Dag 13: Vincey - Fontenoy-le-Chateau (69 km)

We are slow starters and today even more than usual. No problem. A calm day lay ahead during which we would travel allong the 'Canal de l'Est', a 120 km long canal that connects the Moselle with the Saône. Near Épinal it 'crosses' a watershed, one going to the North Sea and ending in The Netherlands, and the other flewing into the Medtiteranean. At both sides there is an enormous number of sluices, one after the other. I lost count, but there were at least 80 of them. It would have been easier to count boats, not more then 10.

There was not only water in the canal. Shortly after lunch, which we missed because we had departed too late and arrived thus after closing time in the only restaurant that we found during the first 40 kms, there was also water in the air. Not so much, but enough to unpack the rainclothes. We were lucky to find an inn in the middle of nowhere where the family had just finished lunch and left something over for guests like us. We were unlucky that we couldn't connect to the internet during a large part of the deserted region. so we could't book for the night and decided to take our changes in The Moulin Cotant in Fontenay, with restaurant. We found the door locked, dialled the indicated number, saw after a minute a Demis-Rousos-like person running along the door where we were waiting, probably to attend the telephone call, followed a little later by a Gina-Lolobrigida-like lady.

Enfin, the establihment appeared to be closed because several staff members were ill. And there was no other restaurant in town, nor at the campsite that we had as alternative. But then the real Demis emerged. He suggested another guesthouse, uphill, offered to show it to us. We accepted the offer, left our bicycles at The Mill, went to an old isolated farm where a lady was painting a door, watched by two dogs and her husband. Frankly, it looked a bit obscure, but in between a younger man had arrived from work. It appeared to be a remedial teacher who had started turning the old farm into a guesthouse. As there were hardly any alternatives we decided to stay. That is, we had to go back downhill to pick up our bicycles, and climb uphill again. It resulted in a wonderfull evening and a copious meal with Christoffe, jealously observed by the two dogs. The main dish was prepared and delivered by Demis. For an impression see http://www.aubegney.fr.