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| Lalinde Canal - no longer used by boats |
I had heard about these now unused locks (écluses) tucked away on the Lalinde Canal near Bergerac. Flat
bottomed boats called ‘gabares’ used to carry goods down the Dordogne river to
Bordeaux , but , because of the rapids at this spot, there was always a
problem. So the Lalinde Canal was built and the écluses became essential for the safe progress of trade goods. Built in
1843, this lock system is 289 metres long and drops 22 metres to the river
below .
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| a shaded walk overlooking the canal |
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| a stand of banana trees ??? |
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| fig trees grow everywhere here |
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| the power station now blocks the river |
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| the river is shallow here |
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| a quiet spot on the riverbank |
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| the old lock keeper's cottage |
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| the roar of the water through the gates is quite deafening |
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| down and down it tumbles |
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| dropping down toward the river..... |
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| through the arch..... |
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| and out to the open river |
There are always wonderful new places to
discover.
bonne semaine
