal bridge across the Besbre. The canal is situated about eight meters above the level of the little river. Pepijn is looking for shells in the river.
	We are locked down after the lockkeepers lunch at one o'clock. Just behind the lock we see the branch to Dompierre. We pass by the iron-foundry of Peugeot. With the sunshine of today we are in clear contrast with the black scorched factory at our left hand side.
The locks are situated usually some four kilometers after each other. We don't see the Loire anymore. Just after lunch we pass through some boring straight sections. Later on, the landscape varies more. We navigate along green hills at the south side with now and then a yellow cole-seed field between. Many trees are planted along the canal. De planting varies, not one species as the Canal du Midi (plane-trees) or the Canal de Bourgogne (poplars). The banks are usually made of steel profiles. Animals who are happening to fall or jump into the water, usually can't come out. Therefore we see some dead dears and also two badgers. We are happy to see some living animals too. We see two storks who have built a nest in a tree and a swimming muskus-deer.

A lockkeeper usually manages three locks. There isn't much navigation so it can be done easily. Later in the afternoon a particular lockkeeper can't control it anymore. He tells me boats are arriving at all three locks. Therefore he races from lock to lock in his van.

We navigate all day. I have to get used again to steering a boat. Despite our prudence Pepijn and I both have damaged a fender.

Marga started cooking while we where navigating and after we moored we can have dinner right away. We are moored against a bank with long grass. Pepijn and Maarten are making a path towards the boat by hitting the grass with a branch. They touch it up later with a pair of scissors!