Ecluse

Had a long walk along the Canal Lateral de Marne from our hotel. Watched this elegant old barge ,which had been converted to a cruise boat, negotiate the lock near St Mareuil-sur-Ay.

We continued our walk in the heat until the next village looking forward to refreshment in a cafe by the canal (according to Google ). Needless to say, it was closed.

We returned to our accommodation and relaxed in the beautiful garden once again with a few glasses of their delicious champagne.

In the evening we walked to the town of Ay along the canal in the opposite direction. We planned to eat at an Italian restaurant as the other two in the town were closed on Wednesdays. When we arrived, after an hour's walk, we found it closed and the building up for sale .

We made our way through the town and there was a local type bar open with tables outside and a board advertising snacks. By now it was 8.30pm and they had stopped doing food but the owner must have took pity on us and made us some delicious Croque Monsieur (minus the ham) and a big plate of different regional cheeses. We succombed to a bottle of champagne from nearby Hautvillars and spent a wonderful evening. The owners of the bar, which turned out to be not just a local bar but one with a lovely champagne interior were sports car enthusiasts with a big collection of models. We had coffee on the house and a generous offer of a lift back to the hotel. We declined and enjoyed the return walk along the Canal. My extra is the cruise boat moored up near to where we are staying.