Wednesday 24th August - L'Ardoise to Cruas

We left at 9.30 - a little earlier than usual as we had quite a long run.  It promised to be another scorcher with not much wind.  We didn't clear our first lock until 11 a.m. as, firstly, we had to wait a while and then the filling of the lock was very slow.  About twenty minutes before reaching Bollene lock a cruiser came past at breakneck speed, rocking us ferociously for several minutes - no damage luckily but our two bedside lamps fell over and our glasses were re-arranged in our bar locker!!  Presumably he was racing for the lock as, when we arrived, he was nowhere to be seen!  We thought that we would have a long wait but it was only twenty minutes or so.  Just Aphrodite and Cornelis k. went through the lock.  Bollene is the deepest lock on the Rhone, built in 1952, it is 23 metres deep.  Despite this fact, it takes only seven minutes to ascend!  On exiting the lock, for some way we were dodging the many logs floating in the river.  Another couple of hours cruising saw us arrive in Viviers, to find that the marina was closed........in August!!  Disappointment as we had all had enough  of the 35 degree heat and another two hours or so cruising - not to mention another lock!  We tried to call the Capitaine in Cruas to be assured of two mooring spaces, without luck.  The signal was not up to scratch, as was Crews' French!  We arrived in the port of Cruas just before 7 o'clock to a nice welcome.  The Capitaine and a couple of other men helped us in........good job too - we weren't operating on all cylinders, so tired were we!  Roughly sorted and armed with instructions from the Capitaine as to the direction of the bar, we made a bee line for it!  The bar/restaurant was very rustic with straw on the ground and a sort of a dance floor - very basic but with lovely cold beer!  The same cannot be said for the white wine however.  The waitress was kept amused by the mens' deep thirst, especially Skip, who downed five beers in fairly quick succession!!  We deliberated for a nano-second whether or not to go back and change for dinner.......too tired and hungry for that!!  We all chose Moules/Frites which were not all that flavoursome but very, very welcome nevertheless!  Back to Aphrodite for a digestif then early to our wonderful beds!!  Exhausting day but satisfying!

73 km 3 locks 9 1/2 hours

 O