"Elle" - Exploring the European Inland Waterways: Moseying up the Meuse

Sunday 24 July to Saturday 30 July

95.8 kilometres, 19 locks

Summer is really with us bringing warm (and sometimes, very hot) days and glorious cruising.

How much better can it get?

We stopped off at Mouzon fully intending to spend at least one night as we had heard what a pretty place it was but the Swiss couple on their very smart Linssen cruiser informed us that there was a biker festival being held over the whole weekend and if the previous evening's racket was anything to go by, the noise this evening, being the last day of festivities, was likely to be horrendous. They said that a couple of very inebriated bikers had staggered down to the quayside during last night and although they were not interfered with, they were concerned for their safety - unfortunately they had agreed to meet a family member in Mouzon the next morning and thus had no option but to stay put. Their boat was firmly chained to the pontoon...

We walked the short distance along the wheeley-scarred tarred road, past stalls selling everything conceivable to do with motor bikes

and into the very pretty town square surrounded by small shops

and dominated by the beautiful Gothic Abbatiale Notre Dame de Mouzon, started in the 9thC and extended over the centuries.

The organ, the metal pipes of which were
commandeered by the Germans in WW1
and made into armaments

Leaving the church, we passed through Bikerville where a beer tent and disco were being set up,

boarded "Elle" and set off for Stenay, a town about which we knew nothing. And what a lovely surprise! The flower bedecked port is small but new, the captainerie extremely helpful and efficient and the ablutions spotless.

The bridge over the port entrance

Captainerie on the right.

One thing which really amazed us was the plethora of information about what to see around town including small maps with suggested walking/cycling routes - for a small town Stenay does a brilliant job of marketing its limited attractions.

Roman baths.

cheeky face on the facade.

One place not to be missed is the beer museum which is world class in every respect from the beautiful gardens leading up to the building, the fascinating exhibits and the lovely little pub and restaurant at the exit.

After two most enjoyable days we were on our way again, through 13 locks many of which were manually operated,

La Navigateur

Lady lockkeeper

Floating pontoon in a sloped lock

German cemetery - note the black crosses.

arriving in Verdun after 54 kilometers and 9 hours - a long day made more so by the port engine reverse gear packing up at the first lock. After some fiddling with the linkages it started working again at the third lock - who says never buy a two engined boat!

Our arrival at the packed Verdun port heralded a scurry of skippers disappearing into their boats so as not to be available in case we asked if we could raft up - really nasty behavior which we often witness. Eventually one kind soul motioned that we could raft up to his brand new Linssen and so, with a zillion fenders between us, we had a place for the night - and they were leaving the next morning so we would have a prime position after they left.

Weed collector - plenty more of these needed.

The not-very-good dance troupe performing on the quayside.

Mid-morning. Quiet time in the port before new arrivals.

Busier later. The red yacht is Pessimist.

Pessimist is a yacht skippered by a New Zealand plumber (Graham?), his German pediatrician wife and their six month old baby (Pippa) - their names have completely escaped us. Can anyone help? They initially rafted up to us and told us of their plans which was basically to get from the Netherlands where they purchased their boat, cruise south through the waterway system and then sail to New Zealand. Braver than I...

Verdun, the capital of 'dragees' or sugared almonds, is a town which relies heavily on its War-driven tourist trade and tourists aplenty there were but we still managed to see quite a bit around the town including a visit to the dragee factory.

Hotel de Ville

The Châtel Gate is the only remaining part of the medieval city walls

Captainerie

Notre-Dame du Verdun cathedral.

Escpal palace where the World Peace Center is situate.

The dragee factory

Larger than life sized soldier made entirely of sugar.

One day we took the electric bikes (thank goodness!) on the nine kilometer uphill ride to the stunning Memorial du Verdun, Douaumont Ossuary and the surrounding leveled villages. Very somber indeed.