New Territory

After climbing the 12 locks back out of Toul two days ago, we turned left into new territory. The last few weeks have been retracing our steps (or is it paddles) back from Strasbourg to where we left the Canal de la Meuse last September.  Now we are heading west on the Canal de la Marne au Rhin towards Paris.

Immediately we turned left we felt like we were in new country – high rolling fields in front of forested ridges – as we climbed out of the top of the Meuse valley towards the beginning of the Marne watershed.   The canal was very rural and lovely and the water so clear you can see to the bottom and all the fish. We moored behind Chris and Helen who we had met waiting for the Nancy canal to open and shared wine and snacks in green surroundings at Sauvoy.

After seven more locks we had to wait for our escort through the  4.9km of Mauvage’s tunnel.  We were the only boat following the electric chain driven tug through the tunnel.  It is supposed to tow the boats through but the pleasure boats aren’t suited to steering in a narrow tunnel with no power so we just followed it.  It wasn’t very relaxing as the tug goes at 4km/hour and the slowest Armida goes with the engine engaged is a about 5km/h.  So there was a lot of on and off and correcting, for the 80 minutes in the tunnel.

 

 

We are now at a pleasant mooring in the nice little village of Demange-aux-Eaux which was quite prosperous back in the 1850s when about 2000 people lived here building the tunnel, but is now sleepy and still nice.  The only store is run by a self described “political refugee” from Paris who sold us some good wine, delicious cherries, vegies and spoke perfect English.  We chatted for a while. He has two of every canned and packaged grocery items and drug store things.  He probably runs the store as much for company than what little income he makes.

The Mayors office is one of the many ornate buildings built in the 1800’s.  Once again there are many old buildings boarded up and unused.  As our shop keeper says, there is no employment for miles.  A much too common story here in France with thousands of dying small villages.     

“It is all downhill from here” as the canal goes through 70 locks in 86km and drops 170m to the join the Marne  at Vitry-le-Francois and we will be in Champagne.  It’s a lot of locks but downhill is much more relaxing than uphill and we won’t see another uphill lock until after Paris.