While we did our postal votes for the Australian Federal Election after breakfast, we helped two more boats do their 90degree parking. This convinced us that our efforts yesterday were not all that bad. Given the time remaining on the boat, and the condition of Rita’s ankles from all the manual locking, we decided to turn back to Cahors today rather than press on to Ste-Cirq-Lapopie despite all that we had heard about it (we will go there by car on Saturday). So we headed off at noon, followed by the Austrian family who were moored next to us. Going down through the lock was easier than going up, especially at the Bouzies lock as it meant going through the turbulent area on leaving the lock, rather than on entry to it. Soon after, we passed the pretty town of Bouzies Bas, which was in the sun today and much more photogenic than when we passed yesterday.

A long clear run with no locks saw us mooring at St Gery in early afternoon, right behind the Austrians, under a big willow tree.

Others also found the tree to be a nice mooring spot, including this lace-wing dragonfly who landed on our writing pad!

We explored St Gery in the afternoon, had a drink at On Passe à Table, and tried to post our postal vote to Australia (but the Poste was closed in the afternoon in summer). We then went down to look at the train museum, and had a ride on the miniature train, including a derailment at a set of points! We then went back to the boat to lounge around in the sun and continue reading.

While we were preparing dinner, a boat with a German family of teenagers stopped behind us. Since all the dock spaces were taken, it looked like they were trying to wild-moor at the bankside for the evening. A little while later they were passed by a boat with a French family on board. The Germans then pulled out and started screaming abuse and profanities at the French for passing them and hence getting to the next lock first (the Germans were actually waiting in the wrong place for the lock, with the lock-waiting pontoons another 100m downstream). They continued the abuse after they pulled up behind the French boat at the waiting pontoon, and then proceeded to keep bumping the French boat from behind as they entered the lock. It looked like WW3 was about to break out in the lock, but the French skipper took the number of the German boat and will undoubtedly report them, and several people from other boats (including the Austrians) went up to the lock and told the German teenagers to calm down. Peace was restored, but I suspect the French would have let the Germans pass them after they left the lock, so that they wouldn’t have to lock with them again. Who said the European Union had resolved all the national tensions in Europe?