French canals for the short-handed
Last autumn two friends and I spent a few days pottering along the Charente river from Sireuil heading west and back. We were fortunate with the weather and the countryside was magical. We travelled along leafy tree-lined waterways, past rolling vineyards and medieval chateaus. The mornings brought a slight chill, and we’d wake up to the sight of a mist blanketing the river with dragonflies hovering inches above mirror-smooth water. After France had experienced its most brutal summer ever, the autumn temperature was perfect.
Though many French locks these days are partially or completely automated, we found ours to be completely manual with no resident lock-keepers on site, so we soon learned how to transit them.
Though at the time of writing, travel through France’s inland waterways may not be as easy as it once was – those who are lucky enough to embark on such an excursion will not be disappointed.
When planning, be aware that transiting locks upstream tends to be more challenging than downstream. In rain, with
