Thursday 27th May
Serignac to Lagreure. Padavin. A Nature ramble.
As we arrived quite late last night we hadn’t taken much notice of where we were but in the morning we immediately noticed the very famous twisted spire of Serignac Eglise and realized we’d a) been here before and b) could have stayed in any number of village B&B’s, anyone of which would have had rather more charm than where we’d been.
Men repairing the canal.
Lunch spot.
Heron; needless to says only seconds later he speared a fish.
Serignac to Lagreure. Padavin. A Nature ramble.
As we arrived quite late last night we hadn’t taken much notice of where we were but in the morning we immediately noticed the very famous twisted spire of Serignac Eglise and realized we’d a) been here before and b) could have stayed in any number of village B&B’s, anyone of which would have had rather more charm than where we’d been.
Twisted spire at Serignac
The day was overcast and under the trees along the canal quite cold. Fortunately by lunchtime it had warmed up and by sitting in a field away from the shade of the trees it was too hot to strip off without having to plaster ourselves with sun block. (Alec always thinks this requires much effort!)
Men repairing the canal.
Lunch spot.
So we sweltered in our clothes and watched and listened to the birds – frustratingly there are so many species hiding in the bushes and we still can’t identify them all even with the book on our knee. Alec spent several minutes poised to take a photo of a heron fishing, which needless to say only caught the fish when the camera ran out of battery.
Heron; needless to says only seconds later he speared a fish.
I was rather more excited by the sudden appearance of tortoises in the water, which look like floating leaves from afar. However, as you approach them, they are very sharp eyed and duck under the water and skedaddle, so photo opportunities are tricky.
Tortoise, or maybe Turtle!
Stag - only this one's a target.
Lock rage, the Frenchman at the back was determined to overtake!
Stag - only this one's a target.
Suddenly the canal is really quite busy. We counted several different national identity flags on the various barges from as far afield as South Africa, (they were quite definitely not sticking to the 8 knots speed limit,) quite a few Americans, Australians, Scots and lots of French of course.
We encountered our first experience of ‘lock rage’. An elderly (much older than us) English couple who from the look of it had brought their boat all the way from Grimsby were slowly and methodically tying up their boat in advance of the lock doors closing behind them and the lock filling up from in front. A Frenchman crewing a hideous floating caravan singlehandedly clearly thought that they were doing all of this far too slowly and realized that there might be room for his tub ahead of them - closer to the lock exit. So he sets about overtaking them in the lock, something that anyone in their right mind could see that he clearly could not do. After much yelling and shouting we left them too it and peddled off.
We encountered our first experience of ‘lock rage’. An elderly (much older than us) English couple who from the look of it had brought their boat all the way from Grimsby were slowly and methodically tying up their boat in advance of the lock doors closing behind them and the lock filling up from in front. A Frenchman crewing a hideous floating caravan singlehandedly clearly thought that they were doing all of this far too slowly and realized that there might be room for his tub ahead of them - closer to the lock exit. So he sets about overtaking them in the lock, something that anyone in their right mind could see that he clearly could not do. After much yelling and shouting we left them too it and peddled off.
Lock rage, the Frenchman at the back was determined to overtake!
We finally reached the Pont Legruere which was our clue to leave the canal, go into the restaurant right there beside the bridge and ask directions as to where our B&B was.
We returned 2 hours later for supper which was excellent but we were dismayed from the restaurateurs’ perspective to find only one boat moored outside and that we were 2 out of only 5 who had dinner there all evening.
We returned 2 hours later for supper which was excellent but we were dismayed from the restaurateurs’ perspective to find only one boat moored outside and that we were 2 out of only 5 who had dinner there all evening.
Supper!
The season for the canal is only June to mid September so any business operating there has to work fairly hard to make it viable. He seemed fairly relaxed about this as he plays in an orchestra in Bordeaux for the rest of the year.
Dappled light along the canal!
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