No Cassoulet
It's sort of difficult to describe on canals - it's not like roads and not only do you wiggle everywhere often, but, distance is very different - I did a long long day yesterday - and, I only managed about 40 km. - About 13 locks -------- you can't gauge any sort of time - one lock held me up yesterday - it just wouldn't work - it was towards the end of the day and I was tired anyway - so, I gave up and tied up properly for the night - and, as sure as god made little apples - I went for a walk up to the lock to speak with the lock gods - and, just as I set off on the path - a big grumpy looking french guy from the water authority turned up - and, as they all have been - he was very friendly - and, said in the only 2 words in english that he knows 'you come' - meaning - I will trigger the lock and you can go through now - so, - back to the boat and a quick untie and rearrange the ropes - and, ---------- on we go
this morning - first lock - down the track about ?? don't know - a few kilometres - and, I turn off one canal into another canal - which is very beautiful - and, I'm now full bottle on how this particular remote control works - I press the button - the lights change - and, I go into the prepared automatic lock - this time - I'm going up - haven't been up for a week ------- then --------------- zip - nothing happens
after pulling levers and pushing buttons - I back out of there - no plan, just tie up again - just tie the bloody thing up and go for another walk up to the lock and I see a bloke with a very disinterested look and walk - walk into the lock - and, he walks into the building - hasn't acknowledged me at all - now, from experience - I think - hang on a minnie - this bugger is going to trigger the lock - so, I start walking back to the boat - and, he appears on the top of the lock and waves at me to come though - so, I rapidly prepare and head on in - the lights are not right for entering - but, he's signalled - so, I think - what the hell - I go in - up we go and he's in the room while I am outside working the ropes and he looks at me and I look at him and we sort of have a look to say - ' bloody locks' -- so, the boat is up and he comes out - and, I say that I'm aussie and no english - and, I ask if I made a mistake - 'he says - no mistake - it's automatique - it automatiqually breaks every second day and he comes out automatiqually and fixes it
' then, he says, 'australie - do you know 'midnight oil' - I say yes, - we become warriors in blood right there, then he says, do you know ac/dc - I say yes - we become bonded in the universe forever
we part with him singing to me ---------- 'bon voyage - don't worry, be happy'
try working out a timetable with that sort of goings on
so - I'm sort of about 200 km in a straight line from where I began - and, my general plan might be taking a huge change - will know in a week or so - I was heading for the Canal de Bourgogne - which, I'm to believe is quintessential France - but, I might get an offer to stay in Paris in conditions that are very difficult to say no to - even though I was going to avoid Paris - but, this is about a once in a lifetime opportunity - so, if it comes in I might just put on delay all else for 6 or more months - we shall see -
