French River Day 3

Wednesday

Cloudy and drizzly showers which eventually cleared in the evening.

Left Chambellay at 10.00 

Lock 39 - Chenillé-Changé at 10.20 .  Took time out to explore here on the return journey.

Lock 38 - La Jaille-Yvon at 10.50 .  Filled up with water above the lock and managed to retrieve one of the fenders which made an escape bid.

Lock 37 - Fourmusson at 11.50 .

Immediately below the bridge at Daon there is a river spa area with swimming beaches, canoes, pedallos, water-skiing and a water slide.

Just before Menil lock the map indicated a chain ferry but we saw no evidence of one in operation.

Lock 36 - Menil at 12.30 .  Then stopped for lunch and walked round the village.

Photo of Menil.   

We moved on at 14.00 reaching Lock 35 - La Bavouze at 14.25.

Lock 34 - La Pendu on the southern outskirts of Château-Gontier at 15.05. 

 We cruised slowly through Château-Gontier and on up to lock 33 where we turned round and came back to the town moorings at Quai Place de Coubertin.  We moored up here at 15.45 and went off to explore and shop.  These public mooring potoons are next to those of a hire base.

We walked across the old bridge and turned left and headed back downstream towards the new bridge where there were parking and facilities for motor homes and caravans in a small park.  Photos of park.    

                                A large supermarket was just beyond the roundabout here.

In the evening we went up into the old part of the town, "the gardens of the end of the Earth" and the narrow, steep cobblestone streets.  Photo of Église St Jean on the edge of the gardens overlooking the mooring and a cobblestone street..

Photo taken next morning of the mooring with the old bridge beyond and the tower of Hôpital Saint-Julien.