news from Barry and Margaret

We arrived in Montbard, which has lovely gardens alongside the canal as we entered the ville, on Wed. 18th July. There are many locks on the Bourgogne. They are hand operated, therefore we are accompanied by a lock keeper whom we help to open & close the gates. Barry has been lock counting & tells me that yesterday we went through our 300th lock, on this holiday. They are all now downhill to Paris, where we are planning to arrive on the 20th August.
July14th was Bastille Day___a public holiday, for lock keepers also. We joined the hundereds of locals at Pouilly - en - Auxois at 11p.m. to watch a fireworks display. It was very orderly with bands etc, but by 12 p.m. everyone had gone home & it was very quiet.
On the 12th July, the weather started to improve & we have had lovely sunny days. The farmers are very busy harvesting wheat, which would normally have been harvested earlier. There was a big grain depot opposite the Marina at Pouilly. Trailor loads of wheat were arriving from dawn to dusk. The stalks are also being bailed. There is also farming in this area- charolet cattle plus a few sheep.
There are extensive iron ore deposits in the Montbard area. A large industrial site (foundary) making steel tubing, run by hydro power,is across the marina from where we have our boat moored.