Two weeks at Pommeroeul being enough hard labour and partying so we headed east past Mons towards the Strepy Thieu boat lift. This is one of the wonders of the modern age, a 74metre drop in a massive lift……impressive! But our main objective was to meet up for Norway National Day celebrations with our Scandinavian friends Nils and Torild. Super food, great weather and finally a spontaneous serenade of British folk music from a friendly couple in a motorhome……a bit like BBC’s “Transatlantic Sessions”. A massive firework display rounded off the evening thanks to another unconnected local event made it really special. Didn’t know we were so welcome here!


Celebrating Norway’s National Day


Esme with historic lift and rainbow

We were keen to take a trip up the Historic Canal again and luckily were invited as guests on La Tulipe with family staying. What a difference it is when you just relax and someone else does it all! We felt pampered. Chris lay on the deck looking up at the sky and was totally chilled out. He’d been working hard and deserved that. 

Take a look at the website: www.canal-du-centre.be/Education/Chc/En/sommaire.html

or www.canal-du-centre.be/Guide/Sites/En/strepythieu.html 


One of the historic lifts, designed and built by Clark


Team shot at historic canal

When we came to moving on we were asked by four Flemish campervanners if they could come on board for the ride up the lift. They enjoyed that, we hope to see them again. 


New Flemish friends who hitched a lift on the big one