Thuin – biding our time.

Sunday 5 June 2016

One thing you soon learn to pick up are the resources available to one to enable safer navigation. Andy Soper, Chairman of the DBA, gave me this link to the flow rates of the rivers in Wallonie (Southern Belgium) http://voies-hydrauliques.wallonie.be/opencms/opencms/fr/hydro/Actuelle/crue/index.html click on your choice of river http://voies-hydrauliques.wallonie.be/opencms/opencms/fr/hydro/Actuelle/crue/cruetableau.do?id=11 then click on chart of 'debits' http://voies-hydrauliques.wallonie.be/opencms/opencms/fr/hydro/Actuelle/crue/cruegraph.jsp?id=11&code=73191002 and you can compare flow rates over a week (1s), two weeks (2s) or a month (1m); not the speed of the river but the relative flow rate. Our problem is best demonstrated by the following graphs:

The flow rate on the Sambre between where we are and Namur is dropping most satisfactorily (a one month view) - one can clearly see when the rains started at the end of May.

 But the rate down the Meuse near the French border is still some three times greater that the May mean

and with my inexperience with rivers and boats I’m not sure how successful mooring up at one of the Meuse based marinas around Namur will be. So with dry decks for the first time in many mornings we unload the bikes and set off for a round trip along the ‘highway' to Lobbes and back along the tow-path to Thuin.

Tram in Thuin - there is a tram museum here.

Tram track leading into Lobbes.

Lobbes Abbey - originating from the 7th C.

Replicated monks garden.

Oops! The road ran out.

Looking toward Thuin - we are moored on the right.

Then it’s a mid-afternoon braai and some basking in the sunshine in shorts and t-shirts before turning in with the sound of thunder and lightning crackling through the hills surrounding Thuin.. Sunshine is very enervating – roll on tomorrow!