Thursday 28th April 2005 KP137 Lipica to KP 102 nr Ujscie 24.2kms 3 locks

Romanowo lock

Damp and grey. A mild 7.9º C overnight. Brief sunny spells. Drizzle. Up at 7 a.m. to be away again at 8 a.m. We finally unhitched from the muddy, peaty bank at 8.30 a.m. At lock 14, Romanowo an elderly and inquisitive woman in an apron came to chat (in Polish and German)  accompanied by several older men and a younger one who worked the lock and took all the details but no money. Pay for three locks at the next one.  I asked if we could get water and they said yes, from the house. We’d got plenty of hoses between us and Mike found an iron reducer to

Ferry at Walkowice

connect up to the tap. We both filled up our tanks. They didn’t want any money for the water, but I found a bottle of wine out to give to them, which we didn’t take no for. Dziękuję (pronounced djyen’kooyeh) thank you! They beamed. When were we coming back – a couple of months? About that. Mike asked if they could put our rubbish in their bin, they did. We’d seen no bins anywhere. It was 10.30 a.m. when we set off. Mike had put the pins in to run the Markon and do some washing now we’d got water. I got Bill’s stuff and filled the washer up and did the

Paddle gear at Walkowice lock

first load as we ran on to the next lock, No 13 Walkowice. Again several men came over to chat, mainly in German, and a lady wearing a warm woolly hat came to fill in the paperwork and relieved Bill of 34,08 Złotys for the group of three locks. A little brown long haired Jack Russell followed the keeper about and Fanny wanted to play, but Bill wouldn’t let her get off the boat. Off to the next lock. I swopped washer loads and put five pairs of jeans in to wash. Made a cuppa as we ran on to lock 12, Nowe, where a quiet old man worked the lock

Lock house at Walkowice

for us. Put the washer on again to finish off the jeans and made some lunch. I’d finished the last of my German soft brown bread and was on to the bread I’d bought in Dresdenko, which was a bit hard. The next reach was a long one, it was 43 kms to the next lock. The water speed increased until we got to Ujscie where the river Gwda joined the Notec. After we’d passed through the multiple channels in Ujscie the rate of flow decreased. Once we cleared the town we started to look for a mooring place. There were low hills all long the river on the

Junction of the Gwda with the Notec

right bank, which gradually opened up into a wide flood plain again. We moored at 3.45 p.m. alongside a reed bed with low flying clouds dropping a fine drizzle. It reminded both of us of the summit of the Leeds and Liverpool canal. Not a house or living thing in sight.

Village of Ujscie