After Chris and Helen left we spent a second night in Kortrijk and then set off for Deinze where we had arranged to meet up with Chris Fryatt. We like Deinze and had a most enjoyable meal at Bruno’s bar beside the moorings. Chris is well known there and so we alwyas receive a warm welcome at Bruno’s.
Chris headed off on Tuesday to return to Bruges for the winter but we decided to stay another night.
All was well until Weds morning when I got up to make the tea only to find the gas had run out! It really should not have done so; we had only replaced the bottle a week before. And the spare was also empty because we had changed it when when we were in Valenciennes. Strange goings on! 1 gas bottle would usually last almost a whole season. The gas bottle locker is on the top deck and well ventilated but we could smell there was a gas leak.
It is not easy to replace our gas bottles when in Belgium – we have kept with the french ones which were on board when we bought Piedaleau – and we discovered long ago that the best solution is a quick trip down to the huge Aucun supermarket at Roncq (near Calais). We usually then combine gas replacement with wine replacement! Makes the trip / diesel cost worthwhile, you undertsand!
But we didn’t have a car at Deinze!
A quick couple of phone calls and 2 offers of assistance!
Lucreze came to our rescue! She picked us up within the hour and drove us to Roncq about 40 minutes away, we bought 2 new bottles – no wine this time – and were back on board by midday.
So the next conundrum was where was the gas leak!
Piedaleau 