Varangévîlle

It was after 9.00 before we finally left the apartment, late for us but we aren’t going far today, about 23kms I think

Since we are meeting up with Susan and Michael next week we thought it might be prudent of Christine to buy some pyjamas so we went shopping at L’eclercs before leaving town.

For such a grand city we commented several times on the long grass and unkept parks and gardens until we noticed these signs. It’s saying they are left this way deliberately to promote nature and biodiversity.

Wow 😮 now there’s a great way for councils to save money. Play the old green card 😇

We stopped on the edge of the city at an Aucun shopping centre for coffee and croissants and were befriended by this lovely lady who wanted us to mind her bike while she went shopping for ear rings. The last time she had been here some local homeless people stole some things and punctured her tyres. Charming. She was in there a while but as I said , we’re in no hurry.😴

Temporarily away from the edge of the canal but the path is still fantastic. Let’s hope it continues like this all the way to Strasbourg .(there’s our sign )

We pass mountains of special stone chips I’m thinking for the local soda ash plants. (*Google it someone)*

Crossing the Meurthe on a viaduct. You can just see the cathedral of St Nicolas de Port upstream

Our Chambre dotes has a lock right beside it . When we turned up an Aussie and his wife were just going through it. We’ll catch up with him tomorrow

The proprietor let us in early, 12.30. ( his usual time is 6.00pm). We dropped our bags off and went a little further to Dombastle to get some dinner

On both sides of the road we passed through the Dombastle Solvay carbonate plant. The biggest producer of soda ash in France ( *just about everything we wash with or drink from needs soda ash )*

The special thing about this plant though is it is currently being converted to utilise non recyclable rubbish to produce all of its steam and electricity . State of art technology that will save importing 200,000 tons of coal a year and produce 50% less carbon emissions. Fantastic eh !

As we crossed back over the canal on our return home, a German yacht was passing through our lock . That’s our Chambre Dote beside the bikeway

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Published by Wallis Don