Camp with the Franconville Scouts - Day 6 - Fri 14th August

• The French Scouts prepared breakfast.
• Today was the canoeing and walking activity. We were to canoe to Putanges, have lunch there and hike back to the site.
• The canoes were delivered to the slipway just up the path from the campsite. Daysacks with changes of clothes and shoes were packed into waterproof containers which were tied onto the canoes.
• The canoeing route was along the River L'Orne to Putanges which turned out to be 7km and took nearly four and a half hours. The river was quite shallow in places and congested with fallen trees and branches and rocks. There were many opportunities to run aground and much time spent in the water freeing the canoes or pushing them through the worst parts. The river was, however, quite pretty and we encountered several weirs and mini-rapids.
• We lunched at Putanges in a field next to the river. Bread, cheese, chicken nuggets, juice and fruit cocktail (in fingers). Everyone dried out in the sun and changed for the return journey.
• The hike back to the campsite was a bit over 4km and it was very hot!
• Dinner was prepared by the Scouts - meat cutlets, carrots in sauce, cucumber salad, malt loaf, "chugging" desserts - and served very late in the dark.
• 11pm - 8am was an all night event of keeping the fire going as per Baden-Powell. Scouts chose half hour slots to sit with leaders (who did an hour or an hour and a half each), keep the fire going, eat goodies and chat about things. Certainly a different way to spend a night!
  

Submitted by Diane