Another summer just the same? Not quite!

It's July 2020 and we should have been cruising for 3 months now.  But it's 2020 and you don't need me to tell you that 2020 is different from anything we've experienced or planned.  I'm not going to say the C-word but 2020 will be remembered as the year that mucked things up!

Three months at home without boarding a boat was tough and when it became possible to return to Bruges and get started again, we packed up and headed for the tunnel.  We think we can manage 3 months which rules out travelling too far south but that doesn't matter.  There's plenty of lovely water in Belgium and northern France.  And we'll avoid the drought which is already plaguing central France.

I say drought because we seem to have missed the best of the weather and I'm writing this on a rainy Tuesday afternoon in Aalst.  I've been slow to start blogging again as I didn't want to complain about  . . . well, you know what about.  But this morning a fellow boater passed by and stopped to say hello to the idiot retriever.  I looked surprised when she addressed said hound by name and the lady said, 'I read your blog'.  OK - so there's one reader!  Let's hear from you.

Our target this year is to cruise the River Somme which we missed last year.  But we'll take our time getting there.  We left Bruges on 6 July and were headed to Ghent where we had an appointment with a dry dock to replace a leaking seal (the rubber sort not the fish-eating sort).  Inevitably, that involved some waiting around and an eye-watering bill but it's generally considered best to have boats that don't leak.






On Saturday, we awaited the high tide at Merelbeke before setting off down the Scheldt on the ebbing tide.  This makes you whizz along nicely at about 13km/h (hey, that's fast on a barge).  After 4 hours we turned off onto the River Dender to head south.  In the large sea lock the friendly lock keeper came out to provide an updated cruising guide in English, a large waterways flag and a bag of tomatoes from his garden.  How I love waterways people!  Incidentally, someone asked yesterday if we'd encountered any C-word related hostility.  Nope! Not a bit. We think people are pleased to see us.

The Dender is going to take us out of Flanders and into Wallonia but not for a week or so.  Especially at the sedate pace we've promised ourselves.  We're currently in Aalst, the Flemish town determined to be first in the Belgian phone directory.  We like it here and are staying a third night.  That's given me time to complete my French homework before my lesson tonight with my nice French lady teacher who lives in Mexico.  What an odd world we live in.

I should mention the bear, or No-Neck to give him his proper name.  Those that follow us on Instagram ( taddytales ) will know all about our bears over the last few months.  One of them managed to smuggle aboard Taddy for the summer trip and is featuring in a daily Instagram post.  Try it - it's more regular than this blog and better written! 

Feedback people, feedback!  

Comments

  1. Unknown15 July 2020 at 01:54

    Having one of my "bad" nights getting off to sleep ... Laying there I suddenly realised I had forgotten to look for the first Taddy Blog even though I had received the official Whattsapp notification earlier. So, here I am in my nightie exploring what you have all been up to!! Was slightly alarmed to see No Neck seemingly attired in PPE, (will not mention the "C" word either). Just hope this is not maintaining some form of readiness ...!!

    Your photos are great and you appear to be having the somewhat mixed weather that we are experiencing. What a lovely man your friendly lock keeper was. All adds to the charm of your voyage. Big adventure for us both tomorrow ... We are venturing into Winchester on the bus, all masked up, as we have a rendez-vous with Specsavers for an eye test. This will be the first time we have visited the town in 3 months!! We feel quite excited!!

    We're not on Instagram so do please keep your Blogs going as and when you have the energy. In the meantime, carry on enjoying, stay safe and loving pats to Cora, (I refuse to address her as the "Idiot Retriever") !!
    Bon nuit nos chers amis x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown15 July 2020 at 01:57

    Just realised that I have been labelled as "unknown" !! What an insult !! It is of course Rosie from over the road, currently the raving insomniac!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rob Dean15 July 2020 at 14:27

      Thanks Rosie,
      I think if you logged onto your Google account before commenting, it would show your name.

      Sleep better!

      Delete
  3. Alan Hillman15 July 2020 at 15:50

    Nice to read the first blog. Again the picture quality is superb. The cloud formation in the view across the canal is wonderful. Quite a photographer is No-Neck

    ReplyDelete

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