We started the day with morning rain, but it cleared up  so that we were able to leave our Ray mooring at 1030h, for our short trip to Soing. We started by leaving the River Saone and going back onto the canal and through a lock towards Charpentenay, where we saw Polaris and Cochon Noir tied up together. We said hello as we passed, and continued on. As we left the canal and returned to the Saone, we realised that we were the second boat in a convoy of three heading up the river towards Soing. We just hoped that there would be space for all of us, as we pssed a row of poplars bordering the river.

Fri 21 July - rain, leave Ray, Soing, last spot, wine, Test, pingpong, horse carriage

But as we approached Soing more closely, we realised that there were very few mooring spaces available. The first boat in the convoy nosed its way into the only available space, but halfway through the manoeuvre, he aborted (for resons unknown) and swung the boat clear and headed back down the river. This left us next in line, so we gratefully accepted the opportunity, and drifted Kanumbra into the space. This left the third boat with nowhere else to moor, so we offered that they could moor alongside us, and this they were very happy to do, as they only wanted to stay long enough for lunch. After we helped them moor alongside, they gave us a small bottle of wine as a token of their appreciation.

After lunch, and they headed back down the river, we realised that we had a great waterfront view from our mooring.

The afternoon weather alternated between sunny and cloudy, wet and dry, so I kept myself amused by following the 4th Ashes Test and catching up on this blog (although I now realised that I was falling further and further behind). In the ;ate afternoon, we realised that there was a ping-pong table in the park adjacent to the moorings, so Rita and I resumed rivalries and and spent 30-40 minutes regaining our touch. But our sporting careers were put on hold for a while, when we heard the distinctive sounds of a horse and carriage in the park behind us. And not just any horse and carriage; this was a seriously competitive outfit practicing, we assumed, for an upcoming competition, and they sped up and down in the park, weaving in and around trees and other obstacles. The horse seemed to be enjoying it as much as the driver, especially when it was given its head and allowed to gallop over the grass. Eventually, practice was finished, and the horse clip-clopped its way back over the bridge and headed for home.

As the day drew to a close, Soing put on its own sunset show, with less golden sun and more speckled clouds and their reflection in the waters of the Saone.