Tuesday 22nd July
Rain returned on Monday and we stayed in Naix-les-Forges another day and this morning we moved 5km to Treveray. The main road through the town was very busy with juggernauts, we assumed it was a shortcut to somewhere and were glad the canal was on the other side of town. Later we heard that it was diverted motorway traffic coming through Treveray because of a crash on the N4. Apparently some lorries went through Naix, crossing the canal bridge by the moorings. It is a small bridge so with juggernauts approaching from each side there was quite a jam.

Treveray

Wednesday 23nd July
Today we arrived at Damange-aux-Eaux at the top of la Marne au Rhin (ouest). We had problems with only 2 of the 9 locks and the VNF were very prompt in dealing with them. Tomorrow we go through the 5km Mauvages Tunnel. In the past all boats were towed through by an electric tug (because of poor ventilation), now you go under your own power accompanied by a VNF man on an electric bicycle; only two boats at a time (because of poor ventilation!). We arranged to go through with a Danish cruiser at 9am tomorrow.

Damange aux Eaux

Thursday 24th July
We left our mooring as soon as the lock opened, shortly before 9am. However, we were beaten to the tunnel entrance by 2 German boats who had moored the other side of the lock yesterday evening and we had to wait until 11am; arrangements with the VNF are always very flexible! It was an easy passage through the tunnel, as we came out we were applauded and by a group of sightseers. We travelled a further 7km and 7 locks to Sauvoy and moored for the night. At the last lock we passed an Australian boat that had been stuck for a week because of engine problems.

Mauvages Tunnel

Sightseers at the exit 

Sauvoy

Checking the weed hatch

Saturday 26th July
Yesterday we travelled in company with the Danish to the picturesque town of Void, arriving in time for lunch. We walked to the Restaurant Cugnot where we found Oliver (the stranded Australian) he was very pleased to talk to someone in English. He seems to have been adopted by the town, joining in birthday parties and being driven around by the mayoress who had taken a shine to him. (Oliver is over 70yrs old). He was expecting the mechanic to arrive in the afternoon and was in an optimistic mood. It was at Void in the 18th century  that NJ Cugnot, an artillery officer, built the “Fardier” a steam powered wagon considered to be the ancestor of the motorcar. We met a group of cyclists from Gateshead who were on a charity bike ride to the Italian lakes.
Today D. met Oliver in town, the engine was fixed but the is battery dead and he was waiting for the mayoress to drive him to Toul to by a new one.

Mooring at Void

Views of Void

Sunset at Void

Bikers from Gateshead

N J Cugnot's "Fardier"

Fresh water jellyfish

Monday 28th July
There are no locks between Void and the junction with the canal de Meuse 7Km away so we left at 8am to be at the first lock on the Meuse when it opened at 9.00am. A lockkeeper arrived at the first lock the same time as us. He told us the next 3 locks are in a poor state of repair and leak water overnight. The locks would not work properly until he had refilled the canal. This delayed our progress but we still reached Commercy by midday. The mooring is next to the velodrome and there was a cycling event taking place. D. went to watch the motorised pacing event using the Derny motorbike as a pacer for each cyclist.
Today we walked round Commercy, the home of the madaleine cake made famous by Marcel Proust.

Crossing the Meuse

3 bridges

Joining the river Meuse

Mooring at Commercy

Chateau Stanislas Commercy

Commercy

Home of the Madeleine cake

Derny racing

Photo finish

Wednesday 30th July
Very wet (again!) yesterday, we do not like boating in the rain instead we went by train to Toul. It took less than 20 minutes, by boat it would be 2 days. We visited the local sights and had lunch at the Restaurant le Commerce that was established in 1895 and “conserver son esprit Belle Epoque” with murals dating from the period.
Just before nine this morning the moorings were visited by two pompiers in a small motorboat. They came to say the next lock would be closed for an hour or so because of an accident. They did not elaborate on what the accident and we not planning on moving anyway, in fact L was still in bed reading.

Toul

Saturday 12th July
It has been raining all this week and we are still at Pargny-sur-Saulx. Jo, Stephanie, Vi and Allan arrived from the UK yesterday. Today was cloudy but the rain finally stopped and we drove to Bar-le-Duc. This town is famous for three things. 1. The birthplace of Pierre Michaux inventor of the bicycle.  2. The “Transi” statue by Ligier Richier depicting the Prince of Orange killed in the siege of St Dizier in 1544. His wife wanted him represented how he would look 3 years after his death.  3. Redcurrant jam. The currants are deseeded using a goose quill but at 15 euro for a very small jar we did not taste any. In the evening we had a jolly meal at the L’ Ancre d’ Or which is conveniently situated at the end of the moorings.

Our guests arrive bringing Champagne

The Prince of Orange 3 years after his death

Redcurrant jam. A favourite of Alfred Hitchcock

Sunday 13th July
Today we moved upstream to Revigny-sur-Ornain. To activate the last 4 locks we needed a remote controller, normally we would have collected this at the first lock of the canal but there were none available the day we came through. An off duty lock keeper (who was feeding his pigs) said he would contact the on duty keeper to meet us at the first of the four locks and give us a controller. We arrived at the lock to find the gates shut and no keeper. It was too windy to hold the barge in mid canal and we reversed down to a factory quay and moored up just as the heavens opened.  Only problem was we could no longer see the lock to know when the keeper arrived. Jo volunteered to walk to the lock, which meant scrambling through thick undergrowth, up an embankment and across a railway bridge, all in the pouring rain. L rang the VNF office to tell them we were waiting at the lock and when Jo got onto the railway bridge she signalled that the lock gates were open. We moved up into the lock and collected a very wet Jo. Eventually the lock keeper arrived with a controller and we were able to complete our journey.

Only L. out on deck

Monday 14th July
The sun reappeared at last and we moved on to Fains–les-Sources. The quay was full but we were able to moor on the bank. We had hoped for some Bastille Day festivities but could tell from all the spent fireworks that they had happened on Sunday night.

The sun finally returns

Jo cycling back for the car

Our mooring at Fains les Sources

Wednesday 16th July
Our guests left yesterday and we have stayed put to take advantage of the good weather to do the laundry and clean the boat, inside and out. D. decided it was time for his annual French haircut. He had the complete works, short back and sides, beard, eyebrows and ear trim.

A queue at the swing bridge

D's short back and sides

Friday 18th July
We left Fains-les-Source on Thursday and travelled on to Tronville-en-Barrois. At Bar-le-Duc we passed through 3 lift bridges and created quite a traffic jam! Today we cycled to Ligney-en-Barrois, shopped in the market then had lunch at “La Place des Etoiles”. The food was good but the décor was bizarre. There was an African room, an Indian room and one with an American music and film theme. In the toilets it was the high seas with model sailing ships and 3D underwater pictures. In the afternoon it became very hot reaching the high 30s. D. had a swim to cool off; there are so few boats on this canal he thought it would be okay.  He tried getting back onboard using our rope ladder. It was not easy, we made a few modifications but think we need to have a ridged ladder.

Mooring at Tronville

We are just about to set off by bike when they decide to tarmac the road

Restaurant La Place des Etoiles

D. goes for a swim

Sunday 20th July
We are at Naix-les-Forges. We had several problems with the automatic locks yesterday and progress was slow, luckily it was not as hot as Friday. We arrived in time to get the last space on the quay, three more boats arrived after us; everyone had had problems with the locks. This is an attractive little village and unusually we saw quite a few residents when we walked round it this morning, most villages seem deserted.

Naix les Forges

There are meant to be roman ruins at Naix les Forges. But this is all we could find circa 2010