We were up early, as a big pusher barge came through before first light, generating the most wash of any of the big boats so far. So we stayed up, and later watched our Swiss neighbours as they departed for the south.

No sooner had they got out into the main channel, than a huge coal B-Double came through from the south.

We spent time catching up on emails and then having breakfast, before leaving Aramon at 0950h. We had intended to spend a few days in Avignon, but we now decided to skip our planned stay there because of the forecast wet weather (which was still in the forecast this morning), and head further north to Port l’Ardoise, ahead of the weather front.

The TGV Bridge at Avignon was a good example of how all the TGV bridges seem to be the most architecturally interesting of the modern bridges.

As we continued on the Rhone, we had a sneak peek at the skyline of Avignon.

But we ploughed on and reached the Avignon ecluse at 1130h. When we radioed to the eclusier, he advised us to go to the waiting pontoon, since there where some big boats going up and down. So we waited for doubles going up and down the Rhone, like this 200m gas barge coming out of the lock.

We then had two two "littlies" (105m and 60m) come our way.

After they had gone in and settled down, we heard the loudspeaker announcement “Skippers, you may now enter the lock”, so we went in behind them at 1315h, and popped out the other side at 1330h.

As we headed away from the lock, we thought we were keeping up with the big boys, almost, but they soon pulled away from us as we rounded the bend.

As we went past Roquemaure on the left at PK225, we noticed the ruins of Chateau de l’Hers changing shape on the hill on the right, as the sun hid behind clouds and then as we circled the Chateau as we rounded the bend. Each vista was different, and this is just one of them.

As we approached the bridges at Montfaucon at PK222, we saw barge Pegase being loaded with gravel from a nearby quarry. We have seen many loaded barges so far, but this is the first one we’ve seen being loaded.

Looking up-river past the bridges, we could see Chateau Montfaucon..

and as we went under the bridges and rounded the bend, the Chateau came more into view. It is one of those classic looking castles, with all the square castellations on the edges of the rooftops.

We had now covered 35km for the day, when we veered left at PK219 into the old section of the Rhone and headed for the marina at l’Ardoise Port2. It was easily recognised by the “golf ball” towering high above the port.

We moored on the hammerhead end of a pontoon, and soon we heard some familiar sounds as “Dexter3” came across to meet us. He was much louder and more aggressive than Dexter2 at Moissac, but he liked lettuce just as much.

Since rain was forecast, I got to work and resurrected the "new" old flytent, but this time using the new supports and pole, and putting into practice a few of the lessons I’d learnt over the past few days.

That night I followed the Speedway SGP at Torun, where Tai Woffinden became the 2018 World Champion, and also won the Grand Prix on the night to round out a successful season.

As I looked to the far side of the marina at the sunken barge, I hoped this was not a harbinger of things to come.