Getting Things Done in Verdun

Carry on south and further up the Meuse.  Automated locks come to an end but helpful folks from the VNF whizz up and down in their little white vans to operate the locks for us.  They're usually on their own and it's polite to hop out and help open one side to save them running around.  It's getting hot too and the lock keepers always appreciate a bottle of beer passed over as we leave.  This interesting lock has sloping sides which must have been a bit challenging before they installed the handy floating pontoon which makes it really easy!


We're headed for Verdun and will be staying for a while.  Julie is heading to the UK for a week carrying out Grandma duties.  Rob has a very large (and expensive) can of white paint that is to be applied to the boat roof.

There's a very nice harbour in the centre of Verdun.  It's completely free and that includes water and electricity.  And there's plenty to see and do in Verdun.  It's therefore always crowded with people not anxious to move on.  We managed to find a spot squeezed between 2 Dutchmen (this blog could easily be re-titled that way!).  The ropes cross the path which is a bit awkward for the many cyclists.  We retrieve the car by bus and Julie loads it for the long drive to Surrey - nearly 400km to Calais.

Rob starts attacking the rust spots on the roof with a wire brush and rust killer.  After a shower this all runs and looks a mess.  Helpful tourists on the road above look down and ask me what's wrong with the roof.  Boats come and go and I get asked to move forward/back and to host a boat breasting on me. No problem.  Then I learn that the marathon is coming past on Sunday and we all have to remove mooring ropes and the boats to which they are attached.  Time to abandon the electricity and free water (that I don't even need) and head just up the road to the old commercial wharf.  Result!  Peaceful mooring all for Taddy, no tourists, a large grassy(ish) area for the Idiot Retriever and, wait for it . . . a brico (DIY store) 100m away!

Over the next few days I apply undercoat and 2 top coats to the roof and rails.  In between coats, I remove paint from myself and places on the boat where it shouldn't be.  The texture of the paint is enhanced by mass suicide by the local fly population.  I'm considering renaming the roof as the 'Italian Sun Deck' because it contains more flies than a Garibaldi biscuit (think it through dear reader).

The roof is about 20 square metres so that's a lot of painting in 3 coats (and quite a few flies).  My knees suffer.  The last coat is the worst - bright white on bright white in bright sunshine - a bit like watching a solar eclipse.  Finally it's done and it's - white with no rust.  I make no greater claim. 

Cora the Idiot Retriever spends the time lazing on the grass and wandering off at inconvenient times.  Twice a day we walk around town looking for river beaches for her.  It must be a pathetic sight; a white spotted old bloke and a forlorn retriever looking out for her mum.

After a week, Julie is due back.  Cue a day of mad boat cleaning, washing the sheets and getting everything back in order.  Fortunately she arrives back just in time to celebrate 'Red Wine Wednesday' as we usually do.

We can't leave Verdun without mentioning its place in history.  The battle in 1916 lasted 10 months during which the Germans failed to take the town from the French.  Roughly 400,000 men died on each side establishing that fact.  Imagine a town where 20,000 men die each week for 10 months.  Verdun now markets itself as a Centre for World Peace.  But it's not a lesson we seem to have learned.

Comments

  1. Alan and Rosie4 July 2019 at 22:20

    Very interesting blog Rob and Julie and Cora as well, as she was mentioned too. I can well imagine the size of the task to paint the roof of Taddy and the owner too it would appear, Formidable, but you did it, mate. Well done too, Julie for doing the long drive to Blighty and back..

    I didn't fully realise the size of the total death toll in the 10 month battle. Horrendous. As you said, we don't seem to learn from it.
    Carry on enjoying your trip. Verdun seems an interesting place [n which to spend a bit.

    Cheers from Alan (and Rosie).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Alan and Rosie4 July 2019 at 22:26

    The words "of time" got missed at the end. That's me typing with one eye.

    I appreciated the comment about Garibaldi biscuits. At school in Brighton they were referred to as Squashed Fly Biscuits.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unknown6 July 2019 at 13:27

    We recall visiting the Museum and Citidal of Verdun many years ago. If you have the time, and the inclination, they are well worth exploring. So sad to reflect that all this mega sacrifice was to be repeated in much the same area just 20 plus years later ... In fact my Dad, as a gunner in the RA in May 1940, was hot-footing it west to Dunkirk in this area of northern France. He survived and then went on to Burma!!

    Hope you are all coping with the heat, especially Cora. xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Unknown6 July 2019 at 13:28

    Meant meant to sign off above as "Rosie"!!

    ReplyDelete

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