Well, we have made it to the highest navigable point on the Thames. We can now say we have done the entire 215 miles. We hope to get up to the source but it is another 25 miles so may not be walking it and hope we can get a bus from here.
Since our last post we have had a mixed journey. We lost our chimney whilst getting blown across the Thames and getting caught in a tree. We did go back to the spot and tried a bit of fishing but the Thames was rather deep and our fishing net did not reach the bottom. We are at present trying to source a replacement but without a car it might prove problematic. It looks like Midland Chandlery at Braunston might be our nearest option. Sid is looking into buses and trains as I type!
We then had a problem finding a mooring and spent the night on a mooring reserved for lock users. Since the Lockkeeper had finished for the day and we had only seen two other boats for a couple of days we took a chance!! We were like a couple of naughty children and after a sleepless night we were up and through the lock by 07.30 and on our way again! We both decided it was a lovely time to travel with the mist over the fields and no wind and the birds singing and did say to each other that we ought to do this more often. However, we are not very good in the early morning so watch this space for a change in our boating habits.
Our mooring at Radcott was beautiful and there was a very nice looking pub by the bridge. We packed our laptop and tablet in the backpack and off we went. We were both looking forward to a beer since earlier in the day we had taken on water and found it to be ghastly so had not had our normal quota of tea. Disaster!! Can our imagine our dismay when we found it closed. We trundled back to the boat and just had to have an evening of beer and wine on board since the water was unusable. Fortunately we did have a 2ltr bottle of water which we decided to use for our morning cuppa.
We did manage to get moving this morning at 08.30 and our first chore was to empty our water tank and fill it with something a bit better. We did taste it first before proceeding! Just in case!
Lechlade is a very quaint Cotswold town. with lots of antique shops, a lovely butchers, greengrocers and deli, lots of pubs and beautiful church and a Londis. What more do we need. The mooring is lovely and we intend to spend few days here before turning round and heading down river.
We were both a bit emotional when we arrived because this had been our goal last year before our world got turned upside down.
The view from our mooring at Lechlade.
In the meantime we came across this shop in Lechlade which seemed most inappropriate in April!! Not even had summer yet!
glad you have drinkable water now - essential! what a pity you had to make do with beer and wine eh? and what a shame about your chimney! We have had similar probs - I lost a whole wash (T shirts/thermal). There one minute, gone the next - wretched wind. I think I was becoming slightly demented by it.
ReplyDeleteSeems so strange you doing the stretch we did last Autumn, can imagine your emotions - hard for you, but sounds like there are lots of new experiences that keep you going.