Picardie

 As I write we are moored in Amiens in the heart of Picardy and in a quiet spot in the shade of trees and a 15min walk to the largest catherdal in France.

With some relief we have descended the 35 locks on the French western end of the Sambre navigation. Here we joined the Oise river which flows into the Seine and Paris. At Compiegne we are back in the mix with commercial traffic again. 

                                                                          

Amiens cathedral, dating back to 1220 took 60 years to build.

Notre Dame in Paris could fit inside with room to spare. 

 

A plaque in the Cathedral honours the

 Kiwis who helped defend Amiens in 1916

Jules Verne was born and lived in Amiens.

Much of his inspiration is on display around the city 

With a little time in hand before heading South to Paris and with guests aboard, we headed North up the Canal du Nord and onto the Somme River. It is 12 years since we last cruised the Somme. During this time the hire boat fleet once based at Cappy has gone, and the waterway has become much less travelled. Many of the small waterside hostelries have closed up. This delightful and peaceful river needs more visitors. 

The higher levels of the Sambre

were clogged with weed making for very slow going

Descending the Western Sambre.

Sadly this route will decline without more boat traffic   

We are back among the commercials at Janville, Canal du Nord.

Lifting gates, at Noyon, Canal du Nord.

The commercial craft have priority.

Aproaching the 1km Panneterie tunnel, Canal du Nord 

One way traffic only.

Concentration needed on the helm

This heron does not miss a trick.

As the lock empties, he picks off the stranded fish.

 

Compiegne

Jeanne d'Arc in a defiant pose before the 'Mairie'

in Compiegne

Here she is again, by the railway station.

Jeanne d'Arc is one of the patron saints of France

Compiegne has a strong connection with Jeanne d'Arc. As a wilful teenager she led enough French people to rout the English, who ruled much of France back then. It was in Compiegne that in 1430 the Bugundians (loyal to the English) captured her and for a ransom, handed her to the English who then burned her at the stake for leading her army in mens clothing, declaring this to be religious heresy. 

From here, we head South to Paris.

 

The Storm.

On the night of 27th June, following a record breaking week long heat wave, a wind storm swept across Northern France. 

A mighty bankside willow is shattered by the storm

As I write, we are waiting at Le Gard having reached the summit level of the Sambre a l'Oise canal. The VNF, 'Voies Navigables de France' have halted our onward navigation, while they try and clear swathes of trees that have fallen across the waterway. This we are told may take another week. 

At Berlaimont we wait for a passage to be cleared ahead. 

Having been given clearance by the VNF to move on from Berlaimont to climb the final 6 locks to the summit, we soon come to another complete blockage forcing us to back track and wait again.

No way past this one

Once cleared by the VNF,

we slowly pass the same tree a few days later.

Even getting this far has been a challenge. For the past week, passages that should have taken only a couple of hours have taken all day. We have seen very few fellow cruisers on the move.

Cutting our way through branches tangled in the rudders

Not often I get to play in the dinghy

 There is no longer any commercial traffic on this part of the Sambre and maintenance has become a low priority. At tick over we have been wriggling around fallen trees. At one point a sapling tree right across the canal managed to tangle between our props and rudders. My own efforts to cut it clear was helped by a VNF crew who came to our aid, and on a Sunday! 

Two VNF crew turned out on a Sunday.

This stubborn liittle tree had lodged itself 

between our props and the rudders.

Lack of traffic has also allowed weed to take hold

We manage to brush past most of these fallen trees

Ecluse no 1 Top lock

On the summit level at last.

At Ecluse No 1 we reach the summit level. It will be downhill from here to Paris. That is, once they let us move again !!

I take the bike to check out the canal ahead.

I even spot this weed-eater, 

 working on the lower reaches 

At Le Gard, we wait with other craft.

 Under clear blue skies and another spell of 30+ temps.

A voice in my ear suggests that we could have taken an easier route.