We arrived at Waulsort ages ago – on Saturday the 28th of May to be precise. That makes a total of 3 weeks and 1 day today! Initially we paid € 48,00 for four days, planning to leave on the 1st of June. Heavens soon opened their gates to the full. The following deluge inhibited us from leaving. We paid an extra € 9,00, to meet the weekly rate. After that we paid € 48,00 again – for the second time followed up by € 9,00. Two weeks, two times € 57,00 – therefore € 114,00 for a fortnight. The circumstances did not change. So we decided to pay an extra € 51,00, (€ 165,00 altogether) thus creating the right to be here for a full month. (Deep sigh.) The river is unceasingly running pretty fast. Besides (1), she is still closed for over 90 kilometers as from PK 7 in France. That’s around 16 kilometers from here – 9 in Belgium and 7 in France. The thing is that the Belgians count the kilometers looking downstream (we think: normal) and the French upstream (we think: French). Besides (2), France suffers from a wave of strikes – VNF-employees among them.

We’ve decided to go on strike too. Because we’re slightly fed up with being unable to move. When searching for an appropriate picture matching the concept ‘strike’ we started finding this one. Yes, it’s a strike indeed…

…and the first one was followed by this one. That’s undeniably another form of strike – in this case a rather lucky one. The health-warning is in Dutch, which makes it even more special for us! Who’d still read the warning after Coleen catches the eye? The male eye that is, of course.

At last we were able to demonstrate the meaning of ‘strike’ (‘grève’ in French) the best possible way, being an article in a regional French paper, to be found using this link: http://www.lunion.fr/region/givet-en-raison-d-un-mouvement-de-greve-ecluse-bloquee-ia3b25n70909. It’s about a strike, amongst other things affecting the lock ‘Les Quatres-Chemineés’, the first one for us after entering France. An important one, too, as it is a sort of ‘checkpoint’, ‘customs’ if you like.

So here’s what we are forced to do – us, victims of circumstances! Hopefully it will be different next week… When looking at the speed of the water. though… Well, there’s always hope, isn’t there? Sorry for possibly being a bit wearisome. Bye for now.