Got the go ahead to leave today and got as far as the first lock,1 km away, Closed! A few telephone calls and we are on our way.
This is the reason we have not been able to continue our journey, too much water!
The bell tower of the church in Rans. Note the round shape of the bell tower. This is typical for the bell towers in this area.
Another church with the round bell tower. In the Fluvial Guide there is some information on the Bell Towers of Franche-Comte. The first of these towers, with their typical rounded shapes, is attributed to Archbishop Antoine-Cleradius de Choiseul-Beaupre ( why so many names!) once chaplain to Stanislas Leczinski, Duke of Lorraine and former king of Poland ( the stuff you learn from the Fluvial Guide!) wishing to please his master Antoine etc etc is said to have asked his architect to reproduce the roof of a Polish church on the old cathedral of Saint-Jean at Besancon. The work as finished in 1729, the first of more than 700 bell towers in the Franche-Comte countryside.
The tunnel at Touron
Light decorated by a Dane. He also put up water curtains at the entrance and it of the tunnel. But unfortunately they were out of operation when we went through.
Entering Besancol, what a fantastic fortress.
This calls for a long walk around the ramparts tomorrow.
Another view. It is a citadel and is the work of a certain Mr Vauban who also created waterways and the aqueducts on the Canal Midi.
Our mooring in Besancon. We have met an Australian couple, Peter and Dorothy, in their catamaran which they sailed from Australia to Europe via Asia. We have found that on the waterways of France there is a great comaradie amongst the boating people. Many of the boats are left in in ports over winter and during the summer months the English, Australians, Canadians, South Africans and New Zealanders all return and travel up and down the waterways. They have contact with each other and help each other with up to date information, practical and technical help. It is like a whole little community.
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