Our first overnight spot after leaving Compiegne was Vic-sur-Aisne. Traveling the 26-kilometres and four locks took four-and-a-half hours – about as far and as long as we like to do in one day. (We have done almost twice that – both in distance and time. We are not happy campers by the time we turn off the engine.)
We tied up next to a grain elevator. They are great places to moor as the water is deep enough for Aleau and there are bollards. There’s no water or electricity – but then there’s no fee either. We just have to make sure we won’t be in the way of any commercials who need the mooring.
About 1,500 people live in Vic-sur-Aisne. It didn’t take long to explore the town – but we liked what we saw.
Much to our surprise, there are four restaurants in Vic-sur-Aisne. We chose lunch at the one all the locals seemed to prefer.
While we were impressed with all Vic-sur-Aisne had to offer despite its small size, we weren’t sure we’d want to live in the town just across the canal. I can’t imagine telling friends I lived in a town whose name translates to “The Black Cow.’
The next morning, back on the “better” side of the canal, we waited for another commercial to pass by and then, under a grey sky, resumed our journey.
