Well, 48 hours later and we are still tied up to the brambles. The VNF finally came by at 4.30 and said not today. Maybe tomorrow. Definitely not Sunday of course (they don’t work Sundays). If it rains over the weekend it might be next Friday!!
Mais, we have planes to catch.
There is some light at the end of the canal. There are two passenger boats that need to get through, coming upstream, and they are no doubt putting some pressure on. If they let them through maybe we can sneak out.

The funny thing is this part of the canal looks pretty good today. I know the levels are up because our lines are slacker now than when we tied them indicating we’ve moved up but otherwise it’s very benign. Of course it’s not necessarily here that’s the problem. It could be up in the Jura mountains.

We are running out of books to read! Very bad news. The internet will run out soon too. Quelle horror! Isn’t that like, a human right or something?
They did ask if we are ok for water so that was nice. Wish we could swim in the canal because it’s really quite hot here on the boat but I think that would be a bad idea. Some IV antibiotics would need to be on standby for me to try that.

There’s not a huge amount to do while we wait. Running along the canal all the way is a cycleway and it’s very well used. Lots of groups in their matching Lycra, tandem cycles, roller bladers, walkers. It’s great to see so many people using it. Lots of Bonjours. Wish we had some bikes. The French airforce use the skies above us to practice manoeuvres in their Mirage fighter planes. Fun to watch. How’s the serenity, love? Right now there is a motorised hand glider circling us. And a very nice Frenchman and women just asked us how long we will have to wait here. Very social. I think we may be the local attraction de jour.  Hopefully not of the week.

Sometime during the torrential rain we suffered getting here we lost our NZ flag. Must have fallen off into the river. Just wondering, is that a hanging offence? Or will we have to walk the plank? Actually we really need a gang plank. At the moment we are launching ourselves off the side of the boat into the aforementioned bramble and stinging nettles every time we want to get off. Was ok for one night but it’s starting to wear thin.

We have discovered the local village has renovated the ruined forge nearby and made it into a really nice event centre. Here are a few pics from our walk yesterday. Fingers crossed we can move on tomorrow!