Yvoir to Dinant and out and about - Dinant, Wausort and Bouvigne.

Monday 20 June 2016

8 kilometers, 2 locks (very slow), 2 hours.

A considerably more mellow current although in the narrow sections it was quite strong and we arrived in Dinant with some relief.

Dinant from our saloon window.

The first night we rafted up against a Belgian cruiser which, we were told by the couple in front of it (the same couple who had been moored in front of us for a couple of days in Namur) had been left in situ for the week. The following morning we took over the very front berth


– a really convenient place on the wall with the saxophone lined bridge in front of us,

the tourist office and captainerie across the road and a magnificent view of the citadel crowned rock and old city across the river. A tad noisy though but this is the center of a city. Most pleasure boats choose to moor upstream outside the Ibis hotel

but we had the advantage of being almost city center; once the works on the road and new quay are finished there should be plenty of space for everyone.

The new wharfside under construction.

Dinant tourist-life seems to revolve around the life of Adolfe Sax (we visited the very underwhelming ‘museum’),

the Citadel (€12 per person to go up in the cablecar which we deigned to do), the Gothic Eglise Notre Dam (on our first visit we interrupted a funeral which I had thought was a wedding – but a magnificent stained glass window)

and river cruises.

Jean-Pierre popped in and took us for a ride to Givet (so that we could stock up on wine at French prices)

Picon vin blanc, ??? & Picon biere.

 and then across the country side to his birthplace village

The old mill in Jean-Pierre's village.

where he had to retrieve a vermin trap. The drive gave us an opportunity to see scenery from a different perspective and the view over the Meuse to the Chateau Freyr (which we did not visit) was a stunner.

Chateau Freyr

The next day we took a cycle to nearby Wausort and had a beer at the charming Café 1900 while trying to figure out how to cross the river so we could go and say Hello to Mike and Gloria aboard Gem but to no avail. We also took the bikes to the downstream village of Bouvigne and explored their lovely little church and then found our way to the ruined fortress which sits on the rock outcrop opposite the Dinant Citadel and from where the views up- and down-stream were magnificent – and we did not have to pay €12 each for the privilege thereof.

Dinant barrage

Bouvigne looking upstream to Dinant

Thursday 23 June the news comes through that the Ham tunnel has finally been re-opened to pleasure boats so we went off to Bouvigne again for a ‘farewell to Belgium’ lunch at the little restaurant next to the church – very good food (the seafood terrine starter might have been frozen and defrosted but the rest was delicious).

Early the next morning we set of against a fairly stiff current but at the first lock (Anseremme) we are advised that the lock-keepers are on strike! So back to our place in Dinant we go and France will have to wait for another day. Later in the day we see a gaggle of boats coming through the Dinant lock and hear from Mike on Gem that the Wausort lock is working; eventually Jean-Pierre, who has now brought his barge to Dinant, gives the Anseremme lock a call and we discover that this is the only one still not operational as it is being picketed – just our luck. So instead we are invited aboard Jean-Pierre's barge for a midday aperitif 

and stagger home at 17h00 after consuming three year old Orval beer, some really delicious French sauvignon blanc and some of his home made 'firewater' Much appreciated, Jean-Pierre!

We will try for France tomorrow...