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Published: June 21st 2011
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This morning it was sunny, but cool as we set off into a strong headwind. It didn't seem to matter which way we were heading - it was always into the headwind!! Bernie adjusted my seat this morning after asking on Friday - AFTER we completed the big hill coming into Peronne - if I was comfortable with my seat tilting forward. I had to say that when he mentioned it I had felt like I was pushing myself back onto the saddle all day!! I was so much more comfortable with my seat adjusted correctly!!
Not long after setting out from the canal, Nina took us to a fish farm. For €4.00/head we were taken on a tour of the fish farm. First we biked around to the big lake where the owner told us about the migrating eels in French (Picardie dialect!) and Nina translated. At first we thought that we were being told that the trout migrate to Mexico, but then we worked out that it was the eels that were being talked about. Across the road from the big lake we were shown the fish trap that is used to 'catch' the eels during the season
that runs from September to March.
After seeing the big lake we went back to the farm/cafe and saw the trout in their ponds being grown from fingerlings to eating size trout. Those who wanted to were offered an eel to hold. Yuk! After all that excitement - Stephen had a go at holding the eel, but now has a greater appreciation for the term 'slippery as an eel' - we were given some product to sample. We were each served a small sample of smoked eel, smoked carp, smoked trout and a trout terrine with a glass of cider. I have to say that despite being pretty dubious about the eel and the carp, that both tasted OK.
After the trout farm we cycled some pretty arduous hills ... as if the headwind wasn't enough to deal with already!! Our efforts had us arriving at an airfield at lunchtime where we watched the parachutists while we ate our packed lunches. We watched two plane loads of parachutists land in the time it took us to eat our lunches. An interesting diversion that made a change from eating lunch in the village churchyard or the forecourt of the
town hall.
When we finally cycled into Noyen ... after even more hills ... we somehow found the energy to visit the Notre Dame Cathedral in Noyen. The cathedral is in the Gothic style and dates from the 12th century. The organist was practising while we were there so it was quite a treat listening to the pipe organ as we looked around the cathedral.
From Noyen we had to cycle to Pont l'eveque to rejoin the Elodie. Apparently the mooring place in Noyen is next to the rubbish dump so it is much more pleasant to spend the night in Pont l'eveque!!
After dinner Nina played us a video about formal gardens to help us appreciate some of the gardens that we will have the opportunity to see between now and the end of the week.
After just about everyone else had gone to bed, Bernie and I found ourselves having a chat with the captain, Zac, about the canal system in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. It was very interesting hearing him talk about his life as the owner of a barge shipping freight between the four countries. Nowadays he is semi-retired. He
sold his barge about 10 years ago and now he just captains a barge from time to time to supplement his pension.
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