Category Archive

The Somme Museum, Peronne: Australians and WWI The Somme Museum, Peronne: Australians and WWI

September 2nd this year will see a memorial day taking place in remembrance of the Australian troops that fought for, and liberated, Peronne during WWI. In fact, throughout the year numerous events have taken place around Australian culture. The Battle of the Somme in WWI was such a significant part of the fight for freedom in […]

Peronne, France: Entrance to the Somme Peronne, France: Entrance to the Somme

Situated on a hillside overlooking the Somme Valley, the township of Peronne was once well fortified. Throughout history, Peronne found itself at the centre of devastating squirmishes, and sadly, all that remains today is the Porte de Bretagne. Walking through the town, the visitor will find sign and pictures telling stories from history past. This […]

Lock 7 to Peronne Lock 7 to Peronne

First thing this morning, Bob went through all of the engine system checking for blockages and found nought. This left only one other scenario causing the engine to cut out: the muffler. Believing new parts would be required to solve the problem, we continued on our way, taking care to keep the revs below 2000. […]

Another Day of Excitement on the Canals Another Day of Excitement on the Canals

Douai to Lock 7, kilometre 17.5, France Canal du St Quentin was next on our list, however another spanner in the works came this morning when Bob went online and discovered one of the bridges has been out of action for the last two weeks with no date provided for reopening: this really has been […]

Douai, France Douai, France

With the issues we had experienced to date and a reasonably tight schedule to make it down to Paris that could go pear shaped should further issues occur, intending further trips down this way, the decision was made to only have a quick look around Douai. It’s a city with in excess of two millenia […]

Bouvry to Douai, France Bouvry to Douai, France

Another pleasant day’s motor in which there were few stops for the pleasure boater. That at La Bassee has been earmarked for the year that we return to visit Calais and Ypres. Exiting Canal D’Aire, Gratis turned into Canal de la Deule, a major waterway for the working barges. Our eyes boggled in amazement at […]

Arques Plaisance to Beuvry, France Arques Plaisance to Beuvry, France

Recent rains had commenced the process of flushing away the green algae and the gates at the lock were overflowing. It was a pleasant 30km or so motor along a waterway lined with a mix of forestation, farms, animals, and an occasional industrial site. Constructed in 1885, the boat lift was the work of British […]

Maison du Marais, Saint – Omer, France Maison du Marais, Saint – Omer, France

Today was the UNESCO man and biosphere accredited 22,000+ hectare Maison du Marais experience. This region is comprises of marshes throughout which small channels run, all fed by the Aa or canal d’Aa. In operation since 13th century and the only French marsh to undergo continual cultivation, it is in this fertile landscape that generations […]

Relais Flandre – Artois to Arques Plaisance, France Relais Flandre – Artois to Arques Plaisance, France

After a quiet night’s rest it was time to go. A beautiful motor – that included a short wait – along a waterway in which a multitude of smaller channels and additional canals joined. Past that leading to Calais went Gratis – that’s for another year. Oh yes!! The Frenchmen love their fishing. The history of […]

Dunkirk to Relais Flandre – Artois, France Dunkirk to Relais Flandre – Artois, France

The climb commencing at the first of the locks, we soon left Dunkirk behind and entered the rural countryside. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRRoKKOq3KI&feature=youtu.be Farmers going to and fro, carting their harvests in the trays, walkers and riders were all to be seen. Unlike the western most canal we had recently finished, this was a major channel and the […]

Dunkerque War Museum and Bergues Dunkerque War Museum and Bergues

Dunkerque (Dunkerk, Dunkirk), meaning ‘Church of the Dunes’, was first recorded in the year 1067. As with many towns and cities within the region, World War Two wasn’t the only battle the peoples experienced. During the Middle Ages, the town was beleaguered and raided no less than half a dozen times, in addition to finding […]

Into Dunkerque Into Dunkerque

Morning upon us, it was time. Time, that is, to deal with clearing the prop! By using a knife attached to one of our metal poles, Bob was most relieved when he managed to avoid a dive overboard into the murky brown waters. After some serious carving, he eventually pulled up a long piece of […]

Adinkerke to Dunkerque: Belgium into France Adinkerke to Dunkerque: Belgium into France

The morning was spent out on the bikes attempting to find cycle tracks into the exquisite de panne, all to no avail. There were plenty of paths for walkers, but the closest the cyclist could go was around the perimeter. We liked this critter….. Then to the beach we cycled……. What a beautiful piece of […]

Veurne to Adinkerke, Belgium Veurne to Adinkerke, Belgium

It was a waterway of green today. A green so thick that only 4km later Bob noted smoke emitting from the exhaust for Big Bertha. There was a blockage, which meant we had need to make stop. As you can imagine, there was one very unhappy camper. With moorings few and far between, there was […]

Nieuewpoort to Veurne, Belgium Nieuewpoort to Veurne, Belgium

Another early morning start took Gratis through the lock into the basin that led the cruiser either seaward or southbound. This morn, our path led us west to VYNieuwpoort and the slip. The lift ready, in and up went Gratis. It was now that the battle with the stony bank – resultant of that inept […]

Beernem to Nieuwpoort Beernem to Nieuwpoort

Over the past few mornings, Bob had been taking note of the times at which early morning barges passed through on their way to Zeebrugge and Oostende. Departing just ahead of one would provide us with the best chance of least waiting time for bridge and lock openings. With a long day ahead, and movement […]

Bulskampveld, Belgium Bulskampveld, Belgium

Just a four kilometre bike ride from Beernem, a castle resides in the beautiful landscape of Bulskampveld. In this picturesque and tranquil landscape visitor finds walking and riding paths that lead one through heavily forested sections in which ferns grow, across open heathlands in across which water courses run, and a large lake where it […]

Bruge by Bike Bruge by Bike

An exquisite summer’s morning had Bob and I alighting our bikes for the 14km trip into this UNESCO heritage Belgian city. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2zTAR2TioU&feature=youtu.be Arriving at the township, it was wow! Beautiful doorways. waterways, interesting boats, and we loved the whale. One of the locks is still in operation: it’s colossal! Once there were seven, then there were […]

Kortrijk to Beernem, Belgium Kortrijk to Beernem, Belgium

The morning found us back on the Leie, pointing the bow of Gratis Gent way for a few kilometres. With the prop requiring its new anode sooner rather than later, we were having to pick up a little pace. Two locks with drops of under three metres were the only stops along the way, were […]

Kortrijk, Belgium Kortrijk, Belgium

Arriving at the entrance to Lock nine at 9am on this warm summer’s day, our delightful lock keeper was there to see us through. There is no VHF contact for these locks, so the mobile phone (+32 4789 6203) comes in handy for arranging passage. The lock hours for each gate opening are highly restricted, […]