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squiz
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Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 3071
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19th April 2013
Hiking - Walking: Briare-Le-Canal Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: sunny Max Speed: Distance Covered:
SPRING HOLIDAY – APRIL 2013 – FRANCE
Thursday 18 April – travelling + an hour’s walk in the evening.
We left home at 10.30 and after a couple of calls in town and a trip to see
Dan which was a waste as couldn’t see him anywhere, we set off for the
shuttle and crossed on the train we were booked onto at 1.50. We got
straight on with no hassles, they didn’t even check passports or to see
gas was turned off! We drove down to Pont de L’Arche and even went on
the toll road from Boulogne to Abbeville! We have stayed at Pont de
L’Arche before but this time we stayed on the river bank where there are
4 spaces reserved for camper vans and there were 2 other English campers
there too! Last time we were in a lay-by on the bank a little further out
of town in a place called Les Damps. We walked in that direction and it
was a really nice evening stroll – lots of swallows which are absolutely
beautiful. We have seen them before but never seen the colours so vividly.
The river and birds were lovely and it was quite warm 12 degrees at 8 p.m.
Compared to what we have had at home that is quite tropical! Back to the
van where unfortunately there were some rather shady characters smoking and
spitting right between the vans! Still they disappeared eventually and we
had our tea – spam, beans and cheesey mash – we know how to live!
Friday 19 April – walk **** Briare-Le-Canal – sunny periods
Woke up about 8 and had a leisurely start. We walked up into the town
after breakfast and a chat with our welsh neighbours. There was no loo
which was a pain but it is a lovely old medieval village :) We didn’t
stay too long because we have walked round it before. Set off about 11.15
and drove down to Orleans then followed the river Loire along to St. Benoit
sur Loire where we stopped for lunch in a nice spot by the river. We saw
the Abbey and a couple of monks. Carried on after our break and stopped to
look at the cooling towers at a power station. Fascinating to see the water
falling like a waterfall around the edge of the tower. We then found a
lovely little place called Briare-Le-Canal which is on the banks of the
Loire but has 3 canals running through it. We parked on the tow path of
the Henry IV canal and quickly visited the Tourist information before it
closed and got a walk leaflet and one explaining the history of the canals.
After a cuppa we set off on a two hour walk we made up ourselves around
the canals and along the river. We crossed many little picturesque bridges
and saw a boat go through the lock nearest us. We walked over the Aquaduct
called Pont Canal which takes the canal over the Loire; we crossed the
canal underneath on a road then back along the other tow path back to the
town. What a great place :) We had chilli and potatoes for tea.
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