Oh isn't it nice not to have to search for other people's photos to illustrate the blog - from now on they're all mine (or Mike's!) - we've entered the age of digital photography, hooray!
 |
| Lashing to the quay at Malbork |
Milder
10.8º C, grey and cloudy, drizzly light showers and occasional spells of
sunshine. Bill went to the Internet café early to avoid being mobbed by twelve
year old boys. Mike did the engine room month end checks, replacing an injector
“o” ring which had gone flat and caused a slight leak, and I got on with the
usual chores. Then I had the PC on to look at the camera software and some of
the pictures we’d taken. Not too bad, room for improvement. Bill came back and
said most of the shops didn’t open until ten.
 |
| Malbork castle |
He went again when they reopened.
We set off at 11.45am. Three young lads in a pedalo were splashing about around
the boat, laughing and giggling, generally getting in the way as we untied
until Mike hooted at them, then they were all smiles but moved out of danger range
of collision. Took more photos of Malbork. It was dull and spitting with rain.
We arrived at Szonowo lock at 12.30pm. After we’d hooted, a young man came and
opened the gate to let us in, closed the gate and then lifted the paddles. A
woman took Bill’s
 |
| Malbork castle |
money (the usual amount this time 11,36 Zł! They charged us
12.80 last time) and then she opened the top end gate. We left the top at 12.50 pm.
Low wooded hills on the left and flood dykes (no longer necessary to prevent
flooding, so there were lots of paths cut through nowadays) on the right. On
the right bank we spied a bicycle leaning against a fence post and Mike said I
bet there’s another boat somewhere with a bloke fishing. He was right. About
two kilometres upstream in the reedy bank there was a bloke
 |
| In Biala Gora lock |
fishing from a
boat. A bit later on we saw three men fishing by a pipe, probably a sewage discharge
from a village not far away. I said if they come from that village and they
catch fish that are feeding on the sewage that comes down that pipe then are
they getting their own back? Mike replied only if they don’t sell the fish they
catch to someone else! There was a terrible pong a bit further on up the river.
It smelled like pigs being boiled. Round the next bend and it disappeared. It
must have been coming from a house hidden in the woods between us and the
Wisła. A white tailed eagle was being pursued by a silvery male hen
 |
| Bird's nest in the lockgate at Biala Gora |
harrier.
The smaller bird had no chance against the eagle’s big flapping wings. The
river narrowed where an old railway bridge used to stand, there were
embankments on either side the river. Four men were fishing in various spots in
the narrow bit. Back into wider waters and the whole terrain opened up into the
former flood plain of the Wisła from the days before they built the lock and
flood defences at Biała Góra. Round the last few bends to the lock. Mike put
the boat against the dolphins (new linked ones with a passerelle on t
 |
| Men still at work at Biala Gora refurbishing lock |
op) and
went to find someone to work the lock. A young man came and wound the gate open
and we went in. The difference in levels was much less than last time. The
workmen had put their electricity cable over the lock up over two pieces of
wood on the lock edges but we could get underneath easily as the Wisła was now
1.3m lower than when we came down it. Hopefully it should be running more
slowly. As we came out of the lock an aircraft flew over very low, right over
the lock chamber. He turned and came
 |
| Moored on Wisla above Biala Gora lock |
back and did it again! Bill put Rosy
against the bank on the right side just beyond the lock where some piling had
been exposed. It was very muddy and he couldn’t do much but stand still and hold
the ropes. We went alongside and Mike got off and did the tying up, while Bill
held on to the boats. It was 4pm. Mike went off with the camera to repeat the
photos he took last time we were here for comparison with photos
 |
| Markers on the banks of the Wisla (Vistula) |
taken with the
35mm camera.
 |
| The boats moored on the Wisla from the lock gates at Biala Gora |
No comments:
Post a Comment