Recovery day!
Long, 80510

First 4 days, cumulative milage.
 Rowed 41 kms ( pk156 to pk 115),
 Sara driven 111miles, cycled 29miles

A much appreciated day off to celebrate Sara's birthday. Unfortunately the only restaurant in the village is closed on Monday so it will be a make do with our last treasured bottles of English bitter. After 4 days of rowing, including trials and the short row to the sea lock and back on the first day, it is sore hands, shoulders, and above all bum!

First day row to the sea lock

We always knew the Somme was likely to be one of the hardest bits of the journey, but 3 weeks of heavy rains (now finished thankfully) has created an hearty current to the sea of up to 4/5 km/h in places. Since my best rowing is only 5/6 km/h it has been hard graft cheating the strongest by rowing close to the steep bank through weeds on the south side or overhanging or fallen trees on the north. We passage planned on 20/25km per day but have barely achieved half of that so far.

                                                The lock at Abbeville

In one stretch it was unrowable meaning I dragged out and lugged Oggi 3k along the towpath which fortunately is well maintained as a cycle track.
   

                                                               Long lock
                 
The lock system is proving erratic. Lock keepers dash up and down in cars to see you through but require a firm arrival time (based on motor boat average speed of 7.5k), which, of course I can not give. Although working well occasionally, most of the time it is a lift out and portage with Sara & Sally's assistance (they usually arrive by bike along the towpath).

The flip side though is good weather so far and the beautiful river banks of reed and lilly, freely spattered with poppy and a fresia type flower. Birdwise it is an ornithologists paradise, particularly at present with so many protective mums with their clutches of chirping chicks. The innumerable big bellied French fishermen are certainly the noisiest of the wild life of the river. Casting their lines out to the middle, forcing me out into the fastest current and clucking and screeching like trapped hens if I go remotely close. I now look forward to the next 4 days of testing rowing until our next day off on Saturday for our wedding anniversary. Just stopping to fill a drink of water can thrust me back 100m or more and landing places rare so my next post will probably not be until the 23rd for obvious reasons. Hopefully by then the current and my blisters may have diminished a bit and my rowing muscles improved!!!!