If you’re reading this on Sept 15, check out Day 6, it was cut off and it’s been fixed.
Another foggy morning but it lifted by 8:30 so we were on our way by 8:45, no surprises like yesterday, the sunny weather continued all day.
This was the day of locks. Locks 11 – 7 were spaced several miles apart as usual but then we were into “the flight” – 5 locks within a distance of two miles. We had to pass two gates before the locks started and the first gate is kept closed unless a boat requests to go through. When Bob called tomate the request, the guy said I’ll be there as soon as I can, he was manning the gate, and locks 6 and 4. He had to drive between the three places as pass throughs were requested. Bob got really good at idling the boat, not nearly as easy as idling a car.
It took us 90 minutes to do locks 6-2, partly waiting for the poor lock keeper bouncing between the gate and the locks, and he, therefore we, waited for a boat that was about 15 minutes behind us, also locking through going east. It turned out to be a boat that also spent the previous night in Amsterdam but left around 9:15 am
Waterford seems to be nice little town and we get to stay on the dock at the Visitors Centre just outside the lock for free – that includes showers, yea! We’re staying here for two nights. We had dinner in town at a place recommended by the Visitors Centre staff, we wanted to erase the memory of The Basil.
The food was very good at McGreives, but the service was interesting. They didn’t have the first wine we ordered so we selected another one which they did have. My starter salad arrived minutes before the main course and as we were finishing our meal, still chewing, cutlery in hand, the “water server” asked if we’d like the rest of our meal in a box or were we still working on it. We did mention this to our server, she said it was the young woman’s second day on the job, she would talk to her. When the bill came it had two bottles of wine on it, the one they didn’t have and the we were served. As I said good food, interesting service.