River cruise in the south of France. Boat rental and travel around France

10.10.2019

Preparing for your trip

Route
We had been dreaming of sailing on a boat along the canals and rivers of France for several years, from the moment when I picked up a catalog of one of the French companies involved in renting out ships at a tourism exhibition in Moscow. Our whole family leafed through this catalog and looked at the photographs. Well, we were inspired to take specific actions by the report “Across Burgundy on a Barge,” for which we express our deep gratitude to the author. After last year’s Poland, where we went with the Getmanovs, Roman Nikolaevich and Olga Dmitrievna again asked to go to Europe. We began to think and wonder, Anka remembered about the barges. That's how it all started.

After last year great trip in the Swiss and French Alps, Provence and Aquitaine, we have developed for ourselves a set of requirements for a real trip.

Let's try to outline them here:
Travel should not be across a country or countries, but through individual regions.
Big moves are not actually travel - they are boring movements between separate parts of the journey.
A trip must include walks or trekking through interesting areas. Even better is cycling.
Must be the sea, huh better ocean, and, as we decided, not necessarily warm.
There must certainly be mountains, and the higher, the better.
And of course, historical and cultural sights and cities.

The boat only takes two weeks, and our summer trips usually last 30 days or more. So we decided to continue traveling after the ship.

As a result, the travel plan was as follows:

1. We travel by car from Moscow to Alsace. We spend all the extra days between the road and the ship exploring Alsace.
2. A two-week boat trip along the Marne-Rhine, Moselle, Saar and Saar-Marne canals.
3. Then the Getmanovs either go home through Kaliningrad to stop by to see Mitya (one of the sons, who is now serving in the army), or they travel with us for several days, and then go to Kaliningrad.
4. We are driving through Champagne and Picardy (we don’t look at them in detail, but only the most interesting things along the way).
5. We travel in detail through Normandy and Brittany. This, in fact, is the goal of the second part of the trip.
6. On the way back we stop at Lake Constance and from there we travel along the German Alpine Road to Salzburg.

Barge reservation

We started looking for a route and a ship at the end of November - beginning of December. As it turns out, the choice of ship rental operators is not that big. Two large companies operating throughout Europe and several small ones focusing on a specific region. The criteria for finding a route were simple: we wanted to sail for about two weeks and did not want to sail back and forth along the same route. It turned out that there are very few two-week routes in general, and most of Of these, these are round-trip routes, there are almost no circular routes. I liked the route through Burgundy and the upper reaches of the Loire, but, unfortunately, this year it was unavailable due to the reconstruction of canals in these parts. Another route in Lorraine along the Moselle and Saarland. We chose it. It is interesting that there is almost no information on this route on the websites of rental companies, and as it turned out later, there is none at the base where the route begins.
Therefore, back at the end of November, I sent letters to several companies asking what they could offer for the second half of July for 12 people for two weeks in Alsace and Lorraine.
The answer came from the two largest operators. Le Boat offered a comfortable modern ship at a very inconvenient time for us high price, Locaboat Holiday offered a simpler ship for the dates we needed at a reasonable price. We booked it.
Another problem was that most European countries, except Germany, do not require licenses to operate a ship. Our route partially passes through Germany, and for this part, national boat driving licenses are required for people from countries that have such licenses (for those countries that do not have boat licenses, they are not required). Roman Nikolaevich once had the rights to the boat, we scanned them and sent them to Locaboat. We were told that everything was fine. (There is not a single word in Latin on the license; you could just as easily provide a student or library card). I never had to show my license to anyone.
Behind early booking 5% discount for long journey 5%, for a large number of Children in the team are 10%. The percentages do not add up but are taken from each other. Until the end of December (for the early booking discount to work) you must pay 40% + travel insurance.
We refused insurance, since it is paid only in case of refusal for very serious reasons. Final payment is due 40 days before travel. And one more final payment is made directly at the base on the day of departure. It includes full insurance (it does not include the cost of fuel, a fee for the final cleaning of the ship and the rental of one bicycle), the cost of renting other bikes and parking for cars. You can refuse insurance, then you have to pay separately for diesel by engine operating hours and for washing the ship. Some time after paying the deposit, the Captain's Book arrived by mail - a journal on English language With general information about navigation along canals, rivers and lakes, with basic rules on the water, with diagrams of ships and the procedure for check-in, residence and eviction. Even later, a package with leaflets arrived from the offices tourist information regions through which we had to sail. So we started studying navigation rules back in the winter.

Closer to summer it turned out that there would be not 12 of us, but 10 people. The Getmanovs' older children were unable to go for various compelling reasons: Seva entered college, Mitya himself went to serve in the army, Kolya went on a campaign with friends to the Russian North, Ksenia had an artistic practice in Rostov, then in Polotsk. Everyone has their own adult affairs and concerns. Only schoolchildren and preschoolers went with us.

Visas
French visas were issued at the consulate. We won’t go to the French again, they only gave us 4 months. The nerves were frayed when submitting the documents properly.

Maps and navigation
As with all travels Last year In addition to TomTom on the second screen, we always had a detailed topographic map of the surrounding area in OziExplorer. We used 250 meter maps of France and Germany.
A navigator with a detailed topographic map was also installed on the barge at the helm. By the way, it’s very convenient, you always know where you’re sailing and what’s around.

Guides
The main information was taken from the Michelin Green Guides by region. (Alsace, Lorraine, Champagne. Northern France and the Paris region. Normandy. Brittany.) Also printed parts of the DK guidebooks (Brittany, Normandy, Munich and the Bavarian Alps, German road routes). And, of course, chapters from the LP. We received a lot of information and maps from local tourist offices. The children had already learned what advertising brochures and counters looked like, they themselves chose interesting things from the pictures and asked to take them there. So we went to the aquarium, zoo and climbing park. The children grew up and began to actively participate in the discussion of the program.

Day 1: Toulouse

Day 2: Castelnodary - Villepinte - Brame

Our journey begins!

Castelnodary

Villepinte

Bram

Day 3: Vilsekland - Carcassonne - Trebes

Day 4: Marcelette - La Redorte - Puicherique - Ohm

Day 5: Argens-Minervois - Rubia - Paraza - Ventenac

Day 7: Colombier - Foncerance

Day 8: Beziers

Day 9: Kassafir - Montpellier

Toulouse with her beautiful historical center is one of the most vibrant and original cities in the country. Here, Spanish, Basque, Aquitaine, Languedoc, Provençal and French traditions are mixed in equal proportions. After arrival and transfer to the hotel, we will all meet for dinner in this very French city- we will communicate, get acquainted, discuss plans upcoming trip. If you wish, you can stroll through the picturesque streets of Toulouse or relax at the hotel before the trip.

Our journey begins! In the morning we leave for the port. Here we will need to complete several formalities at the river barge office and undergo instructions. How could it be otherwise? :)) After this, we will briefly visit the local supermarket and finally set sail.

Castelnodary

Villepinte- a small cute village. In the Middle Ages, a river canal was cut through the rock here. It's still active. It's fun to visit the 14th century church or just do nothing and sit back in one of the restaurants in the city center. Or take a short bike ride along the coast. Or you can do both, and the third at the same time.

Bram attracts attention with its beautiful location surrounded by vineyards. The houses, built in a circular style, are arranged in concentric circles around the temple. Bram is located in the very heart of the “Cathar country”, and on the hills not far from the city you can see the ruins of numerous castles.

Vilsekland - here is one of the natural historical monuments- a large old elm, one of the last in France. Carcassonne - one of the largest and most beautiful medieval buildings in Europe is located here: the huge fortress of Carcassonne, founded in the 13th century. The fortress walls are three kilometers long, 52 towers. Explore it and get to know its history. Climb one of its high walls for stunning views of the valley. Required. A stop is required. Here you can dine at one of the local restaurants after visiting the Saint-Etienne church, built in the 14th century. There is a bridge-canal along which all the barges float.

Marselet is another warm and idyllic town surrounded by lush greenery. Here you can stroll through the vineyards and enjoy the beautiful scenery. La Redorte is a small but beautiful and green town located right on the banks of the Canal. Here you can stroll along one of the hiking trails in the outskirts of the city or taste the dishes local cuisine in one of the restaurants. The medieval river barge tunnel is still in use today. Puisherik - Surrounded by lush vegetation, Puisherik is an idyllic village with a beautiful historic church. Om - a stop here is necessary to go into the city center and see the flower-lined streets, as well as the old 11th century Roman chapel.

Argens-Minervois is a beautiful small town, typical of the Minervois region. The city was built around a castle founded in the 14th century. From here it opens beautiful view on the Canal and the Aude River. The small village of Rubia charms with its beautiful parish church. Near the village there is a forest where you can go for a walk. Paraza is a typical southern village with colorful houses nestled along the banks of the Canal. A local landmark is an abandoned windmill. Already as you approach Ventenac, a majestic panorama opens up to the viewer medieval castle with the city located at its foot. On the banks of the canal you can taste and buy the wine you like. Ventenak is popularly called Fairytale city, which is always full of visitors.

Somay is another village where you can admire beautiful old houses completely overgrown with ivy. This is a great place to disappear for a while in the local idyll, abandoning the hustle and bustle of the world. A surprise awaits book lovers here - one unusual bookstore... and the hat museum is open seven days a week! Capestan is a beautiful village known for its magnificent medieval architecture. It was built around the impressive size of the Cathedral Church in the 14th century. Next to the gateway is a house in which the Archbishop of Narbonne once lived. Visit to the local winery Domaine de Guery.

Colombier - this place is famous for the Saint-Sylvestre church, famous for its decoration. At night, the garden in front of the rectory is illuminated and is ideal for a romantic stroll. Here are also the ruins of the Roman “oppodium” - a military fortification, the age of which goes back far into history, to the 6th century BC. The main attraction of the town is the semicircular medieval harbor for barges. And here is the big attraction of the Canal du Midi - a cascade of nine locks at Foncerance. The structure, built by the architect Pierre-Paul Riquet in the 17th century, has the largest height difference on the Canal. From here the barges rise to a height of 25 meters. As up, so down.

Béziers is a charming town, the second largest on the Canal du Midi. Here you cannot miss the opportunity to admire beautiful architecture. Particularly impressive Cathedral Saint-Nazaire. In the city center there is a pedestrian zone where the “poets’ playground” is located. There is also a Museum of Fine Arts here. Port Kassafir is a friendly and peaceful place with many bike paths. The proximity to Spain gives the local architecture, culture and cuisine a special flavor: a truly cosmopolitan place, instantly inviting. Within walking distance of the port are the golden beaches of this Mediterranean area.

Here we leave our “floating hotel”. We will spend this day in Montpellier. It is the capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region. The city is located on the hills 10 kilometers from Mediterranean Sea(and 2000 years ago the sea splashed at the foot of the city). In Montpellier you can feel the relaxation and bliss of the south - palm trees grow on the streets, and local residents spend evenings at the tables of street cafes. The most suitable atmosphere for the final day of our trip, right? :)) At the end of the walk - transfer to the airport, flight to our homeland. Goodbye France!

Why not do something unconventional and, when traveling, instead of a car, rent... a small boat?
And go on a trip around the country. For example, in France.
After all, what does a regular trip look like, to which most tourists are accustomed?
We arrived at the airport. There we either meet the tour operator’s transfer and then hotel-excursions-walks-paid program, or transfer-hotel-pool-beach-sights, or we rent a car and then drive around the cities and attractions of interest, or the third option, but without a car for rental
And here is the boat!
Well, why not? Almost like driving a car, only here you have a hotel, a kitchen, and a means of transportation.

2. We were invited to take part in this unusual journey by a leading tour operator in Europe river cruises on comfortable self-driving boats - LeBoat company.
LeBoat operates as part of the TUI Group - the world's largest tourism holding company and today has Europe's largest fleet of comfortable river boats that can be rented for cruises on canals, lakes and rivers in 9 European countries: France, Germany, England, Ireland , Scotland, Italy, Belgium, Holland, Poland.
We chose France for our trip, or rather its southern part - the Rhone River delta.
We picked up our boats in Saint-Gilles, where one of the LeBoat bases is located.

3. This comfortable Vision 4 became our home for 4 days. Fortunately, there are all the conditions to make the trip easy and enjoyable.
By the way, I was very interested in comparing these river boats with the sailing yachts on which I travel several times a year.

4. The main difference from the interiors I’m used to and internal device sailing yachts- availability of space, fortunately the layout of such boats allows this.
Along the starboard side there is a corridor into which the doors of four double cabins open.

4. The cabin, although small in area, is significantly superior to cabins on sailing yachts.
The beds can be put together or left separate.
There is a small shelf above the bed, the cabin has individual lighting, an air conditioner, a wardrobe, a 220V socket and a private bathroom.

5. This boat has four bathrooms with showers in each cabin. The toilet is equipped with an electric cleaning system, rather than a manual pump, as is usually the case on sailboats.

6. Climate control panel

7. An important point that makes this type of travel interesting for tourists is that the company allows you to rent these boats on an individual basis. Those. in fact, it’s like a rental car - without a driver (captain). The controls are quite simple, a specially trained person gives a short briefing and that’s it, you can hit the road.

8. The life support system is controlled by a computer. It shows the remaining fresh and process water in the tanks, the charge level of the batteries, their recharging using a diesel generator, etc.

9. In the front there is a very spacious living room with a kitchen. It can comfortably accommodate 8 people. From here you can access both the cabins and the upper deck

10. The kitchen is equipped with a gas stove, microwave oven, and refrigerator. There is also a flat screen TV and DVD player.
The lower drawers contain all the necessary utensils for both cooking and eating.

12. Our first breakfast.
I don't think anyone needs to be introduced. From left to right Irina Rusakova, TUI-Russia manager, alexcheban , lovigin , anton_petrus , macos , Me and sergeydolya

13. The river network in the south of France is probably no less in length than the road network.
In the Middle Ages, the Rhone and its tributaries were generally the main transport artery of the region.
So, it is not surprising that small river shipping is so developed here

14. There are a huge number of towns and villages along the rivers and canals, thousands of houses are built almost directly on the water, and near each of them there is a pier for a motor boat. Just like car parking in front of the house. Only on the other side

15. In addition to rivers, the Languedoc-Roussillon region has a huge number of canals connecting rivers, lakes and ponds.
Cruise boats usually travel along canals.
The thing is that to operate a boat on the river you need a special skipper's license, but to operate a boat on the canals you do not. So, essentially, any adult tourist can rent a boat.

16. A river boat cruise is reminiscent of a leisurely walk or a bike trip.
The boat moves at a speed of about 10 km/h, which allows you to relax under the awning and enjoy the views on both sides

17. On the first day, I was surprised that in such narrow canals boats sailed quite calmly, almost close to the shore.
It turns out that special services monitor the canals - their depth, cleaning the bottom and banks.
For example, a special tractor removes young shoots of bushes, which may later become an obstacle to the movement of boats.

18. Automobile and river traffic.

19. There are simply a huge number of ponds and lakes in the Rhone delta.
It's even located here biosphere reserve The Camargue, famous all over the world (I’ll be visiting it literally next week, so stay tuned for a report from there)

20. In many cities, tens of kilometers of piers and moorings are equipped for thousands of motor boats and boats, both private and cruise

21. In mid-April, France greeted us with pleasant spring weather, so we could enjoy the surrounding views in shorts and a T-shirt.

22. Don't worry, this bike alexcheban I didn’t bring it with me from Kyiv. This is one of the options that can be ordered when renting a boat. By the way, the option is very cool, because when you arrive in another city, you go for a walk around it and see the sights. It’s one thing when you moor right in the city, as, for example, in, it’s another thing when you need to get to the point of interest, for example, to the Magellan Abbey

23. Many local residents use boats as a home and as a means of transportation.

24. Banks of canals in Aigues-Mortes

25. It was not in vain that we were recommended to take binoculars and television cameras with us. There are simply a huge number of birds here

26. They are quite calm towards humans, so they can be photographed quite close.

27. Gray heron on the hunt

28. - Beaver, look, beaver! - Petrus shouted.
- Oh, it's a muskrat...

29. You could almost touch this seagull with your hand when we swam a few meters from it. True, this one can bite.

30. In addition to birds, there are also plenty of other flying ones...
An Air Arabia A320 taking off from Montpellier

31. And this comrade has already sailed his...

32. What can you see on a river cruise in the south of France?
Firstly, beautiful landscapes. In fact, without leaving their home, you can admire the sunrise...

33... and sunset.

34. Cities. Having carefully planned your route, you can alternate several hours of a leisurely walk along the canal with walking By medieval fortresses and towns

35. There are many wineries, chateaus and abbeys in the region.

36. This is the entrance to Magelonese Abbey

37. The only thing that may cause difficulties during such a cruise is mooring.
Still, you need certain skills and an understanding of the algorithm of actions.
But one or two moorings, and everything happens automatically.
Especially when there are three extra horsepower in addition to the engine boost

38. Well, after mooring... You can go to the restaurant. Or to a private winery for a tasting.
But that's a completely different story...

The trip to Languedoc-Roussillon is organized by the Russian representative office

") in 6 countries - France, Ireland and Poland.

In all of them, during the period roughly between the fall of the Roman Empire (which built good roads) and modern times (when good roads began to be built again), goods were transported along an extensive network of canals connecting navigable rivers. Well, except for Poland - the canals on the territory of modern Poland, of course, remained from the German state of Prussia.

We are going to Burgundy. Locaboat has been bombarding with letters every week for the entire month before the trip: there is nothing left of the original route, because a barge is not a car, there are few of them, and Locaboat is trying to connect all the willing tourists in a season-long daisy chain: every client who has handed over a penichet must have a corresponding client who in the same port the penichet will pick up and move on

To get there - by plane somewhere to Lyon or Geneva, then TGV, TGV, local train and, finally, taxi. Evening finds you in the castle and morning finds you in the castle - hurray for booking.com, airbnb.com and all that, 15 years ago it was not so simple

We leave the castle towards adventure

* * * Loisy * * *

The ports where the barges are rented out are different - in some places they are huge and look like Mediterranean marinas filled with yachts, somewhere right along the stone embankment of the city, and for us as a departure port we get something in the bushes 17 kilometers by taxi from the nearest cities. But it’s cheap, quiet and convenient for your first trip to the river

During the 2-hour instruction, they show you all the levers and buttons, teach you how to knit and untie a river knot, park backwards, at 45°, and go through a lock. 2 hours and you are a riverman

The boat is released after lunch, but you can’t go in the dark (and the locks close at 19:00). We spend the night on board in this middle of rural nowhere, but, thanks to jetlag, the next dawn is all ours

Locaboat has a service to buy food according to your list for a week of river trip, but the French are selling everything, we’ll look for a Casino or Carrefour along the way

We untie ourselves and go out, not without some excitement (the yellow hose and the stainless cap nearby are needed for refilling with water). The photo shows a whole railing, we will demolish it at the first self-parking in reverse (covered by full insurance)

* * * River Seille * * *

The steering unit is funny - for some reason, the consumables sensors only indicate the fullness of the waste tank. There is no speedometer (you rely on the revolutions, maximum speed in the canal 6 km/h, on the river 12 or 15 km/h, I forgot), there is no power reserve scale (you rely on the message from a Locaboat employee that the diesel will last for a week “for sure”), there is no water left (you need to refill the water every day)

220V is only available in the port if the port is equipped with 220V. When driving and when parked, there is only 12V from the generator or battery

Penichet:

When you move forward, the barge steers easily, you just need to take into account the inertia. More travel means easier and more accurate steering. When moving backwards, steering is completely counterintuitive - on a single-screw barge, a large and incomprehensible disturbance is introduced by the rotation of the propeller

Traffic is heavy

* * * Gateways * * *

Gateway to the left, threshold to the right. Swim left, don't swim right. It must be understood that the locks on such small rivers always bypass the natural threshold on which a mill or factory of the era before steam engines was installed

The mill looks like this:

or this:

MT263633H

Factory:

All locks on Sey are opened manually

There are large wheel handles to open the gate, and there are small handles above the gate to open windows in the gate to fill or lower the closed airlock. The lazy and inexperienced are illegally helped by local unemployed people for a couple of euros

They come with their whole family to the gateway for the whole day and collect the day before, probably fifty dollars

You go into the lock (steer carefully, help with hooks), throw the ropes onto the bollards, close the gate, open the windows...

Everyone knows that there are houses on wheels, but few people (in Russia, at least) know about houses on the water. And I’m not talking about huge ships, but small cozy boats on which you can go on a trip with your family or friends. It was in just such a houseboat that I swam through the canals in the south of France. True, my family during the trip became lovigin , alexcheban , anton_petrus , macos And aquatek_filips . Good company. We had two boats: one was captured by Anashkevich, Belenkiy, Petrus and Lovygin, in the other I lived, Cheban and representatives of the organizing companies and LeBote.

Boat travel is very popular in Europe. LeBoat is a leading river cruise tour operator and has a huge fleet of boats. Usually a family or company rents such a boat for a week. The boat has five cabins for two people. It costs 3,000 euros per week - it comes out to 300 euros per week, which is less than 50 per day. The ships have everything you might need for autonomous living on the water. I will show you in detail how they work inside the post, but for now a few words about management. The boat does not come with a captain, but a person far from the captain's bridge can easily handle the controls. You can steer either from inside, if the weather is bad, or from the second deck under open air. The ships are very slow and sail only through canals. Just right for a leisurely and pleasant walk. The boats are very stable, there is no motion at all, and I am sensitive to even the slightest manifestations of it.

To some, such a vacation may seem like a pensioner’s vacation, but I would call it thorough and leisurely :) And I’m not 20 years old anymore. I received a half-hour briefing on shore and took full control. I became, so to speak, the captain of the blogging ship. I will talk about our adventures all week, but for now let's look at the structure of the boat, the views from the window and our first day...

The start of our journey happened in Saint-Gilles. These are our boats. On the left is the guys' boat - it is larger and more modern. It has joystick control and high maneuverability. Ours, which is in the middle, was simpler. Let's go inside:

Large spacious area. Our cabins were slightly smaller than in the second boat, but the public area was wider. In my opinion, this is better, because all the action takes place right here:

Closer to the bow of the boat is the kitchen. Refrigerator, gas stove, table and cabinets. Everything you need for life:

Cabins. We lived alone. I thought that I would have to move the beds (this possibility is provided), but there was enough space:

Each cabin has its own toilet and shower:

A few words about parking - this is the most difficult part of operating a boat. Not in the sense that some will succeed and others will not, but in the sense that some will succeed quickly, while others will take longer. The guys' boat was very maneuverable and they managed to dock without difficulty. Moreover, instructor John took over the mooring there. Ours was a little more difficult to control. Once we even had to bring in a second team:

If you want to get some kind of physical work out of bloggers, never photograph them. As soon as you raise the lens, the blogger’s actor mode is activated, then the already low efficiency drops:

How does a cruise actually work? In the morning you weigh anchor and walk along the canal. You get from one town to another, drop anchor and either hang out on board or go for a walk. You can cook on the boat and eat right on the street (there are tables and chairs). It's a thrill. Well, if you’re lazy, you can go to a restaurant:

10.

Here is a company from a neighbor's boat:

11.

We usually had breakfast on the boats, lunch there, and dinner in a normal restaurant:

12.

We usually had lunch on the second boat with the guys, they had two tables, very convenient:

13.

We ate French bread, jamon, fresh tomatoes, foie gras, cheeses and olives. My meal was more modest. I'm on a diet, I've already lost 13 kg in a month and a half:

14.

Anton Perus goes to take control. I probably put on a wetsuit in case something went wrong (it was actually cold):

15.

A few frames of the channel:

16.

17.

19.

In mid-April it is generally cool even in the south of France. But, nevertheless, some are already swimming and snorkeling in full:

20.

There are many fishermen along the banks. I noticed a chela in a curious thing. Looks a lot like a rag cabinet from Ikea. Why he put it on, I still don’t understand: there was no heat, there were no mosquitoes either:

21.

Many French people play sports on the water. For example, a guy is fond of rowing. He has shovels in his hands and is cruising along the canal:

We often saw rowing athletes. Their kayaks are always accompanied by a coach on a boat with a swearing bag:

23.

It is clear that this captain has obvious problems with parking. All sides are covered with fenders:

24.

This is what winter boat moorings look like. Three-story shelving:

25.

Among the living creatures, herons were seen. They were still talking about flamingos, but we didn’t see any (later it turned out that they gather not on canals, but on lakes):

26.

27.

Lots of otters:

28.

Lambs and lambs in the pen:

29.

30.

Well, and seagulls, of course:

31.

The channels are watched very closely. A special tractor removes excess grass:

32.

Once we met a huge barge. This is where the captain must have been a real virtuoso. I can’t imagine how he maneuvers such a colossus:

33.

We passed the emergency gate a couple of times. This is done in case the water leaves: the gate will close and the water level will remain the same:

Once we passed a pontoon bridge, an interesting thing. If drawbridges rise above the water, then these float like windshield wipers:

35.

By the way, it is not necessary to stop at the pier. You can moor on the shore and many people do so. In the foreground is an almost sunken boat. Just as we have “snowdrops” (abandoned cars), here we have the following “submariners”:

36.

Sometimes the canal ran through the middle of the lake. Large expanses could be seen. For example, Oyster Farm.

37.

Hiking- also a very popular form of relaxation. People just scratch along the canal all day and then stop for the night:

38.

In my next post I will talk about the second day of our cruise. Stay Tuned!

39.