The days have been sssssooooo hot and fair Suck on the Sav, standing on the rear deck steering the boat has been challenging work...
Blazing sun, burnt feet on the deck, too much....
We pasted through Henley central, busy with shoppers and busy canal side pubs, then past the large marques that were still standing following the international rowing regatta last week.
An arrow pointed to go down the left but Leonie said "we came up that side last time you should go on the right"...
"Ok" then so we did...
Large marques canal side....
Travelling on the RH side.....
Along the "last weeks rowing course".....
"How come were the only boat motoring in this lane"??...
I'll tell you why.... Because when the men approached in the motorized rubber boat they yelled..
"Your holding up the canoe racing and swimming races",
"Get off the course at the first opportunity" which we did...
Nice one Leonie.....
After passing through Henley and then Hambledon lock we moored up by tying off front and rear ropes to overhanging trees...
Bruce was in charge of tying the front rope...
And then into the late afternoon, evening it was time for...
Sitting on the rear deck.... Nat, & Leonie.....
Quenching the thirst with some beers and..
Wine..... Bruce can get two more drinks out of an empty bottle...
Next morning and the sun was strong again... First lock we filled at the water point then joined the wait...
There was a line up waiting at Hurley lock...
So Bruce and Me pulled up a seat on the towpath while waiting... contemplating going to work.....
NOT.......
Had a cruisey day plenty of sights as how the other half live and made it to the planned stopover....
Moored at Marlow ...... the trip boat approaches....
We had visitors for dinner and a beer or two while at Marlow.
John whom I worked with in Oxford, the bestes mechanic in the whole world, and his lovely
partner Mellisa spent an evening on the NB...
Daisy......
And Jaspa...... He's the one on the left...
Natallie steers....
Passed under the Cookham bridge.....
Passing through Maidenhead we excited Boulters lock to find....
Men in funny costumes in row boats doing " Swan Upping"...
this is the procedure of catching and tagging swans with a numbered steel band on their leg.....
A sensus of swans.........the swan are in the ownership of the British Monarch....
A large crowd had gathered on the bridge to watch...
We shared a lock with this Dutch Barge...
Leonie talked to the owner. The couple were from Perth and just brought the boat and were heading for France via the Thames barrier to spend maybe the next 10 years on the canals... Perfect.....
After a day on the Thames taking in the sights and sun rays it's eventually....
Time for bed... Bruce checks the phone to see "what day is it"...
Approaching Windsor....
Some canal art under the bridge.....
A look around Windsor and Nat.....
Checks out the crooked house....
And a phone box fit for Royalty.... Apparently it's the phone box from where William used to ring Kate to arrange their secret meetings behind the castle walls...
The crooked house stands next to the....
Guildhall...1690...... Venue of the civil wedding of Prince "Charlie", to his mates, and Camilla Parker - Bowles on 09-04-2009.....
There was another civil service going on in the next street..
The celebration of a "Rose between two Thorns"....
Then onto Macca's for a Mcflurry, caramel of course....
But we had to...
The private hunting ground of the Castle of Windsor..... 5000 acres....
Is dissected by the "Long Walk" to the Castle......
Leaving Windsor the Castle.....
Is in view from the canal for several miles....
Getting closer to London
Time to quench a Thirst.... riverside mooring.....
And a riverside terrace....
Onto Weybridge and chucked out the anchor for the night....
A short stroll and.....
"The Old Crown" tripped us up.... a pub with Rugby memorabilia on the walls... a Nice change from the "Kick It With Your Head" stuff.....
Out side......
Leonie tried on a new hat for Ascot.....
And Then.....
Shared a hat with Nat.....
Next day heading for Teddington lock to join the tidal Thames....
Passed under the Walton bridge... sunny as again.....
And passed a NB which was Different in design....
The "Jury's out"..... could be a "Leggo" boat....
We had a bit of time to kill so moored in Kingston Upon Thames and had a look around....
A trip boat...
Exits the Kingston bridge...
We decided to move on when the evening cooled...
Cool Cruising about 9pm....
And as the.....
Sun set we moored at the lock awaiting the early start for the final part of the Thames expedition.....
