Sardy-les-Epiry, Saturday
First it helps to have good scenery. If you can’t do great views then a lovely lush forest with open stretches will do. Maybe you start with a lake right by the canal that leads to a tunnel that opens out to a narrow wooded channel that has you in the middle of the forest with the sun streaming through the trees. 
Then gradually reveal the top of the valley. You will probably have a lot of locks if you are coming down from the summit of your canal so make sure they all have delightful cottages next to them, maybe even with a craftsman or two in residence and that they are slow and easy.
Populate the locks with friendly lock keeper and, in July, helpful students.. Supervise them with a friendly VNF lock keeper who, when we see him going past on his bike with lettuce on the back, ask if we can buy some – he laughs but says he is not selling. Then when we get to his cottage he comes by and pulls up a fresh lettuce from his garden and gives it to us.
Because your staff have to stop for lunch between 12:00 and 1:00 make sure they have a 
good place to eat their lunch so they are happy too and then allow us to stop in the full lock outside the most magical cottage with a lovely garden and all sorts of quirky artwork while we eat our very fresh salad.
Then, at the end of the day send the next lock keepers by to enquire when we are leaving tomorrow and ask: would we like bread and croissants delivered in the morning.
It is best if all this happens in one day.
If you can do this you might be getting close to the top of the Canal du Nivernais.
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