Of Lifts and Inclined Planes.

These old structures are just fascinating and can be stared at for ages; the engineering and craftsmanship create a huge iron harmony from which I cannot take my eyes. Somehow the Strepy-Theiu lift, as new and imposing as it is, cannot match the 'attitude' its predecessors.

The day following our arrival we decided to ride the seven or so kilometers up to lift number one.

Lift #4

Tourist barge entering the Freycinet-sized (roughly 40m x 5m) bassinet

And another coming down the adjacent bassinet.

The top of Lift #4

Lift #3

Lift #2

The house at the top of Lift #1

And the next day we decided to cruise to Lift #3 and back

Going up.

The view down 17 meters.

Exiting

Rafted up to the tourist barge we had to follow down again.

The 'museum'.

Due to the time it took waiting for commercials going both up and down the lift we decided not to wait for the weekend and do all four but to rather do the big 70 meter-straight-up Strepy-Theiu lift and the 1.4 kilometer long inclined plane at Ronquieres

Exiting into the Canal du Centre

Waiting our turn

A tight fit.

View from the top.

The lift was a bit of an anti-climax and only took about ten minutes from start to finish.

Flood barrage gate.

Waiting at the top of the inclined plane.

Looking back up again.

In the queue to go back up again - four hours and three bassinets later.

Going up with a 67m barge - tight fit.