Houseboat in the French Ardennes - Day 3 - Fumay

11.06.23

We sleep peacefully at our little harbor today. As we scrub the deck in the morning, sweat drips into our eyes - the sun is scorching. The boys make breakfast while the girls look for a bakery and end up in bread heaven. It's simply a good life with traditional baguettes and croissants with butter.

Yesterday was quite tiring, so today we only plan a cozy 4-hour trip. We enjoy one of the green lungs of Europe and are happy to see every kingfisher and heron.

Locking in the boat works better and better, even Vicky dares to throw and pull in a rope if someone is standing next to her. But what we still haven't internalized are the ceiling heights on the boat, we constantly bump into them.

Today, the tunnel lock was particularly exciting. We first went through a dark stalactite tunnel (without lighting) before we could tackle the next lock. But Steuerfrau Lara mastered it like a pro (despite smart comments from various passengers ;) )

In the middle of nowhere, Jan decides that we should go for a swim. No sooner said than done: letting the boat drift in neutral, first the boys (with enthusiasm from the bow), then the girls (squealing and very slowly) into the still cool Maas. As a reward for skinny-dipping, we had warm tequila. Student vibes are definitely present, after all, we're not getting any younger.

Freshly bathed in the Maas water and with SPF 50 sunscreen on our skin, we reach our destination for today: Fumay. A sleepy little town with bridges and lots of natural stone welcomes us. And the best part: there are free showers.

So far, the density of restaurants in none of our harbor cities has been outstanding. Today, we prefer to stay 'at home' and are satisfied with baguette, cheese, and a good Bordeaux.