Back to Agen, June 29-July 10

Usually the moorings at Sérinac sur Garonne are chock full but with all the canal closures due to the weather, there was plenty of room for us to spend the night.

We were tied up around 3:30 and went for a stroll around the village.

The village church has a very unusual twisted steeple. 

Originally built in the 1060’s,by the mid 16th century the church boasted the twisted tower. Due to a lack of maintenance and a lightning strike in the early 1900’s, the original tower was removed and replaced by a simple four sided tower in 1922. In 1984, a local association was formed to raise money for rebuilding the steeple in its original shape. The new tower was built of laminated wood so it weighed less that half what it would if it was constructed in the original manner. In 1988 the new 16 ton tower was lowered into place. A very large crane was involved.

After a brief stop at the Hotel le Prince Noir for some liquid refreshment, it was off to the local tourist office. We were chatting with the very helpful tourist office lady, telling her our plans (on to Castelsarrasin) when she informed up that the recent storm had downed so many trees across the canal that it would be closed past Agen for at least a week. Plans made in jello, again! 

Friday morning it was off again, just 3 hours and 4 locks to Agen where Jenny and Adrian would be leaving me on Monday. I would then have a week on my own before my sister arrived July 11.

So I had another week to enjoy the wonders of Agen.

One of the first events I attended was an organ concert in the church where I learned what “pulling out all the stops” means. Since the organist was in a loft up above our heads, there was a large video screen in the front of the church so we could watch the performer. It’s a little hard to see in the picture I took of the screen, but all those “stops” are pulled all the way out for the grand finale when the roof is raised. 

I also took a hike up the hill across from town and could look down on the marina where I’d spent quite a bit of time.

I also took a couple of bike rides around town and got a good look at the pont canal that crosses the Garonne both from the river bank and from the canal itself.

After a few days I needed a change of scenery. I had discovered a small park about 2 k’s away from town, no locks in the way and shaded by nice trees with several convenient bollards. Friday morning I threw the lines off and headed up the canal just in time to enjoy another weather event. Heatwaves, thunderstorms, floods, droughts… it was time for an evening hailstorm. Nothing quite like grape-sized hail in a steel box. Luckily the solar panels were ok.

By Tuesday morning I was back in the marina. In the late morning I would take the train to Bordeaux to spend the day with my sister there and then Wednesday, the canal now open, we would head off for Valence and Castelsarrasin.