Brittany Canal Day 9

Most days begin cloudy, then give way to blue skies and sunshine. Although the forecast was for 21 degrees, the cloud didn't lift until evening and there was a chilly wind, so it felt cold most of the day. We began the day with a last walk in Malestroit, heading into the big main square to patronise the boulanger-patisserie, along with half the rest of Malestroit. The French are so organised. The shop has two doors, with a queue forming in the street outside the IN door. The queue moves past the display cases, so by the time you get to order, you've made up your mind what you want. One person takes the orders, another takes your payment. So efficient. We exit through the OUT door with two croissants, two tartes aux pommes and a healthy campograin loaf. We sit in a micro park in the centre of the square to eat our croissants, do a bit more shopping then stop for a coffee in the mediaeval quarter on our way back to the boat.

Wood carvings - is that a kangaroo playing the bagpipes?

More animal carvings, in stone

We continue our return journey toward Redon. We have time to go through one lock before lunch, accompanied by the boat that we watched trying to reverse into moorings yesterday. It seems they do know how to handle a boat, although they use their bow thruster a lot on entry to the lock. Our bow thruster is me pushing off with a broom.

Once clear of the lock we let them pass us. We plan to stop at mooring place at St-Laurent-sur-Oust, but a boat coming the other way gets there just before we do so we go on, and finish up rafting up next to the boat that went ahead. We can see into their dining area, where a table is laid with a cloth, elegant plates and glasses. The woman organising food is wearing an apron. Meals are a serious business in France, even on a canal boat. We have neither cloth nor apron, but we still have a pleasant lunch of pate, terrine, cheese with our fresh bread.

The lock opens just as I make coffee, and we and the other boat have to stop lunching and go into the lock, because there is a boat waiting to come up. Once through, we let them pass again so we can go at our own comfortably slow speed. We pass through one more lock, on our own this time, and tie up for the night at St-Martin-sur-Oust. We read and catch up with news and emails and then walk down to the cafe Chez Bernard where we ate on the way up the canal, but it only does evening meals at the weekend. So we have a cider, say hello to the cafe cat, return to the boat for an omelette. It's so peaceful here that it is quite disturbing when a low-flying aircraft goes over - military practice? Too low for a commercial flight and too much noise for a small private plane. But since then, silence.

Lock cottages