Close encounters of a social kind

 One of the best parts about our faring adventures is the encounters we have with other people connected to the waterways. Our recent holiday was just a short two weeks and the distance we travelled barely amounted to 100 km, but we had the loveliest time and met some incredibly nice folk, which made our trip extra special.

At the end of my last post, we’d spent a night in the town of Deinze at the point where the Leie river is incorporated into a major commercial canal leading to Lille. Because of a yacht club event that was due to occupy the town quayside, we had to leave on Saturday morning, but instead of continuing onto the broad canal, we turned back and found ourselves a perfect place to pass the weekend. 

Our spot was an unofficial mooring but there were two perfectly placed wooden poles set into an equally perfect wooden siding. The bank was easily accessible and it offered us shade and great walks for Zoe. Even better, we had it all to ourselves.

A perfect, peaceful mooring

Good, easy walking along the cycle and towpath

The rainy view from our window

As it happened, it was a timely find because Saturday turned rainy, but once the skies had cleared in the afternoon, we received a visit from across the water. As the rain dripped down, I’d been watching a young man and a little boy busy working in the garden of the bankside house opposite our mooring. They’d been busy feeding a bonfire and doing other chores on their pontoon on which a bright red canoe was placed.

Imagine our surprise then, when a tap on the Hennie H’s hull alerted me and looking outside, I saw the red canoe alongside with father and son on board.

“Excuse me,” the young dad said. “My son has been asking me if he could come and see your boat. Would it be alright if he came on board to have a look?”

“Yes, of course,” I said, smiling down at the small, earnest face of the child. He looked so serious sitting in the canoe with his vivid orange lifejacket. 

They climbed up on deck, at which point Koos came out to chat to the dad, who introduced himself as Waldo, while I took young Aster inside. He sat himself on the sofa and proceeded to pat Zoe, who, quite conveniently, adores children. 

Aster told me he was five and would be six in December and that when he was grown up, he’d like to have a boat like ours. I was struck by this child’s awareness and maturity as he asked some really thoughtful questions. The two of them spent a good half hour on board telling us about their home and life before climbing down into their canoe and rowing back across the river. Meeting them was an unexpected pleasure and I think their visit will remain a special memory for both Koos and me.

Another pleasant encounter was with the bridge keeper downstream at Astene where we returned after the weekend. To backtrack, when we were in Deinze, we’d moored next to an old Dutch tjalk that was clearly fit for living aboard but didn't seem to be occupied. I’d noticed the name of the owner was Luc, but other than that thought no more of it except what a nice space this small tjalk had for accommodation.

The bridge keeper came over to chat while I was doing a little scraping and painting and told me he too had an old boat that needed painting. It quickly transpired he was the Luc of the tjalk in Deinze and I was fascinated to learn from him that his barge was a very early conversion. It was built in 1910 and converted to accommodate passengers in 1920, so it was hardly ever used for freight, which makes it quite a rarity. I wish I’d taken a photo of it now. Again, meeting Luc was a pleasure and I realised anew how we always seem to come across such warm, interesting people when we’re faring.

We are now back home and I can truthfully say we’ve had one of the most enjoyable and relaxed holidays since – well – last year’s trip through Belgium. From Astene, we meandered our way slowly back downstream, spending another three nights on the Leie and having some lovely rural walks before staying one more night in Gent and arriving back in Sas last Friday afternoon.

Now, it’s a matter of clearing up and sorting things out before going down to France again for a quick visit, but I'm always a little sad when we come to the end of our faring.

Till next time, here are a few more photos for those who haven’t already seen them (again in reverse order). Have a great week allemaal!