Swallows and Amazons, The Wind in the Willows – every literary image of messing about in boats in the most rustic style imaginable came to me as we gently motored along the tree-lined waterways and floating gardens of Amiens.
As if on cue, a kingfisher darted across the water, adding a flash of blue to the grey November sky and golden leaves that were still clinging to the trees. We were in the Hortillonnages, the intricate patchwork of channels, islands, streams, floating gardens and even art installations that turn the River Somme into a magical watery world.
