It has been a long time since I have written anything for this blog. I’m going to try to write more since we have now started our journey to France. We are taking our time, and going the long way, visiting places in Belgium that we haven’t yet seen. Last week we took a trip to the Westhoek of Flanders, or the area that the English call Flanders Fields, and visited a lot of the World War I battle sites in that part of Belgium. The canals were scenic, and the cities were beautiful and full of history. Now we are on our way through the southern part of Belgium, through Wallonia, the French speaking part of the country, and the Belgian Ardennes.
Chris and I have been living on board our boat for about three months now, and we and the cats are loving it. Our experiences in the Netherlands in April, and in Flanders the past week have made us feel much more confident about manning the lines at different locks along the canals, and tying up at harbors for the night. We feel like salty canal dogs! I even understand now when Chris calls out to me, “Tie up at the first bollard on the starboard side!” or “Take in your slack on the port lines!” Can you believe it! Not me!
I was very nervous when we first headed out on our trip to the Netherlands last month. Each lock, and each port was different and we never knew what to expect. Some appear ancient, and are leaking at the sides and allowing water to pour in through the doors. Just recently we were stuck in an old lock, about 15 feet deep, while the operators kicked at the door to open it and let us out. We thought of asking them to lower a bottle of wine to us to have with our dinner! Other locks have been brand new and have floating bollards, and huge watch towers. Bridges have also been all different, as well as the keepers of these locks and bridges. Some of the keepers would answer us on the radio, some not. Sometimes when they didn’t answer we would just bob around in front of the lock or bridge, and suddenly we would see the green light go on for us to pass through, or the bridge start to open before us.
We have found that some locks have big bollards to tie onto at the top before you descend 5 to 15 feet. Some have a rope to attach to, and others a ring in the wall. When you arrive at the bottom of a lock and wait to ascend, sometimes you tie up to a ring on a slimy wall, and have to move the rope up every few minutes as you ascend (making sure not to touch the slimy wall!). Other times the lock keeper lowers a long rope with a hook and you place your rope onto it, and he ties it to a big bollard at the top of the lock. When we were in the Albert Canal with huge barges, we were able to use floating bollards that moved up with us as we ascended. Those were easy! As I said, we never know what to expect, but it makes our travels very interesting.
The bridges are also so fascinating. Some open by turning sideways to let us in. Others open straight up, and some look like a guillotine opening. Going to Brugge this week we saw two types of opening bridges that we had never seen. One looked like it had counter weights that raised the bridge, and the other the whole street and bridge rolled sideways. That was very cool! We saw our first railroad bridge that opened this week where half of the rail road bridge raised to let you through, and a pedestrian/ bicycle bridge that raises while the pedestrians and cyclists can still cross as it is rising.
Sometimes we have been all on our own in a huge lock, or small lock, and other times, we have shared it with 4 huge barges (that is scary) or 6 to 8 other pleasure boats. It depends on the size of the lock, and the time of the day.
Chris had to operate his own bridge this week in the Westhoek of Belgium. We received a card at one of the locks, not unlike a credit card. We had to tie up before the bridge, and Chris climbed on shore and went before a large control panel where he had to push 8 different buttons, to sound the alarm for the bridge closing, to shut the barrier, and to raise the bridge. There was a large group of cyclists waiting for the bridge, so Chris ran back to the boat. We crossed to the other side. Then he ran back and closed the bridge to the cheers of all the cyclists.
As we enter France at Givet on the Meuse there will be a series of 24 locks to cross, all in a row! But they will give us a remote for these locks! That will be yet another new experience.
It’s great! You certainly don’t get old this way!
Our next post will be from France! We hope that many of you will come to find us by one of the locks or bridges, and spend a few days aboard De Halve Maen!
Bisous,
Liz and Chris
It has been a long time since I have written anything for this blog. I’m going to try to write more since we have now started our journey to France. We are taking our time, and going the long way, visiting places in Belgium that we haven’t yet seen. Last week we took a trip to the Westhoek of Flanders, or the area that the English call Flanders Fields, and visited a lot of the World War I battle sites in that part of Belgium. The canals were scenic, and the cities were beautiful and full of history. Now we are on our way through the southern part of Belgium, through Wallonia, the French speaking part of the country, and the Belgian Ardennes.
Chris and I have been living on board our boat for about three months now, and we and the cats are loving it. Our experiences in the Netherlands in April, and in Flanders the past week have made us feel much more confident about manning the lines at different locks along the canals, and tying up at harbors for the night. We feel like salty canal dogs! I even understand now when Chris calls out to me, “Tie up at the first bollard on the starboard side!” or “Take in your slack on the port lines!” Can you believe it! Not me!
I was very nervous when we first headed out on our trip to the Netherlands last month. Each lock, and each port was different and we never knew what to expect. Some appear ancient, and are leaking at the sides and allowing water to pour in through the doors. Just recently we were stuck in an old lock, about 15 feet deep, while the operators kicked at the door to open it and let us out. We thought of asking them to lower a bottle of wine to us to have with our dinner! Other locks have been brand new and have floating bollards, and huge watch towers. Bridges have also been all different, as well as the keepers of these locks and bridges. Some of the keepers would answer us on the radio, some not. Sometimes when they didn’t answer we would just bob around in front of the lock or bridge, and suddenly we would see the green light go on for us to pass through, or the bridge start to open before us.
We have found that some locks have big bollards to tie onto at the top before you descend 5 to 15 feet. Some have a rope to attach to, and others a ring in the wall. When you arrive at the bottom of a lock and wait to ascend, sometimes you tie up to a ring on a slimy wall, and have to move the rope up every few minutes as you ascend (making sure not to touch the slimy wall!). Other times the lock keeper lowers a long rope with a hook and you place your rope onto it, and he ties it to a big bollard at the top of the lock. When we were in the Albert Canal with huge barges, we were able to use floating bollards that moved up with us as we ascended. Those were easy! As I said, we never know what to expect, but it makes our travels very interesting.
The bridges are also so fascinating. Some open by turning sideways to let us in. Others open straight up, and some look like a guillotine opening. Going to Brugge this week we saw two types of opening bridges that we had never seen. One looked like it had counter weights that raised the bridge, and the other the whole street and bridge rolled sideways. That was very cool! We saw our first railroad bridge that opened this week where half of the rail road bridge raised to let you through, and a pedestrian/ bicycle bridge that raises while the pedestrians and cyclists can still cross as it is rising.
Sometimes we have been all on our own in a huge lock, or small lock, and other times, we have shared it with 4 huge barges (that is scary) or 6 to 8 other pleasure boats. It depends on the size of the lock, and the time of the day.
Chris had to operate his own bridge this week in the Westhoek of Belgium. We received a card at one of the locks, not unlike a credit card. We had to tie up before the bridge, and Chris climbed on shore and went before a large control panel where he had to push 8 different buttons, to sound the alarm for the bridge closing, to shut the barrier, and to raise the bridge. There was a large group of cyclists waiting for the bridge, so Chris ran back to the boat. We crossed to the other side. Then he ran back and closed the bridge to the cheers of all the cyclists.
As we enter France at Givet on the Meuse there will be a series of 24 locks to cross, all in a row! But they will give us a remote for these locks! That will be yet another new experience.
It’s great! You certainly don’t get old this way!
Our next post will be from France! We hope that many of you will come to find us by one of the locks or bridges, and spend a few days aboard De Halve Maen!
Bisous,
Liz and Chris