Canal Lateral de Loire

I don’t have much to say about the Canal Lateral de Loire – for a variety of reasons – none of which are anything to do with the canal itself:
• The weather was grey and miserable or raining.
• We were stir crazy after our enforced spell at Decize and so were itching to put some distance behind us. We took only a day and a half to reach Digoin which is pushing it some.
• We only saw the small section between Decize and Digoin.

The locks are very similar manual ones to the Nivernais although they are a bit bigger. The lock keepers still like a hand with the gates although, unlike the Nivernais, they don’t like you touching the paddles. They keep the same hours too of 9.00 to 7.00 with an hour for lunch from 12.00. The mechanism is intersting too and decidedly complex.
This part of the canal winds gently with widely spaced locks through very gently rolling green fields dotted with small villages. Many of the villages take considerable pains to provide facilities for boaters – moorings often with water and essential shops such as Boulangeries close by and well sign posted.

It all ends up at Digoin where you cross an impressive auqueduct over the Loire as you finally say good bye (or good riddance).