Briare to Paris

The great summer weather continues despite the days getting shorter. We head north along the Briare canal, last traveled by us in 2007 on our first French exploratory cruise. The Briare waterway linking the Loire and Seine rivers was commenced in 1604 and completed in 1640 and has been navigable ever since. Over the centuries the original waterway has been enlarged often leaving the the old stone lock chambers intact alongside the current canal. 

In Briare the the blooms thrive with daily watering

 The towns along the waterways compete with massive floral displays hung wherever possible.

Rogny les Sept Ecluses

The town owes its name and existence to the canal, an inland port and the site of a remarkable staircase of seven locks built in 1640 

Les Sept Ecluses. (The seven locks)

There seems to be a village in my beer!

Parts of the old canal abandoned but very scenic

Annie gets her daily workout

 While the locks are all manned along the Briare canal, boaters are welcome to help.

Near Montbouy, a Roman Amphitheatre. 

 This Roman 'stadium sized' Amphitheatre was uncovered in remote countryside when digging the canal, They dug round it.

The bar in Montargis where we watched Americas cup racing back in 2007

 We found the bar in Montargis where we watched the Kiwis racing Alingi in Valencia back in 2007.

The fortified town of Montargis

In Nemours 'Water Jousting' a French thing. 

In Namours we came across a festival weekend, and watched the sport of water jousting. Health and Safety, risk assessment???