Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Wallingford in the wind
15th Sept Sunday
Moored in Wallingford yesterday. I think I was a little unkind about this town on our last trip, as like so many other places lots of shops are closed or now charity shops or nail bars (?!) which makes it feel a little sad, but it is attractive with a centre market square with beautifully planted hanging baskets. Our mooring is on a high bank near the pretty bridge which is nice and sheltered given that today the strong winds have arrived. Because of this and rain, we have decided to stay put for another night and cosy in with the fire lit along with lots of other boaters this side of the river and the other.
Waitrose for supplies, coffee in a busy Costa Coffee this morning (lots of families, children in sports kits) and Wallingford has the added bonus of a launderette, just 3 minutes from our mooring. Sheets and towels now washed, always a problem when cruising - we don't have a washing machine like some boats do, just a little camper thingy that bounces happily across the work-top, so has to be kept an eye on. ' What's wrong with hand washing ?' I hear my mum cry.
We have some helpful neighbours who have tipped us off to moorings on the Grand Union/ Regents canals in London - warning us off mooring in Victoria Park as there are violent robber gangs there, which is a pity because it would be an interesting place to stop. Can't think why the police can't lie in wait in a boat and catch them red handed - they surely don't have more important things to do?!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Moored in Wallingford yesterday. I think I was a little unkind about this town on our last trip, as like so many other places lots of shops are closed or now charity shops or nail bars (?!) which makes it feel a little sad, but it is attractive with a centre market square with beautifully planted hanging baskets. Our mooring is on a high bank near the pretty bridge which is nice and sheltered given that today the strong winds have arrived. Because of this and rain, we have decided to stay put for another night and cosy in with the fire lit along with lots of other boaters this side of the river and the other.
Waitrose for supplies, coffee in a busy Costa Coffee this morning (lots of families, children in sports kits) and Wallingford has the added bonus of a launderette, just 3 minutes from our mooring. Sheets and towels now washed, always a problem when cruising - we don't have a washing machine like some boats do, just a little camper thingy that bounces happily across the work-top, so has to be kept an eye on. ' What's wrong with hand washing ?' I hear my mum cry.
We have some helpful neighbours who have tipped us off to moorings on the Grand Union/ Regents canals in London - warning us off mooring in Victoria Park as there are violent robber gangs there, which is a pity because it would be an interesting place to stop. Can't think why the police can't lie in wait in a boat and catch them red handed - they surely don't have more important things to do?!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday, 13 September 2013
Iffley and Abingdon
12th September Thursday
Out onto the Thames again on a wet Wednesday afternoon, expecting to be able to moor opposite Christchurch Meadow, but all the moorings were taken, so we pressed on to Iffley lock and moored next to a large barge called The Grizzling Skipper, which I couldn't help but keep reading as the Grilled Sardine for some stupid reason. Iffley is pretty and quiet and we had a rather good curry at The Tree and far too much beer and wine, then staggered back through the rain to our cosy boat.
This morning was dank but warm and still and the river was a mill pond. Woke up to laughing ducks and ridiculous goose honks and set off through the lock with a couple of other narrowboats with jolly owners, one of whom I am sure was Father Christmas. It's great to be on the river where there are cheery lock keepers doing the work for you too. We locked through with the same 2 boats at Sandford plus a couple of others - one a huge white cruiser from which the crew looked down on us all and then overtook us once we were on our way because he could go fast and wanted to prove it!!
We caught up with everyone again at Abingdon lock. We needed a pump out and to fill up water, and so it seemed, did another 10 or so boats! But it was pleasant enough waiting our turn, it's so nice to not have to rush for anything. After about an hour and a half, all the craft had moved on and it was quiet again. Strange that we had all congregated at the same time. We decided to stay here for the night as it's a peaceful mooring and easy to walk into Abingdon for the small amount of shopping we needed. Passing the lock keepers hut and the keepers and their volunteers, they declared how busy they were and what a hard job they had as they sat in sun chairs drinking tea!
I now have a solitary scruffy mallard floating gently beside the bow, head on one side to eye me as he has all through my phone call to my Mum (which is a long time, Pete will tell you!) better get some bread I suppose, he is being so patient. And the sun has come out for our afternoon, how kind of it!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Out onto the Thames again on a wet Wednesday afternoon, expecting to be able to moor opposite Christchurch Meadow, but all the moorings were taken, so we pressed on to Iffley lock and moored next to a large barge called The Grizzling Skipper, which I couldn't help but keep reading as the Grilled Sardine for some stupid reason. Iffley is pretty and quiet and we had a rather good curry at The Tree and far too much beer and wine, then staggered back through the rain to our cosy boat.
This morning was dank but warm and still and the river was a mill pond. Woke up to laughing ducks and ridiculous goose honks and set off through the lock with a couple of other narrowboats with jolly owners, one of whom I am sure was Father Christmas. It's great to be on the river where there are cheery lock keepers doing the work for you too. We locked through with the same 2 boats at Sandford plus a couple of others - one a huge white cruiser from which the crew looked down on us all and then overtook us once we were on our way because he could go fast and wanted to prove it!!
We caught up with everyone again at Abingdon lock. We needed a pump out and to fill up water, and so it seemed, did another 10 or so boats! But it was pleasant enough waiting our turn, it's so nice to not have to rush for anything. After about an hour and a half, all the craft had moved on and it was quiet again. Strange that we had all congregated at the same time. We decided to stay here for the night as it's a peaceful mooring and easy to walk into Abingdon for the small amount of shopping we needed. Passing the lock keepers hut and the keepers and their volunteers, they declared how busy they were and what a hard job they had as they sat in sun chairs drinking tea!
I now have a solitary scruffy mallard floating gently beside the bow, head on one side to eye me as he has all through my phone call to my Mum (which is a long time, Pete will tell you!) better get some bread I suppose, he is being so patient. And the sun has come out for our afternoon, how kind of it!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday, 6 September 2013
Tally ho to Aynho
Wednesday 4th September
We found ourselves back in the Red Lion with Jenny and Sid on Monday evening, catching up with their news and picking their brains about places and moorings on the Grand Union, Thames and Wey. It was good to see them. They are travelling in the opposite direction this time to Stratford on Avon.
Baking hot day today, Wednesday. Left Banbury and travelled on to Aynho, via the Pig Place - a canalside farm shop full of piggy produce. We stocked up on sausages and ribs ready for cobbing bbqs, in anticipation of the weather holding for a little longer. A pleasant experience as it's an interesting shop and business which the owners are looking to sell but only to the right people apparently.....a lot of effort went into creating it.
We had some dozey people following us today. They seemed not to register when we were waiting to enter locks and twice came careering past us as if to barge the lock gates, instead of pulling in behind us to queue in the courteous way that is the norm. Goodness knows what they were thinking, they would have had trouble stopping and letting anyone off to open the gates at that speed anyway. We shook them off eventually, but when I looked back as we were leaving the last lock, there they were again crashing into the bank at considerable speed - the ladies in the bow knocked sideways! Wahay, here we go!! Obviously barking mad and in a hurry?! They weren't young and reckless either and part owned the boat, so couldn't have been new to it. I have to confess here that I was once a novice and have done some ridiculous things myself, even thinking I should queue behind someone to wait for them to go in the lock before me, then realising they were actually facing me (don't think they intended reversing in). And no doubt I will do more stupid things in the future, so I can hardly be smug.
Sitting on the bank now, still in baking heat, glass of wine in hand.....mmmmm
The Pig Place:
Honey and ginger buffalo milk ice cream, jolly nice
We found ourselves back in the Red Lion with Jenny and Sid on Monday evening, catching up with their news and picking their brains about places and moorings on the Grand Union, Thames and Wey. It was good to see them. They are travelling in the opposite direction this time to Stratford on Avon.
Baking hot day today, Wednesday. Left Banbury and travelled on to Aynho, via the Pig Place - a canalside farm shop full of piggy produce. We stocked up on sausages and ribs ready for cobbing bbqs, in anticipation of the weather holding for a little longer. A pleasant experience as it's an interesting shop and business which the owners are looking to sell but only to the right people apparently.....a lot of effort went into creating it.
We had some dozey people following us today. They seemed not to register when we were waiting to enter locks and twice came careering past us as if to barge the lock gates, instead of pulling in behind us to queue in the courteous way that is the norm. Goodness knows what they were thinking, they would have had trouble stopping and letting anyone off to open the gates at that speed anyway. We shook them off eventually, but when I looked back as we were leaving the last lock, there they were again crashing into the bank at considerable speed - the ladies in the bow knocked sideways! Wahay, here we go!! Obviously barking mad and in a hurry?! They weren't young and reckless either and part owned the boat, so couldn't have been new to it. I have to confess here that I was once a novice and have done some ridiculous things myself, even thinking I should queue behind someone to wait for them to go in the lock before me, then realising they were actually facing me (don't think they intended reversing in). And no doubt I will do more stupid things in the future, so I can hardly be smug.
Sitting on the bank now, still in baking heat, glass of wine in hand.....mmmmm
The Pig Place:
Honey and ginger buffalo milk ice cream, jolly nice
Monday, 2 September 2013
Cropredy to Banbury
Sunday 1st September
Travelled short distance to a pleasant mooring in Cropredy, where we went for a pint in the Red Lion and came upon 2 singers/guitarists of our age and musical persuasion casually performing at the bar! Several others of our age sat and joined in with Take It Easy, Lying Eyes, various CCR and Doobies faves and a good time was had by all! If my sons read this they wIll no doubt be cringing at the image. This level of music suits my deaf ears fine these days - sadly, I think my years of enjoying loud rock music which caused the deafness in the first place are well over.
On to Banbury, where we have taken up pretty much the same mooring as we had last time we were here, near the town centre. Some locks on this stretch were too difficult for me even though they are small gates and Pete had to take over. Sometimes the winching mechanisms seem to go out of whack so that the ratchets twist, making them very hard to wind. The water is very low as well, the price you pay for all this good weather I suppose and I know which I would rather have. Small enthusiastic children 'helped' here and there, one particularly polite brother and sister were having a lovely day paddling their inflatable canoe with Dad.
The sun shines on.....hooray.
Travelled short distance to a pleasant mooring in Cropredy, where we went for a pint in the Red Lion and came upon 2 singers/guitarists of our age and musical persuasion casually performing at the bar! Several others of our age sat and joined in with Take It Easy, Lying Eyes, various CCR and Doobies faves and a good time was had by all! If my sons read this they wIll no doubt be cringing at the image. This level of music suits my deaf ears fine these days - sadly, I think my years of enjoying loud rock music which caused the deafness in the first place are well over.
On to Banbury, where we have taken up pretty much the same mooring as we had last time we were here, near the town centre. Some locks on this stretch were too difficult for me even though they are small gates and Pete had to take over. Sometimes the winching mechanisms seem to go out of whack so that the ratchets twist, making them very hard to wind. The water is very low as well, the price you pay for all this good weather I suppose and I know which I would rather have. Small enthusiastic children 'helped' here and there, one particularly polite brother and sister were having a lovely day paddling their inflatable canoe with Dad.
The sun shines on.....hooray.
Saturday, 31 August 2013
Sunshine and log burners
30th August
Loaded all our stuff back on to the boat yesterday to start our journey down to Oxford and the Thames. It's a joy to be able to throw open all the doors and windows after our last trip in miserable weather, evidence of which is still around: hats, scarves and gloves lying where we left them.
This time we hope we won't have the poor old squirrel stove roaring quite so much - it's on it's last legs anyway after 13 years good service, the top looking even more out of line than when we left. Another bunging of holes and gaps with fire cement to help it limp on through one more winter then we will have to bite the bullet and buy a new one. It's a shame we can't just slowly replace the seperate bits that are no longer functioning (like Trigger's broom in 'Only Fools and Horses' ) as not all of it is 'broken' - we could then say we've had this log burner for 14years, it's just got 4 new sides, a new base and a new top!
First couple of days is always spent cleaning and shooing out the spiders and earwigs (its also daddy long legs season) but the boat stays so remarkably homely we soon settle in. Back to the slow pace of narrowboating. All good as my sis would say.
Loaded all our stuff back on to the boat yesterday to start our journey down to Oxford and the Thames. It's a joy to be able to throw open all the doors and windows after our last trip in miserable weather, evidence of which is still around: hats, scarves and gloves lying where we left them.
This time we hope we won't have the poor old squirrel stove roaring quite so much - it's on it's last legs anyway after 13 years good service, the top looking even more out of line than when we left. Another bunging of holes and gaps with fire cement to help it limp on through one more winter then we will have to bite the bullet and buy a new one. It's a shame we can't just slowly replace the seperate bits that are no longer functioning (like Trigger's broom in 'Only Fools and Horses' ) as not all of it is 'broken' - we could then say we've had this log burner for 14years, it's just got 4 new sides, a new base and a new top!
First couple of days is always spent cleaning and shooing out the spiders and earwigs (its also daddy long legs season) but the boat stays so remarkably homely we soon settle in. Back to the slow pace of narrowboating. All good as my sis would say.
Sunday, 7 July 2013
Last day
Well, the Greek Islands have not let us down. They are everything we remember and more.
3 inebriated ladies and various teenage children were partying on the beach late afternoon; lots of dancing and singing and falling over in the sea! One of the lovelorn Greek songs they were singing along to (loudly) Jacky remembered from some 30 years ago and could sing along to it herself! The beach bar music is somewhat behind the times, but we like that.
Lunch in Andros town was a winner, stuffed tomatoes, squid, fava bean nuggets, potato croquettes and carafe of local wine in the prettiest taverna shaded by styled trees (don't know what type) , surrounded by a marble topped wall engraved with visitor's initials in the corner of the main square above the sea and a river which greened its surroundings. Couldn't get much better places to while away a couple of hours. The local priest was there enjoying his lunch too. A good sign, we thought.
Late afternoon swimming as the hills turn golden, then into the port for dinner. A taverna by bobbing brightly coloured fishing boats at quieter end of town.
A wonderfully helpful waiter/owner talked us through all the goodies and we eventually settled on local fish and pastistio - none of us wanting huge quantities of food......wine however; even the waiter raised his eyebrows but entering into the spirit we were in, brought us a half carafe on the house to end our meal. Jacky and Pete mused over a group who came in.....a girl on her own first, who kissed the waiter ( we guess she knew him) telling him that 'he' (some revered member of her party) wanted some meat tonight was it on the menu?! and asked him if he could seat 6, whereupon 4 other ladies and one man appeared. Was he an artist with his fawning followers? Flamboyantly dressed with a powder blue pashmina casually draped around his neck. After Simon had observed some graceful hand posturing by him and a couple of the girls, we decided he was a dancer and they were his troupe. Either that or he was a very lucky man with a doting hareem.
Greeks talk very loudly. On a beach one day a lady held a whole conversation pretty much all afternoon with a friend who was 3 yards away and it was loud! And Greek always sounds slightly angry to me. Why she couldn't have just gone and sat with her I don't know, but she would still have been loud I suppose, they all seem to be. We have encountered some very helpful friendly people however - wandering along the front at a port looking for the ferry ticket office, a man on a moped stopped and showed us where the bakery was, very kind and thoughtful of him seeing some dozy tourists that obviously need a hand, but unfortunately bakeries don't sell ferry tickets!!
Before we hired a car we wondered why people were driving in the middle of the road, we soon discovered the reason - the road edges are pot holed and ragged. Its a pretty bumpy ride in Fiat Puntos and Chevrolet Matiz - roller skates. The first car we hired in Kea had broken or missing hub caps and was thick with road dust......wonder why? As with everything, the hire car companies seem totally laid back - not a lot of inspection of scratches etc goes on, we just trust they are road worthy! Anyway these two little cars got us around fine.
Back to Panos' taverna (facebook.com/thiriotrofeio) for a local sausage and lentil salad lunch, before boarding the Fastferries to Rafina. Don't want to be seasick on an empty stomach after all! We now have more information on our mystery man in pashmina that makes us think it was a photo shoot for Elle magazine, but this is gleaned from Panos' Mum whose English isn't as good as her son's (who apparently used to be a fashion photographer).
Ferry at 2.45, boarded with Jack and Simon, late leaving therefore its 5.15 before we disembark having said our goodbyes on the ferry because J and S flight later than ours. Taxi to airport, arriving 5.50, bags checked in and through in time for flight at 6.50. Flight made up time despite not leaving until 7 (Greek time) because a bag had to be found that had been put on the wrong flight. Arrive Heathrow on BA at 8.20 (UK time). Taxi home by 9.45. And the UK weather is wonderful.
Great holiday.
Efharisto and kahleeneekhtah.
3 inebriated ladies and various teenage children were partying on the beach late afternoon; lots of dancing and singing and falling over in the sea! One of the lovelorn Greek songs they were singing along to (loudly) Jacky remembered from some 30 years ago and could sing along to it herself! The beach bar music is somewhat behind the times, but we like that.
Lunch in Andros town was a winner, stuffed tomatoes, squid, fava bean nuggets, potato croquettes and carafe of local wine in the prettiest taverna shaded by styled trees (don't know what type) , surrounded by a marble topped wall engraved with visitor's initials in the corner of the main square above the sea and a river which greened its surroundings. Couldn't get much better places to while away a couple of hours. The local priest was there enjoying his lunch too. A good sign, we thought.
Late afternoon swimming as the hills turn golden, then into the port for dinner. A taverna by bobbing brightly coloured fishing boats at quieter end of town.
A wonderfully helpful waiter/owner talked us through all the goodies and we eventually settled on local fish and pastistio - none of us wanting huge quantities of food......wine however; even the waiter raised his eyebrows but entering into the spirit we were in, brought us a half carafe on the house to end our meal. Jacky and Pete mused over a group who came in.....a girl on her own first, who kissed the waiter ( we guess she knew him) telling him that 'he' (some revered member of her party) wanted some meat tonight was it on the menu?! and asked him if he could seat 6, whereupon 4 other ladies and one man appeared. Was he an artist with his fawning followers? Flamboyantly dressed with a powder blue pashmina casually draped around his neck. After Simon had observed some graceful hand posturing by him and a couple of the girls, we decided he was a dancer and they were his troupe. Either that or he was a very lucky man with a doting hareem.
Greeks talk very loudly. On a beach one day a lady held a whole conversation pretty much all afternoon with a friend who was 3 yards away and it was loud! And Greek always sounds slightly angry to me. Why she couldn't have just gone and sat with her I don't know, but she would still have been loud I suppose, they all seem to be. We have encountered some very helpful friendly people however - wandering along the front at a port looking for the ferry ticket office, a man on a moped stopped and showed us where the bakery was, very kind and thoughtful of him seeing some dozy tourists that obviously need a hand, but unfortunately bakeries don't sell ferry tickets!!
Before we hired a car we wondered why people were driving in the middle of the road, we soon discovered the reason - the road edges are pot holed and ragged. Its a pretty bumpy ride in Fiat Puntos and Chevrolet Matiz - roller skates. The first car we hired in Kea had broken or missing hub caps and was thick with road dust......wonder why? As with everything, the hire car companies seem totally laid back - not a lot of inspection of scratches etc goes on, we just trust they are road worthy! Anyway these two little cars got us around fine.
Back to Panos' taverna (facebook.com/thiriotrofeio) for a local sausage and lentil salad lunch, before boarding the Fastferries to Rafina. Don't want to be seasick on an empty stomach after all! We now have more information on our mystery man in pashmina that makes us think it was a photo shoot for Elle magazine, but this is gleaned from Panos' Mum whose English isn't as good as her son's (who apparently used to be a fashion photographer).
Ferry at 2.45, boarded with Jack and Simon, late leaving therefore its 5.15 before we disembark having said our goodbyes on the ferry because J and S flight later than ours. Taxi to airport, arriving 5.50, bags checked in and through in time for flight at 6.50. Flight made up time despite not leaving until 7 (Greek time) because a bag had to be found that had been put on the wrong flight. Arrive Heathrow on BA at 8.20 (UK time). Taxi home by 9.45. And the UK weather is wonderful.
Great holiday.
Efharisto and kahleeneekhtah.
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