Mouzon to Stenay

4 Locks, 15½ miles 4¾ hours

Looking out of the window on waking and having had a night of heavy rain the decision was made to stay at Mouzon for the day.  I took Herbie out for a walk to the patisserie and came back with cream cakes for 11’s. This town is small but beautifully kept and an Abbey as well. 

 
Back of the Abbey

Town hall with leaning tower

During cake eating the clouds cleared and the sun came out so a hasty decision was made to set off for Stenay.

You have to love hire boats.  This one came steaming past us

only to be caught up by us at the next lock.  In his defence he was first there and OK benefit of the doubt, but the lock was broken.  We were 3rd in the queue then another 2 boats turned up a 20m+ barge and a small cruiser.  Once the lock was manned by the VNF the 3 small boats went through in 1 lock turn then we were next.  All this took about ¾ of an hour.

The scenery is returning, but its still like the Nene but with hills now.

 

Leaving a typical lock

Once at Stenay it was a 90 degree left turn into the moorings and only this space left.

Tight one hey?

Deb said we could make it, I wasn’t so sure.  The moorings here are really nice.  Once the evening sun came out so did the camera.

Stenay is the same as the other town, loads of empty shops, loads for sale signs everywhere, and the only places seeming to be staying in business are the banks.  No less than 7 around the centre square.

The skies finally cleared about midnight and I was able to snap with my 40x Zoom the August super moon.

Not bad for a compact