Locks Tides- And French Brie

<P class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in -38pt 0pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; tab-stops: 326.05pt><SPAN lang=EN-GB style=COLOR: black>Five years a go my wife and I decided to take our small sail boat through the French canals <SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN>reaching the Med. via <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags /><st1:City w:st=on>Paris</st1:City> and the Biscay via <st1:place w:st=on><st1:City w:st=on>Bordeaux</st1:City></st1:place>. Re-rigged we proceeded to southern <st1:State w:st=on>Brittany</st1:State> to cross our earlier track from the <st1:country-region w:st=on><st1:place w:st=on>UK</st1:place></st1:country-region> achieving a sort of circumnavigation. <SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in -38pt 0pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; tab-stops: 326.05pt><SPAN lang=EN-GB style=COLOR: black><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in -38pt 0pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; tab-stops: 326.05pt><SPAN lang=EN-GB style=COLOR: black>Throughout the trip we met and enjoyed<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes>  </SPAN>many people experiences and events. The search for strange beasts in Paris; coping with giants on the Rhone; out-facing bloody handed Popes in<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes>  </SPAN>the South West; encountering heroes of Louis XIV and WW2 were sort of common daily fodder. A theme therefore emerged of Authors Dorothy and the Scarecrow following their own <st1:Street w:st=on><st1:address w:st=on>Yellow Brick Road</st1:address></st1:Street>; Dorothy to find herself and the Scarecrow to get some brains and meeting the real-life heroes and villains of this French-style <SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN>Munchkin-land. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in -38pt 0pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; tab-stops: 326.05pt><SPAN lang=EN-GB style=COLOR: black><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in -38pt 0pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; tab-stops: 326.05pt><SPAN lang=EN-GB style=COLOR: black>This is not just a travel account but seeks to explore the<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes>  </SPAN>major features of the physical and cultural landscape. We had a medieval tapestry to find in <st1:City w:st=on>Paris</st1:City> before tackling the high canals and facing the bully <st1:place w:st=on>Rhone</st1:place>. With Paul Riquet we enjoyed <st1:country-region w:st=on><st1:place w:st=on>France</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s southern canals and traced the Celtish traditions and the awful events of the Cathar Herasy. <SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN>Sabastian Vauban and his Atlantic Wall left his mark as did the battle to breach the <SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN>German Atlantic Wall.<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes>  </SPAN>And so on. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in -38pt 0pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; tab-stops: 326.05pt><SPAN lang=EN-GB style=COLOR: black><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in -38pt 0pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; tab-stops: 326.05pt><SPAN lang=EN-GB style=COLOR: black>This <SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN>is not a technical pilot but does intend to be informative and entertaining.<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes>  </SPAN>It is designed to be of interest to the amateur sailor to the inland waterway enthusiast <I style=mso-bidi-font-style: normal>and </I>to any casual and curious reader. We all hope for that so you must be the judge! If you want to know why these Bretton ladies (below) are mooning at the departing ferry you will have to read the book...<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>