Thursday 29th June - La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre to Chateau-Thierry

Steve and Lynne were going to leave with us but changed their minds so we left the port around 9.30 a.m.  It promised to be another hot day so our 12 kph speed limit made for a pleasant cruise.  The heavily wooded banks of the river had started to thin out in places, allowing glimpses of the champagne vineyards now, which was very cheering!
On approaching Chateau-Thierry it looked to be a fairly large town with a pretty flower display to greet us but when seeking a spot to moor, there was only a pontoon for three boats with power and water.  Needless to say, it was full so we tied off on a high stone wall near the town bridge - not at all satisfactory as disembarking for Crew was certainly not going to be a graceful affair!!
After some lunch Skip walked back along the bank to see if there was anything better and came across a Dutch lady who said that the Norwegian yacht in front of them would be leaving around 4 p.m.  However it would be quite a squeeze for us to get into that spot so she suggested that at least the low wall in front of them would be better than where we were.  Skip agreed and we moved.....much better!
Skip went into town for a look around after his siesta and reported back that it was quite a decent town but we decided on bangers and mash for dinner on board.
We dined on the back deck and indeed stayed up there until past ten o’clock as it was still warm and not yet dark.  Then down below for a bit of telly and bed.

39 km. 4 locks. 4 hours