Gallic Peregrinations #4. Zeebrugge or bust!

Several folks have asked for some sort of map, to assist their visualization of our route, from the junction of the River Soane with the Canal du Bourgogne, to Zeebrugge, in Belgium. Appropriate images are not easy to come by (old dogs ... new tricks, etc.) but herewith are a couple of stabs with which I am attempting to fulfil such requests. I don't really have the technical skills or the apps/programs to do this stuff. This, to the right, is a very basic outline of the most major French inland waterways.

This, to the left, is concentrating (more or less) on the area through which lies our route ... 

 ... and below is a screen-shot of our actual route. Make of these whatever you will!

At this juncture, I must point out that this section of Watery Peregrinations is by no stretch of the imagination in 'real time'. Cruising days have often been quite extended, and after a long day a meal and couple of glasses of something restorative were the most we could achieve, before dropping - exhausted - into bed.

For those of you with a mind to construct a more detailed overview: you might make a chart for yourselves, along this (far from exhaustive) list of places ...

Plombiers les Dijon - St. Jean de Losne - Auxonne - Dampierre - Balsemes-sur-Marne - Langres - Rolampont - Foulain - Chaumont - Froncles - Joinville - St. Dizier - Vitry-le-Francois - Châlons-en-Champagne - Condé-sur-Marne - Reims - Compiègne ... which brings us onto the Canal-du-Nord

 ... where we got to play with the 'big boys'!!!

(Well we thought they were big boys, until things like these hove into view.)

"Ye're not on the Leeds/Liverpool Canal now, Tommy!"

(Spoiler alert ... wait 'til you see what's coming towards us in Zeebrugge!)

These were the average size boats we met, heading northwards along Canal latéral à l'Oise  until we joined the Canal du Nord, proper.

However: the pay-off for us was at the northern end of that canal, at Arleux, the home of the world-famous SMOKED GARLIC!!!

Thusly: next morning, between 'petit-déjeuner' and casting-off, we went on a hunt for the fabled Smoked Garlic. It being quite early (unusual for Lyn and me), not many grocery shops were open, but we eventually chanced upon 'A La Petit Ferme'.

Although it was too early in the year for the town's annual 'Smoked Garlic Festival., we purchased some of last year's crop ... and now VDN has an aroma redolent of a French sailing-ship's rope locker!!!

Continuing with our odyssey: rather than go on the River Lys - through southern Belgium, where the recent floods had not long subsided - we decided that the coastal route: through Dunkerque and the Low Countries, past Niewpoort, Oostend and Bruges; would be the better route.

In retrospect: this could be seen as a poor decision. From the western outskirts of Dunkerque, through the Belgian (coastal) canals, and all the way to Bruges: we were dogged with a litany of faulty locks, non-opening bridges, high winds, and un-cooperative waterways personnel (we're not talking about you, Patrick, in Dunkerque!). A journey which should have taken about ten hours, took two and a half - stressful and aggravating days ... best glossed over.

Zeebrugge is a tale of woe unto itself. Next time ...