Canal Du Vogues: a different France

At Corre we began the transition from the open flat plains of the Saone to the foothills of the Vosges.  We have met more Swiss people and seen more things that look Swiss, or at least not French.  The roofs of the houses have flattened again, no more turrets or fancy stonework.

One can see the remnants of a thriving manufacturing industry along the banks of the canal as one passes through the thick forests.  A former tin plate factory near Bains le Bains Manufacture Royale, in business for many hundreds of years in the same family, and now that same family is turning the whole operation into a tourist centre with guided tours.

The lock keepers cottages - most now empty - have been lined on the exposed side with tin plate.  It must be almost continually dark and damp in these woods in winter, the canal winds a narrow path through the trees.

We are now in the 11km pound at the top of the system.  The thick woods have given way to pasture and small villages that are expanding as new build houses testify.  There has been little rain and the water in the pound is low, due to be closed to water traffic and so we've been in an enourmous rush - yesterday 31 locks and 20 km to get to the pound and this morning starting out in thick fog to a 14 lock staircase down to Epinal.

The weather has changed.  Our first week was sunbathing weather, now the mornings are chilly.